Such a beautiful pup friendly beach in South Lake Tahoe. 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. read more

Kiva Beach - Relaxing on the beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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I had a great time at Kiva beach. While parking can be hard, if you take the next right after Kiva Beach 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. read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Kiva is our favorite stop. It's a very simple hike along a well maintained trail with lots of informational posts along the way. We were very lucky this trip and go to see the eagles (golden and bald) flying over the marsh. There is a nice beach area with stunning views of the lake. This is a don't miss spot for us each time we're in Tahoe. read more

What a fab find in Tahoe! This summer I got to Tahoe like a local and this was hands down one of my greatest discoveries. Where else are you going to find access to a beautiful and unique dog-friendly Tahoe beach just a short walk from a good sized free parking lot? Anyone who knows the area knows this is a big ask UNLESS you know about Kiva. It's a large, expansive sand bar that separates the lake from a wetland area offering a lot of space to spread out, a calmer section of the lake great for swimming and paddle boarding, several trees and shrubs along the shore for shade too. My kids and I enjoyed a nice late afternoon here. It's close to the Y, so we stoped and got a pizza at Tahoe AleworX and picnicked in the parking lot afterwards. Love this beach! read more

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Superb beach at the Southwest corner of Lake Tahoe, very close to Emerald Bay - we went kayaking here yesterday afternoon. We got there around 1 and were lucky enough to find parking close to the port-a-potty area AND the beach access road. After inflating both our paddle boards, we carried them to the beach and found a nice spot where could set up with our beach towels and picnic basket. It was a warm day but the water was lovely and cool, with a light breeze, perfect for kayaking. Which we spent the next four hours doing, taking turns, two at a time. Around 5, the afternoon active crowd started leaving, and the beach and sunset folks started arriving, and we decided to call it a day. Can't wait to be back! read more

Kiva Beach - It was a perfect day for kayaking. - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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Beautiful beach, and lots of shiny rocks. Bring a chair and just relax! We came here on our way up to tahoe and it was a beautiful stop

My absolute favorite spot to come, winter especially but summer is beautiful. The water is so clear and it is dog friendly. The mountains are up close and when there is snow it makes the lake look more blue than it already is. In summer, there are portable bathrooms and the parking is close. In winter, you have to park where the gate is closed and walk in. It's about .8 miles and there aren't bathrooms but it is worth the views. I love coming here and bringing lunch. read more

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Dog HAVEN. I came here because it was one of the first google results for dog-friendly beach in Tahoe (though I think most of them are dog friendly). I would say 80% of the people here had a dog. It was like dog park meets beach, which is fun. I didn't see anywhere to pay for parking so I'm assuming it was free to visit as well (maybe double check on your visit, though). Unfortunately water was pretty dirty, tons of debris floating around and it was quite cloudy. It didn't appear to be garbage-like dirty... more like organic material. It looked like like a bunch of ash and other organic debris floating around. Might be a health concern for your dog, but I made sure mine didn't drink from the water. My only other complaint is the long, sandy walk from the parking lot to the beach. It didn't have a ton of shade so it was HOT HOT HOT on my feet. I had to pick up my dog because I knew it was going to be hot for him as well. I saw most people walking their poor dogs on this hot sand probably unknowingly. Most people know to check the pavement for heat, but make sure you check the sand as well. read more

We had a wonderful time at Kiva Beach. You park at the parking lot and walk to the trail at the curve of the parking lot. The trail forks two ways; to the left is the sunny side of the beach and to the right are the shaded beaches, which have little private coves. We hung out at one of the private coves and it was fantastic there. Highly recommend. read more

Best off leash beach to enjoy with your four legged bestie for miles around! One of our dogs learned to swim here. Lots of trails, spectacular views, and convenient parking. Put this place on your bucket list! Worth the drive. read more

Gorgeous views on the beach. Great spot to paddle board and picnic. There is a creek connected that you can explore via paddle board/ kayak. It is a short walk down to the beach if you use the entrance at the bottom of the parking lot (near the garbage cans). We used the entrance on the left of the parking lot. We still made it, but it was the scenic route. If you go this route, turn left when you get to the lake. Oh and the parking is free, which was appreciated. This is a dog beach. We love dogs so it wasn't a problem. Although, many people let their dogs off leash and we had a few uninvited visitors with wet sandy paws run over our blankets and eat some of our food. Definitely recommend as this was a great spot! read more

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We visited Kiva Beach with our dog a few weeks ago and had a wonderful time. The beach is beautiful and clean. Everyone was so nice and their dogs were friendly. It was our dog's first time off leash and he did really well with the other dogs. We arrived around 11am and stayed a few hours. It started getting a little busy later in the afternoon, so I'd recommend arriving early. The water was cold throughout but nothing you couldn't get used to. The beach is a quick walk from parking lot, which has plenty of parking. Can't wait to come back from this beach next time we're in Tahoe! read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

It's a busy beach in the summer but our dogs love it & our pig does too. We've been here dozens of times and have yet to see a dog fight. Good dog owners seem to flock to this beach. You'll need to get here early in the summer to avoid waiting for a parking spot but it is worth it. read more

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What a lovely woman and a lovely farm! Came here to pick mandarins. Will definitely be back for summer fruit picking. Wonderful!

