For the July 4th 2026 fireworks show, our friends, who are residents of Truckee, offered to get my…read moreparty of 6 tickets to see the show at West End Beach at Donner Lake. In order to buy the tickets at the Community Recreation Center, you must be able to show one proof of residency (driver's license, service/utility bill, car registration, current tax bill with an address in the district) and a resident can buy up to 8 tickets. Tickets are NOT sold at the gate. At $25 per person, the whole experience which includes the show at 9:30pm, games for the family beginning at 1:30pm, really good live music, plenty of port-o-potties, and lake fun complete with water rentals, food concessions is pretty good. Being this was our first time at West End Beach, there were lots of decisions to make. After researching this event, here's what we decided: - Take the free shuttle from Truckee High School which begins at 3pm - Bring our own food that was packed in a thermal bag to keep it hot instead of heating up the food at the beach. Although alcoholic beverages are allowed, glass of any kind is prohibited and checked at the gate. When we arrived at the beach around 4pm, there appeared to be no good picnic spots near the lake because those people arrive early in the morning before the gate opens at 9am. However, there's plenty of space to have a picnic meal with picnic tables, but the roped-off area in the park specifically states that the area must be cleared by 7pm. While there was plenty of space in the roped-off area, where would we go after 7pm? As it turns out, things and people begin to shift by about 7pm. In order to avoid putting things away in the dark after the show is over, people are putting their canopies and other equipment away and the family games have ended creating more space to watch the fireworks. After walking around, we found some open spots in the grass to lay down our picnic blankets to watch the show. Speaking of arriving early, there is a beach parking lot which has a limited amount of spaces and those people arrive by 6am to claim those precious spots. One lucky person I spoke with said he arrived at just before 7am to claim the last parking space. Having a parking space would have meant I could have launched my kayak, but my party of 6 was content to play in the water and play games while waiting for the 9:30pm show. If you're going to cook or heat your food, you must bring your own equipment. In fact, you see people cooking on their full-sized BBQs! There were only a few people cooking on the charcoal grills. After the show is over just before 10pm, the shuttle buses are waiting, but it takes a while for everyone to load. Nevertheless, we made it back to the Truckee High School around 10:45p. Since there was some wait time on the bus, I struck up a conversation with the person next to me who said he didn't arrive at West End Beach until 8:40pm and there was still plenty of space for him and his daughter to see the show. If you want to skip bringing your own food/beverages, chairs, and umbrellas, arriving before the show starts sounds like a good option. Lying on our blankets with our coats on was an ideal way for us to watch the show as it felt up close and personal. The show was spectacular.

It's a great, convenient beach, but it will cost ya. They do charge and it's not cheap and this…read morebeach gets crowded. The beach itself has a large sandy area, which is fun. In the summer, there are plenty of life guards, a fairly large parking lot that does fill up fast, pickleball courts, and boat rentals. However, it can get so crowded, so buyer beware. When it's not crowded, it's lovely! Overall, a great Donner Lake beach.

My husband and I came to Zephyr Cove - North Beach two Thursdays ago (in March). We came here to…read morekayak and decided up this spot because it was highly recommended by the woman who owned the Airbnb that we were staying in. On the afternoon that we arrived, we were lucky that the parking kiosk was not working and the gate to enter was open, so we lucked out with free parking. But will mention that this most likely was during off season because it was pretty cold on the day of our visit (we were one of very few crazy people willing to kayak in the water on this cold day (low to mid 60's). After we parked, my husband and I pulled our foldable kayaks over to the sand. After putting our kayaks together, we launched ourselves from the sand and then were off. Initially the water nice and calm but about 30 minutes into it, the waves started to get choppy and the winds were blowing kind of hard, so we only managed to kayak for about an hour but it was a fun visit. The view from my kayak was very beautiful and serene (before the winds starting to blow harder). Please note that near this beach is dog friendly, Zephyr Shoals Beach north of Zephyr Cove Resort. But where we parked and launched our kayaks is not dog friendly. There is food sold from the concession stands and there are restrooms on this beach (but I did not use any of the restrooms, nor did I purchase any food). Also kayaks are available for rent here. Overall, we had a good visit and would consider coming back here to kayak again the next time we visit Lake Tahoe.

Beautiful piney area. Long walking paths. Right along the…read morebeach. Great vistas. Unsure if dogs allowed but is off season and no one else was around. By the way she only peed and we were prepared to pick up after her.

