My husband and I came to Zephyr Cove - North Beach two Thursdays ago (in March). We came here to kayak 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. read more

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Beautiful piney area. Long walking paths. Right along the beach. 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. read more

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8/21/2024 - Driven here many times, but today was the first time I actually stopped. Great time to visit, as there were plenty of parking .. Parking fee was $12.. Impressed with how clean the restrooms were (minus the paper towel dispenser not working).. Walked along the beach and found a spot nearby. I think our next trip we will bring our bbq and grill Japanese meats.. Signs say to have dogs on a leash-and some signs say no dogs on beaches.. Majority of dogs not on leashes and swimming in the water-.. Glad my son was able to go for a very cold swim! read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

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Man, what a (not so) hidden gem!!! Excellent beach access and very affordable. The grounds were very, very clean and the people working were very attentive and nice to give directions. We spent several hours on the beach and enjoyed it here. PLENTY of parking and different beach accesses. Restrooms were okay and there is a restaurant / gift shop on the property in case you forgot something. read more

Great bacon. Good food. Beautiful view. Nice area to visit while on vacation. Love the mug and had to buy one, even though it's old 70's style. read more

Nice beach with amazing views of the mountains on the east side. We stopped here one evening to watch the sunset and had some drinks at the beach bar. The drinks were strong and delicious and the bartender was very friendly. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Taken from the beach bar - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

This place is terrific! My kid had a good time kayaking all around the place, and we had a good time spent at the beach. Be careful as a lot of people come in late and try to camp almost right on top of you. We got there around nine, and we were able to secure Good spot. This is a good place to come and visit. read more

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We visit Zephyr Cove annually. It's something of a party beach. It's good for people watching and not usually overly obnoxious or anything. We returned for the July 4 holiday. Alcohol was prohibited at Zephyr Cove and Nevada Beach for the holiday. We weren't aware until after arriving like many others. I'd warn you to check if visiting during a holiday. It wasn't as fun as it usually was. It was a dry beach on a holiday. It all came across like a shameless cash grab by the beaches to force everyone to purchase alcohol on site. Surprisingly, the lines for the bar were unaffected. It was as busy as it would be had they allowed BYOB. I also think this prohibition is more destructive and harmful than anything else. Seeing everyone being forced to binge drink by their cars before entering the beach was not exactly classy. This and they only check for bringing in beer. Had we discreetly tried to bring in hard alcohol, no one would have noticed. I'm sure many were doing exactly this. The heat + the alcohol prohibition + the binge drinking and aftermath of the rule are not a safe combination. Mostly though, people seemed to be acting responsibly. I'm mostly concerned about what could happen. The rule is more harmful than anything else. I won't be returning again during a holiday unless I can confirm this greedy, irresponsible rule is not in effect. It felt like Safe and Sober after a high school prom. read more

Waisted 45 minutes to drive up from carson ti get turned away from parking because apparently they don't accept cash. Card only. 10/10 ruined mine and my kids day. read more

We loved it here during the weekdays!! THAT IS IT. On the weekend, I do not recommend coming especially a holiday weekend. We came here last Friday and it was amazing. Not too crowded especially since water is at capacity making sandy space very limited. parking was $12. We came back on July 6th (Saturday) and it was a mistake. Parking was $40! which was absurd. The websites all had conflicting information, but since we were there already, we just stayed. We arrived at 8am and parking on the north beach end was almost full. We got lucky as most people seem to venture to the south beach area so we got a picnic table on the beach. but by 10am, parking lot was full, people were being turned around and walking into the beach. There was no room on the beach, but people squeezed in wherever they can find the tiniest bit of room leaving aboslutely zero personal space and I mean their canopy was overlaying your canopy from the left, right and even behind. People were walking on each others towels, which is absolutely rude. Music blasting from giant speakers at every 10 feet. it was ridiculous. read more

This is definitely The happening beach in the area. It's awesome because there's a lot of people of all ages having fun up and down a pretty fair stretch of beads but the main Beach where everybody is is where you want to be if you're wanting to mix and then go and have a good time with your friends and meet new people everybody was really pleasant and fun. Then they got a nice bar over there everything was really chill we had a great time. read more