Kiva Dog Beach is amazing! Easy parking and just a short walk to the water. Most dogs are off-leash, which is fun but not all are well behaved. Me and my friend actually witnessed an aggressive dog situation that led to an awkward owner argument. Still, we found a chill spot by the lake and got to relax and enjoy the beautiful views. Just keep an eye out if your dog isn't into drama! read more

Such an awesome place. We came when there was still a little snow left. Our dog loved walking around the area. Such beautiful views! We also walked around the park area. Alot of history there. read more

Kiva Beach - Kiva beach. Dog friendly. - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Great beach in South Lake Tahoe. Definitely recommend checking this beach out. Great views from the beach. Highly recommend.

its pretty and theres free parking. its dog friendly yes. i know technically the area is on leash dog only but noticed alot of people dont follow that rule. it wouldn't be an issue but alot of dogs that came there were aggressive and we had to leave as alot of those type of dogs were heading in. read more

There are very few beach spots to take your pup and typically the less "beautiful" beaches are open for dogs.. this beach is an exception. This is a beautiful beach in a quiet cove with a nice sandy stretch. We pitched a tent , paddled our boards and let our pup run free. We appreciate that other owners cared after their dogs. read more

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This beach was absolutely precious. I had a really great time with my partner and two little dogs on a Saturday. We tried to park at the visitor center, but it was closed, so we just parked outside the gate and walked in. There were a lot of people around but nothing so overwhelming that I would consider it crowded. There were plenty of patches of beach without anyone near it. We walked the little trail they had that led to the beach and it was a lovely walk. The views were absolutely beautiful with the snow on the mountains in the background. I would definitely come back here with my dogs. read more

Kiva Beach - Our cuties enjoyed themselves. - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

I have grown up in northern Nevada, so tahoe has been a staple of every summer. I just went to kiva beach for the first time, and I'm disappointed in myself for not going sooner. This has got to be the best beach of all of tahoe. So beautiful. The sand was perfect and soft, the beach was really open, there was plenty of FREE parking, it's dog friendly, what more can you ask for! I'll definitely be back. Even though this beach is over an hour drive for me, it is totally worth it. read more

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Beautiful beach! It's a dog beach so if you don't like dogs, don't want to be bothered by dogs at your chair/picnic blanket, or you have little kiddos who don't know how to act around strange dogs, this definitely is not the beach for you. The beach was nice and clean. The views were amazing! We had a lot of fun jumping off the buoys into the deep water. We spent 5 hours here and out was a family favorite. read more

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This is so far my favorite dog friendly beach! Very clean, not crowded, soft warm sands that stretch for miles and beautiful view of the lake. We were able to take our dog off the leash and let him run freely. Bring your own doggy bags. They have some available but seems it gets empty often. Bring lunch and a picnic blanket and plenty of drinks. Water was very cold but we still see some dogs jump into the lake as well as a few humans who were shivering lol. No fee to park. I would bring my Peanut there again read more

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Free parking!! Definitely a dog beach which we really enjoyed. Not super populated and not a party beach. Definitely chill vibes :) had a great time!! read more

Kiva Beach - Trail to beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

This place is FANTASTIC! The parking is free and the walk to the beach is MAYBE a couple of minutes. Once you park, you walk through some trees...there is SO much room. We were able to find a place with only a few people about 11am on a weekday. By the time we left (a few hours later), people were waiting for a parking spot. Looks of dogs running around. Most of them on leashes (except for the water). All the dogs we saw were friendly and played together well. There were some talkers but still no aggressive or mean dogs. The water is lovely! You can go and go and go and still stand up. Our kids were out until I couldn't tell who they were and they were still standing! People are floating, paddle boarding, etc. while dogs swim around. I would like to add, we noticed when we got back to our car, the that back window was down the whole time. This was VERY visible (obviously not when walking away :) for a few hours and nothing was amiss. I would say even if you don't have a dog, come with your children as long as they won't be afraid of the dogs. It was really a lovely, clean, open, beautiful beach! read more

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Beautiful beach for dogs to play off leash. If you walk further down the stretch of beach, you'll find better spots for dogs away from kids and groups. read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

*COVID-19 REVIEW* This is such a nice place! The Parking lot is spacious, free, and is a short walk to and from the beach. I took my kayak out on the water and the water is so clear! This is a great place for photos, picnics, and long walks. read more

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This is a beautiful dog friendly beach to go too with your whole family. It's large and can find the perfect place to set up and enjoy the day. read more

Kiva Beach - Our doggie enjoying the Sunny beach day - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

We love kiva Beach. We come every July and bring our fur babies. This year, we were surprised by all the beautiful wildflowers. My girls loved it. We have learned to come during the week and in the morning and never have an issue with parking. Weekends get extremely packed. read more