Kings Beach State Recreation Area was a great place to spend the day with the family. We had warm…read moreweather during our visit, and the lake was not too cold, which made it comfortable to enjoy the water. The beach had a lovely atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and a relaxed family-friendly vibe. Another nice part of the area is that there are plenty of restaurants, ice cream shops, stores, and other places to explore nearby. It is easy to make a full day out of the visit without having to travel far for food or something else to do. I recommend arriving early because parking can fill up quickly. Otherwise, you may have to pay around $20 to park somewhere else or take your chances finding another spot. Overall, we had a great family visit and would gladly return.

With so much to offer, I can see why Kings Beach is so popular…read more * roped off area for swimming * launch area for kayaks * plenty of flush toilets and porto-potties *fairly large playground for kids *Jet-Ski/Sea Doo and non-motorized watercraft for rent *picnic tables and shade trees When we arrived in the afternoon, Lake Tahoe was its usual windy self and too much wave action to make kayaking fun. Nevertheless, if all you want to do is hang out at the beach, this is the place. Parking in the lot is $10 for the day or $3 for per hour that you can pay at a kiosk.

Wonderful for fishing went at dawn and fought some of the best fish I've ever had was worth the…read moredrive

It's very nice and enjoyable. Theres a parking lot but they get full fast so get here early and…read morethere's restaurants around and a nice walk trail

Quality/Quantity - Not so hidden, lol. The first beach…read morewalking towards Sand Harbor from Incline. Very small, but we were here off season (just the way I like it) and other than one other family, it is just us "two" here. So a private beach, lol. We are hosting our friends today. Showed them our free local parking spot. Gave them a quick tour of this area and all of Incline. A short 1.5 walk on the beautiful and easy Tahoe East Shore Trail. Just be careful of all the ebikes that do NOT have full control of their bikes or themselves. It would be nice if there was a separate bike path, or only allow manual bikes on the walking paths...? Atmosphere - Again, a very small, NOT so hidden beach. A nice stop/break from the 3 mile walk. Approximately the half way mark from Incline to Sand Harbor. Restrooms nearby, but I can NOT recommend them. More like outhouses with NO sink to wash your hands. Easy walk or bike ride. Fairly easy, very short walk/hike to each path. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - N/A.

If you park at tunnel creek cafe, you can access the beach. You walk on the sidewalk then loop…read moreunder a tunnel. The lake is always amazing. You can even do the walk with a stroller.

The most beautiful beach in Lake Tahoe hands down. I genuinely don't think I've seen a more…read morebeautiful view anywhere else in the world. The water is so clear and the rocks in the water are just so gorgeous. The only downside is that it is a nude beach and there are some creepy people. If you can look past that, it is the most beautiful beach EVER!!!

Secret Cove is a really beautiful, crystal-clear beach on Lake Tahoe's East Shore, with stunning…read moregranite boulders. Parking: Along Highway 28. It fills up super early, so plan accordingly. Clothing: Optional. If you plan to wear swimwear, I'd recommend putting it on at the parking lot since there isn't much privacy or covered area at the cove for changing. How to get there: A scenic 0.75-mile hike. Water: Warm-ish (for Tahoe standards) and a bright turquoise color. There are porta-potty restrooms available at the parking lot at the start of the trail. When I went, I only saw a couple of older men fully nude; most people were wearing swimwear. The hike is a bit steep at the beginning, so sturdy shoes or water shoes are a good idea. A lot of people bring water sports gear, coolers, and picnic setups. There was even a small hippie-style drum circle near the cove, which added to the laid-back vibe. Please remember to pack out all your trash and help keep this beautiful spot clean.

Such a beautiful pup friendly beach in South Lake Tahoe…read more This was our first stop after a 3.5 hour drive to South Lake Tahoe and it was the perfect place for our pup to runaround and meet some friends and get her energy out. It has a decent size parking lot with an extra parking lot in the back and its a short two minute walk into the beach. There's essentially zero shade, so bring an umbrella if that's something you want or need.

I had a great time at Kiva beach. While parking can be hard, if you take the next right after Kiva…read moreBeach onto Taylor, you'll find a lot of parking. It is a little bit of a walk to the water but well worth it!! The sand is so perfect. I loved squishing my feet in it. There are also SO MANY dogs. It's dog heaven! And the owners were all great about picking up after their animals. I highly recommend this beach.

If it's not busy, it's such a great beach especially for those with littles since the water isn't…read moresuper deep. It's smack dab in downtown Tahoe City and on a Thursday in August, with the farmer's market, it is such an awesome spot to hang with friends, grab food, enjoy the live music and the beach. It has some sand, grass, a playground, bathrooms, a small parking lot but plenty of street parking. I'd imagine on weekends it tends to get much busier, but on a weekday, it can be a little slice of heaven.

Sundays at Commons Beach is the perfect place to be for concerts in Tahoe City. Backdrop is…read morebeautiful Lake Tahoe. Mellow crowd. Simply Heaven.