This is a nice all in one place. They have a bar with bar food, different rentals, tours, and decent parking. The beach does get packet with little to no shade but family and pet friendly. Parking is 12 dollars. read more

We absolutely loved this beach. Bring chairs, shade umbrella, floaties, swim shoes. Pack a lunch and get there early. We went on a Saturday and there was a line to pay for parking at 10 AM. Parking is $12, better bring cash because the ATM was broken. Not sure about credit cards. The water is clear and the beach is fairly shallow for quite a ways which is great for swimming. There is lots of paddle boarding, kayaking, and all kinds of floating devices. It was great and I could have stayed there all day, swimming with the mountains in the background. There are small lockers. There's a nice walking path to the boulder-y part of the beach. There are a lot of picnic tables behind the beach which is also a great place to set up an awning. read more

This is a beautiful section of Lake Tahoe. It provides a nice size beach, climbing rock formations along the water, water sport rentals, and camping sites. Not to mention that the conifer forest grow right up to the beach which makes for a picturess setting. I spent some time here resting after a long drive over from Santa Rosa. I was quite impressed for being the middle of July because the mountain peaks were still snow capped and the sun was nice and warm followed by a cool mountain breeze. After resting a bit on the micro pebble like beach, I took the liberty to check out the boulder formations along the coast of the lake. The outcroppings were impressive and were the perfect place to sit, relax, and take in the view of the grand lake ahead. The beach is not far of the main road and has good access. If you do not want to pay the fee to enter, you can park up the street along side road and then walk down to the beach. The beach is a cool vacation spot for daily or overnight use. read more

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This was a beautiful beach! I took the information from the reviews to plan a good family day trip. We made the 2.5 hour drive to the beach - cash only for $10 parking fee - some people complained about that but considering how clean the beach AND bathrooms were I don't mind it at all (the bathrooms only had water on the floor; the toilets were constantly kept clean the entire day). We arrived around 10:30am and there was still plenty of beach for us to set up on. We set up our canopy, blankets, and chairs. The water was still pretty ice cold but GORGEOUS! We played on the sand with our 2 year old daughter and giggled as we put our legs in the cold water while my brother bbq'd on the grill. My SIL has a cool place to sit with her 2 month old daughter and we even napped (the only pesky part was the huge ants in the sand). We found our perfect set up spot so next time I'll go earlier to ensure we get that spot. We stayed until 6pm when it go windy before heading home. Absolutely awesome!!! read more

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Wet nice and quiet beach. Had fun walking around and looking at the beautiful scenery. Great day!

We stopped by Zephyr Cove / Beach on our way from South Lake Tahoe to Reno this past Saturday. It had just snowed all day on Friday, so the dock/pier was still covered in snow. The view from the beach was gorgeous - the mountains were covered in snow in the distance, and the waters were calm and serene. See attached photo for what I mean! All water sports and water activity had stopped (probably too cold); however, the ferry we saw docked at this beach was actually active later in the afternoon on Sunday -- as we think we saw it cruise by Emerald Bay. This is likely the area where you can rent mini paddle boats and kayaks to maneuver around the lake. Must be nice when it's summer and warmer. It was freezing when we were there this past weekend! I'm sure when the weather is sunnier and warmer, people would come to this beach to do some fun water sports... read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - The pier / dock - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Not that reviews will change the amount of people who come to the beach but hopefully their management will finally listen bc their employees say they can't do anything & we should talk to management... so here it goes. Parking went from $8-$10 ... for what? 1. Bathrooms have been really gross last couple times I went. I attached a photo... toilets & floors are gross, but this is just the obvious/visible stuff. 2. Trash & bottles on the beach... bar tenders says "sorry we can't leave to do anything about it" ... I understand that, but if you sell alcohol & charge to keep area clean, then who's doing it? 3. VBall courts are a big reason people come to that beach... a lot of us buy season passes, pay for parking, drink from the bar... yet the back area nets have been torn down for years. There is black wiring that comes out of the sand on the back of the women's court... like a snake, big hazard. Also some 'pins' that stick out near the post and they have left somebody hurt & bleeding last year. Pls help fix them... it's maybe $100-$200 in material & a couple hours in work... 5 people bought parking passes, that's $1,000 cash just from our group - can you please fix the courts, maintained and keep beach & bathrooms clean read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