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Beautiful beach! Highly recommend if you want to see through the water. Love that the beach isn't too busy either read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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The main beach to bring your dogs to. It's hard finding beaches that allow dogs. People want to enjoy their beach days with their kids, friends, and beloved pooches but not everyone is so excited to share the beach with good ol' Fido. Luckily there is Kiva beach! Kiva beach is at Tallac Historic Site. Turn left where the road splits and you will get to Kiva beach parking lot, it's not huge so definitely carpool and get there early. The beach is a short 5 minute walk if you walk slowly and to the left will be the beach. There are some spots to the right among the trees and along the trail that are nice. We found a great beach spot going this way since we had a baby and dog with us, it was perfect! The left side can get a little wild. Theres A LOT OF DOGS running around in the summer time but this is where they can be free so as long as your dog is controlled and friendly they are welcome to play! read more

In A Nutshell: -Kiva Beach is an awesome beach to take your dogs. -It's a strip of sand that divides Lake Tahoe & a smaller body of very calm & shallow water, which is perfect for you & your dogs to swim in. -The beach has enough room for to lounge & relax, but since you have dogs running around, it's best to keep an active-restraint w/ your dogs by voice command. -The scenery is very beautiful, especially in June where there was still snow in the mountains, but the weather was warm. Overall, if you bring your dogs to South Lake Tahoe, I highly, highly recommend taking them to here to enjoy their vacation. They will never forget the experience! read more

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Really good beach to Come with dogs, but not for kids, , portables toilets, and free limited parking. read more

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It had been a long time since I've been here, so I thought I'd write an updated review with a bit more info. Either come early or late afternoon in order to score a parking spot - the lot itself is pretty small. From the parking lot, take advantage of bathrooms and then walk towards the water and turn left as you follow the trail along the shore. With the lake so high this year, the beach has become very narrow. If you're lucky, you'll score a tiny bit of a beach to yourself. There are some nice picnic spots too with tables and barbecue grills. Keep walking past the wooded area until you come to a much wider, open beach. This is the dog friendly area. Now, people, technically your dog has to be leashed. When the rangers are around, this is strictly enforced. On a late Sunday afternoon, there were about 30-40 dogs here of all different sizes and breeds and only a few were leashed. All others were off leash but playing nicely with each other. There is a narrow spit of beach that separates the lake from the protected meadows with its pond. Here are where you'll find a somewhat rowdier area, with small groups that tend to be younger with lots of beer and music playing. Keep walking if you want to get away from the crowds. Overall, a great spot considering it's FREE! read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Peaceful slice of paradise, tons of spots along the trail which creates for the feeling that you have your own private spot on the lake.

Not my fave beach but this one is dog friendly. I didn't care for it because it was way to crowded and the beach area and water had a dirty zoo like smell to it. Lol. Idk how else to describe it. Anyway. If you don't have pets and would love to swim somewhere beautiful. Take a look at my other reviews. read more

This beach was perfect for us to bring our pup along with us. I hate leaving her home so when I found this beach that allows dogs I was so excited. So many dogs there & no one was bothered about having them off leash as long as dogs weren't acting out. Everyone was respectful of boundaries. The parking was short enough distance from the beach. If it says you have to pay for parking you're on the wrong side of the beach for the dogs. We parked where the maps say "kiva parking" on apple maps & the trail to the beach was maybe 5 min walk. Plenty of room. The only thing was water wasn't super clear but not a huge deal for us. read more

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This might be the perfect Tahoe beach. A secluded, huge beach, in a wide crescent with a meadow just behind it, and set against a beautiful mountain backdrop. Soft brown sand, in a wide strip, with plenty of space for everyone to stretch out. It is dog friendly, so bring your pooch. Only drawbacks are porta pottys are the only facilities. Very small parking lot, with limited (but free!) parking spaces, and no other services nearby. (We didn't check out the nearby Visitors Center, which may offer better facilities. But it was a longer walk to the beach and busy with a special event on the days we visited.) Don't let that hold you back...just go! read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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Came here on a thursday and there weren't many people which was the reason I came on a thursday. I brought my paddleboard and my dog and we were able to launch and paddle around very easily. The beach isn't too far from the parking lot but the lot I went to has maybe 30 spots? So I know for sure on a weekend this place is probably packed real quick. read more

Kiva Beach - Aiko on kiva beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

This was our first time trying out a dog friendly beach at Lake Tahoe. The location is a bit of a drive from Reno but if you're up this way it is definitely worth the stop. The beach was clean with plenty of room to roam and it wasn't crowded on the Friday we stopped up here. What surprised me the most was how many dogs were allowed off of their leashes even with signs everywhere stating not to. We had one come over and annoy us for a few minutes until the owner came over and was able to get him away from us. Parking is limited so that is good to know if you want to get a spot in the lot you have to get there early on the weekend. read more

Kiva Beach - Beaches Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California