The Best Beaches To See Lake Tahoe's Spectacular Sunsets, According To Travelers

Lake Tahoe is, in a word, spectacular. This massive lake spreading across the border of California and Nevada is a year-round destination for everyone, from skiers and hikers to boaters and gamblers. The lake draws in all travelers, from those in search of a family-friendly beach vacation to those hoping to wallow in luxury on its pristine shores. Whether you're hoping to spend a long week or ditch Sacramento's city life for a quick scenic California road trip, the beautiful lake ringed by mountains is sure to impress.

Lake Tahoe gets its name from the local Washoe tribe, the original inhabitants of the area. Tahoe is the Anglicized version of the Washoe term "Da ow a ga," which means "edge of the lake." Throughout the history of California, Tahoe had several different names, such as Lake Bigler (after a former California governor), until the name Tahoe was chosen in 1945. Now the name is as iconic as the place. At the edge of the lake, you feel as if you're on the edge of the world. And that is never more true than at sunset. 

For this article, we used data from real travelers and locals, in the form of online forums, blogs, review websites, and business pages, to discover the best beaches to watch the sunset on Lake Tahoe. We'll explore more of our methodology later, but keep in mind that this article purely covers the best beaches to watch the sunset. There are plenty of non-beach spots to watch the sunset over Lake Tahoe, like trails, campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants, but for the purposes of this article, we focused on beach sunsets in particular. 

To see the sunset from a gorgeous state park that sits on one of the biggest lakes in the U.S., visit Sand Harbor State Park on the northeast shores of Lake Tahoe. Sand Harbor is one of the best places to watch the sunset over Tahoe, partly because of its easily accessible location and stunning views over the surrounding mountains. While there are several beaches in the state park, Main Beach, which stretches for 2,500 feet along the shore, is one of the most popular for viewing those cotton candy sunsets. Grab a picnic or a beer and enjoy the show, or take a boat from the launch at the south end of the beach to catch the sunset from the water. 

Sand Harbor is located about an eight-minute drive from Incline Village, one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Lake Tahoe, with more upscale resorts and plenty of amenities. Drive south from Incline Village until you see the signs for Sand Harbor's parking lot, which costs $10 for Nevada vehicles and $15 for out-of-state license plates (in cash). Arrive well before sunset, as the parking lot does fill up, and note that Sand Harbor closes one hour after sunset.

You can also reach Sand Harbor from Incline Village on the scenic East Shore Trail, a 3-mile paved path that runs between the two. The views from the path are incredible, and there are smaller paths that lead to the water along the way. For a more secluded sunset, veer off the path, about halfway between Sand Harbor and Incline Village, at Hidden Beach. Hidden Beach is much quieter and less known than Sand Harbor, and is an ideal place for a romantic sunset with your sweetie. 

Emerald Bay on South Lake Tahoe, a unique California state park with a Scandinavian-style castle and glistening lake views, is appropriately named. Not only does the water tend to be a stunningly greenish-blue, but the lush, forested hills that go right down to the lake reflect into the clear waters, giving a person standing on the beach the impression that they're gazing into the facets of an emerald gem. The emerald colors of Emerald Bay shine even more brightly at sunset, when the yellows, oranges, and pinks reflect in the water just like the green trees. It's guaranteed to take your breath away, Emerald Bay. 

Emerald Bay, one of the most photographed locations in Lake Tahoe (for good reason), is located right off Highway 89. It's also worth the short half-mile hike above the bay to Eagle Falls.  The rushing waters, still somehow emerald, are framed by trees and views of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, made all the more spectacular during sunset. Just make sure to bring a flashlight and sturdy shoes if you're going to attempt the walk, as night can come quickly after sunset in the mountains, especially during winter. 

Emerald Bay's beaches are best reached by hiking along the Rubicon Trail or via boat. Park at the Eagle Point Campground, D.L. Bliss State Park, or the Vikingsholm (the Scandinavian-like castle) parking area. The trail varies in length and difficulty, but views and beaches can be reached in 1 mile, especially if you're prepared for a steeper trip. 

If you want to watch the sunset, swim, or sunbathe at a special alpine lake beach on the Nevada-California border, head to Nevada Beach on the southeast shore of Lake Tahoe. Several users on TripAdvisor recommend Nevada Beach, saying: "Nevada Beach near Round Hill, just north of Stateline, is a big sandy beach with great views." Nevada Beach is also a serene escape from the nearby "casino corridor," the gambling end of Tahoe, which makes it easily accessible.

Nevada Beach's white sands stretch for a half mile along Lake Tahoe, against a dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Just 2 miles north of Stateline, Nevada, on Highway 50, Nevada Beach is also connected to the Nevada Beach Campground. Enjoy the sunset from the sands, the campground, and on the water in a kayak or paddleboard (rentals available on-site). Parking for Nevada Beach is $10 per day, and the campground starts at $47 per night.

Just over 3 miles north (an eight-minute drive) of Nevada Beach, you'll find the amenity-filled Zephyr Cove. Lake Tahoe's best stretch of sand must be this serene beach with crystal-clear water, and Zephyr Cove is also ideal for sunsets because it faces west, so you can witness the sun drop right behind the mountains. It's also home to the Zephyr Cove Resort, with a restaurant, beach bar, general store, and plenty of beach rentals. In the summer, you can try boating, parasailing, and kayaking, as well as sunrise-to-sunset swimming and sunbathing.

Zephyr Cove is especially incredible in the autumn, when the deciduous trees along the shore burst into bright yellows, adding another dimension of color to the reflection in the turquoise waters, made even brighter at sunset. It also shines in the winter, when those early sunsets gleam off the snow and ice beautifully. A paddlewheeler also departs from Zephyr Cove for sunset dinner cruises, year-round.

To narrow down the best beaches on Lake Tahoe to watch the sunset, we relied on reviews from travelers, mostly from sites like TripAdvisor, local travel websites, travel blogs, and trusty old Reddit. As Lake Tahoe isn't exactly tiny, and there are a plethora of sunset-watching spots, we primarily focused on actual beaches, not viewpoints, trails, rocky outcrops, patios, or public buildings. We also tried to isolate our findings to public beaches, rather than beaches owned by hotels or private residences. The goal here is accessibility for as many travelers as possible!

We primarily used the Reddit threads of r/tahoe and r/laketahoe to source information from expert travelers and locals, or at least opinionated people on the internet. TripAdvisor and other similar sites are also always handy when it comes to sourcing reviews from travelers. As review sites can be biased (looking at you, Reddit), it's important for our methods to consult a variety of different sites before narrowing down our choices. While not every review website is going to agree on the definite best places to watch the sunset in Lake Tahoe, or about anything else for that matter, places that rank on multiple websites are always worth another look in our books.