I can see why this is a top rated beach, my only complaint is the rough sand. The water is beautiful and clear. I brought goggles and you can see from afar. I paid 12$ for parking on a thursday at 1pm. There was plenty of parking spots available. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Sandy beach! - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

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I'm appalled that people ask what the parking fee is for- 10$ in state (NV) and $12 out of state. It goes towards cleaning and operating the beach- bathrooms, not overfull port-o-pottys, taking the trash out of the many bins around the beach. The trash that is currently there will be picked up towards the later part of the day and it doesn't sit there 24/7. The influx of people will create more mess in the bathroom which is normal for allll beaches. If I remember correctly, this is a public bathroom so they do not have workers to service just the bathrooms. If you don't want to pay- park on the side of the highway and hike to a more hidden beach with no amenities or just don't park close at all! This location is prime- bigger parking lot, more amenities, restaurants, bars and lots of beach. (Well not so much beach this time due to some flooding on the northern side.. but still!) There is also an abundance of street parking in which you can walk over- which is great for those who don't want to pay for "non existent" services. This lot does get full later but that's because most people are diverted from Sand Harbor, about 10 miles away. Come early still if you want a prime spot! read more

On hot days like we've had recently in Reno, we love to come here because we can bring our dog so she can cool off, too! Most of the beach is actually gone because of the current high water level but we have not had any trouble finding a spot to put our things the few times we have come here this summer. Also - this is one of the few beaches at Tahoe that has sand instead of rocks so it's easier to walk on! However, we still like to wear water shoes in the lake because you will come across boulders in the water. Also- we park free of charge on the side of the road that runs along the lake. The walk to the beach is not very long but it is quite beautiful! read more

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Zephyr Cove is to Tahoe in the Summer as Snowboarding is to Tahoe in the Winter. Zephyr Cove is such a cozy beach I enjoy visiting during the summer (although I'd much rather be shredding some gnarly pow pow instead) to really enjoy Tahoe's beauty. You get a gorgeous panoramic view of the Sierras behind the lake and all the Evergreen trees that are fully naked from the winter's snow. The lake is super swimmable, so clear and crisp! Although it isn't necessary, it'd be useful to have a pair of water shoes as the sand on the shore is a bit rocky as well as the bottom of the lake. The entrance to the beach is a little confusing to find as you pass other properties called Zephyr as well and a worker advised us that the address most likely will not pull up correctly on a smartphone GPS. However, look out for the Zephyr Cove Beach Resort sign at the stop light. They do offer boat rentals, jet skiis, kayaks and other water sports, but I unfortunately have yet to rent any so I'm not too sure of their rates. I usually enjoy coming here to just lay in the warm sun, get a tan, enjoy some snacks, and dip in the water when it gets too hot. Repeat. There is a parking lot for $8 and they take cash or credit. It does fill up fast during the weekends, so if it's full you can either park along the road down past the lot, which can be a little dangerous but still close enough. read more

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Used to be great but this place turned into a college party zone. Gorgeous beach but the visitors left trash on the beach which kind of ruined it for me. Also the people doing beer bongs killed the vibe for us. Tip: jet ski rentals by the pier. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

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Hung out on the beach, went jet skiing and had a BLAST!!! This beach was perfect for a little mini getaway...I will be back to Lake Tahoe soon! Oo and parking is $10 and they have a cart take you down to the beach. read more

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Beautiful beach and dog friendly. It was very clean too. Great for kayaking ! The views are gorgeous. Parking is at "zephyr cove resort" and you have to drive down a bit to reach the dog friendly spot. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

After attempting to visit our beloved Sand Harbor only to find it at COVID capacity by 8:50 a.m. (!!) we visited Zephyr Cove's North Beach. Upon arrival, parking was easy and finding a spot down the strip was effortless. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, it was no surprise to find the beach fill up quickly. What was a surprise was the atmosphere. I do not know if this is typical of this location but talk about the party beach. We were surrounded by college kids living it up. To my marvel, drinking games were in high swing by 11:00 a.m. with beer bongs and beer pong as the favorites. Yes, someone literally brought a ping pong table to the beach! Now, I'm no prude and I don't mind fun in the sun but, dude, really, a ping pong table for a drinking game? Before lunch? Sure, I played the same games in college but not at a beach and not when the sun hadn't even reached its peak for the day yet. Thankfully, everyone around was pleasant and well behaved. One couple did leave their young child to herself as they must have thought she would be fine playing with our seven-year-old. They never asked if we would mind watching her let alone even say a word to us before leaving. I'm guessing the bowls they smoked had a poor effect on their judgment. We asked a group next to us to watch her since we left and the poor girls parents hadn't returned yet. The view was, well, it's Lake Tahoe people so of course it was fantastic. The sand was, again, it's Late Tahoe, more of pebbles than true sand but I'm use to it after visiting Tahoe beaches for most of my life. Parking was great and easy to get in and out as well as inexpensive. If I could be sure this isn't a party beach, I'd come back. Otherwise, once was enough. read more

Zephyr Cove was such a disappointment. We have been waiting for three months for jet skis and as soon as we arrived at the place. we were notified that jetskis cannot be rented with boats due to "saftey". Shouldn't this have been mentioned prior to arrival. They then made us wait an hour because the boat was broken and had to be fixed. This all should have been done before arrival. Boat was dirty and had mold all over the seats. There was hair before we started to drive. Crew members were all amazing but manager wasn't. The boat itself only drove 10 mph which again we weren't told of. Manager claimed that we were lucky to get a boat at all. Besides the point, we are only given 4 life jackets between 13 people. Refrigerator was filled with dirt and we were told it was broken once we arrived on the boat. Lastly, we got stormed on and we're all terrified. Not once did this marina call to check if everything was ok or if we needed help getting back to the marina in the storm condition. The bathrooms on the boat smelled terrible and were badly cleaned as well as the boat. Overall this adventure was such a disappointment after waiting nearly 4 months for the ride. read more

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We went here a few months ago and were literally ready to move here. It's absolutely gorgeous, the beach was lovely, water was nice, a million cute dogs, jet ski rentals, diving. I can imagine the winters are brutal; but when I'm old and decide to retire, I'm for sure getting a home here. read more

This is the spot if you're looking for a good time with the sun and water :P Especially, if you're young and fun this would be a go-to spot! read more

Zephyr's cove- Clam chowder soup, Chardonnay, side salmon, and cookie skillet thing. I have to say that this restaurant ain't cheap. You're looking at nothing under $13 so get ready to spend friends. The clam chowder soup was amazing. It had potatoes carrots celery and all the good stuff in it. the side salmon was fishy as salmon should be but also pretty clutch. The service was pretty good and the restaurant has a lodge atmosphere. I don't think I'd recommend this to a friend cause of the price but all in all if you're starving and rich do it. Good views. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Very narrow strip of beach but a lot less crowded after 5pm in July. It's $10 parking but we parked for free on the hwy 50 and walked in. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

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I am so frustrated that South Lake Tahoe doesn't have more dog friendly parks or beaches. It seems like the only dog beaches, are covered in boulders or are really small. I have been looking for a dog friendly beach for some time now and I think I have THE ONE. North Beach at Zephyr Cove is wonderful for dogs and families. We went on a Monday in the middle of July last summer and came upon this place. The parking attendant informed us that "No Dogs" were allowed but that we could go check it out anyway. Huh? I thought this was a dog-friendly beach. Well, we decided to walk up anyway and take a quick peek and we saw hundreds of dogs (well, maybe more like 30). There was plenty of space for families to lay out with their beach chairs and their coolers, and even more space for the four legged ones to play, swim, and frolic in the sun. We kept expecting to see the "Dog Police" or some form of security to ask us to leave with our dog, but practically every family had at least one dog with them so it would have been pretty hard to kick us all out. Long story short, we had a splendid day at the beach with the pup, and we will continue to go back. The $8 for parking is a little steep but we didn't want to have to park in the free parking spaces on the other side of Hwy 50. Crossing over the busy highway with a 1.5 yr old puppy, an umbrella, a cooler, 2 towels, and a beach bag just didn't sound enjoyable on our vacation! ;) read more

This is a dog friendly place which is a real plus when it's hot out. You pay $8 for entry then go to the north most spot of the beach. Although the signs day no dogs, they are allowed. Just keep in mind that some of the patrons are not dog lovers so you may get a few looks if your dog gets close to them. read more

This was one of 2 beaches we spent some time at during our 4 day stay. We had a blast. Absolutely stunning views. Rented paddle boards and let me say that there is a huge difference from being on the shore to being ON the lake. It was so peaceful to take in the views of the other side of the lake, paddle to the little beaches, and jump in off the board. After, we enjoyed a piña colada at the little beach bar around the corner from the water sports rental booth. As far as we were concerned, this place had everything we needed. Oh and it was 8 dollars to park. read more

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Sooo glad I found this place! It's absolutely breath taking. It had the clearest/bluest water and most importantly my dog was allowed there! You have to walk all the way to the north part of the beach and once you start seeing dogs you'll know your there. It's 8$ for parking, the bathrooms are pretty clean. The only thing is some people who are not so dog friendly are weird/rude about seeing dogs because there's is signs everywhere saying no dogs allowed soooo... They should probably fix that or something. Anyway I can't wait to be back next summer and see this gorgeous place! read more

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One of the only dog-friendly beaches in the area. Technically, it's not separate from the rest of Zephyr Cove, it's just the north end of the beach. But, we found it on Yelp, so I'll update the reviews. You pay $8 for parking at the main entrance, just as if you were going to the normal part of Zephyr cove, but then you turn right and go as north as possible. Walk over to that part of the beach and you'll see tons of dogs! Don't worry about signs that say "no dogs," those rules weren't enforced. This is definitely a place for active, off-leash dogs, so if your dog doesn't want to play with others, this may not be the place for you. But it's nice if you're going with a group, you can all still be on the Zephyr Cove beach and have your dog with you. The beach here is really pretty and there's easy parking. Definitely check this spot out in South Lake. read more

Great beach! Beautiful views as you sit and enjoy. Plenty to do. Paddle boarding, paddle boating, parasailing, jet skis, kayaking and not to mention the people watching! We spent a lovely morning reading, wading and watching a black dog endlessly retrieving a Frisbee for its owner. I know some have complained about the rocks. Well they aren't sharp and if your feet are particularly sensitive then wear some waterproof sandals in. I did. read more

So many fun activities to do! Workers are really nice and accommodating. Reasonable pricing. Only thing I wish they did was let us know about the deals/ promotions prior to paying. Other than that my vacation was one for the books thanks to all the activities here! Definitely recommend jet skiing and parasailing! You will meet great people from all over the world on the boat ride. read more

Zephyr Cove - North Beach - Parasailing! - Beaches Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Stayed at Zephyr Cove Campground across the street. Zephyr cove is amazing and a great place to have fun during a hot summer day. The sunsets are incredible as well! https://www.instagram.com/p/BXEne8rligE/?taken-by=jlc_1988 read more

This is a great beach if you have a group of friends and possibly a four-legged companion with you. The landscape is a little bit different from beaches like Zephyr South and Nevada. Instead of just a long stretch of beach, this one has large boulders hiding some nooks and crannys. It doesn't have the beach bar party atmosphere like some of the others but if you have your own group of friends you'll appreciate being able to stake out your own spot to hang out. read more