Lake Tahoe's 4 Best Beachy Camping Spots With Unparalleled Amenities And Beauty

From its calm, turquoise waters to its world-class recreation opportunities, Lake Tahoe boasts some of the best camping in the United States. However, Lake Tahoe is massive, spanning nearly 200 square miles. It's also geographically diverse; with breathtaking mountain wilderness, vast pine forests, wetlands, sandy beaches, pebble coastlines, and more.

This means there are many options for campsites, but not all have the views, activities, and amenities you desire. Maybe it's flushable toilets you need since you're bringing kids along, or perhaps you're traveling with a camper so electricity hookups are a must. 

The north shore of Lake Tahoe tends to be less busy while still offering everything you need in terms of grocery stores and other conveniences while the southern end of Lake Tahoe has more sandy beaches, more shops and restaurants, and great hiking options. A quieter, more relaxed vibe can be found on the east side of the lake if you're hoping to avoid the crowds. To help narrow down your search, here are four camping spots on the shores of Lake Tahoe that are guaranteed to provide an unforgettable experience for campers of all stripes.

Nestled near the shopping, dining, and recreation opportunities of Tahoe City, California, Tahoe State Recreation Area is a popular choice for camping. This campground is open from May through early fall and they do take reservations. This is important to note since they only have 23 campsites available and they tend to fill up. 

Tahoe State Recreation Area is located along the lake's edge. Here, you'll find biking and walking trails, a designated swim beach, and opportunities for fishing and boating. There's also a pier you can walk on to enjoy a relaxing moment over the water.

Amenities include picnic tables, designated fire pits, and food storage containers (which campers are required to use to keep wildlife away). Additionally, campers who are registered can use the campground's bathrooms and showers. Since this is a smaller campground, it's best for tent camping or smaller camping vehicles. The size of campers are limited to 21 feet and camping trailers must be 15 feet long or less.

On the southeast shore of Lake Tahoe you'll find the beautiful Zephyr Cove, Nevada. Zephyr Cove's RV Resort and Campground invites people to enjoy a stunning, sandy beach that stretches out for an entire mile. From the beach, campers can stay close to land and choose to swim or visit the watercraft rental station to take out a kayak or canoe for a spin.

This campsite has a higher capacity than most others in the area, with 90 sites for RVs and 57 tent sites. Ten of these sites require campers to take a small hike to reach their site. Reservations can be made in advance on a six-month rolling basis on the government's website.

Amenities include pretty much everything you could desire in a campsite. Flushing toilets, showers, parking, fire rings, and picnic tables, all of which make staying overnight here easier. There's also a place to buy camping supplies and do laundry, so you'll never be in a bind. Some even say the Zephyr Cove area is Nevada's budget-friendly version of the Caribbean, but we recommend seeing the blue waters in person to decide for yourself.

Camp Richardson offers the option to camp in a tent, an RV, or in a camping trailer. Tent campers can stay at either Badger's Den Campground or Eagle's Nest Campground. If you're bringing a trailer or RV, Camp Richardson's RV Village has three different options for site amenities. Be sure to check that your site has full water, electric, and sewer hookups if you need them since the resort offers both full and partial hookups.

No matter how you choose to stay at Camp Richardson, you'll have access to this resort's many perks. This includes award-winning but casual dining options and fun events throughout the summer, often with live music. You'll have access to sandy beaches where you can swim as well as essential amenities such as picnic tables, fire pits, bathrooms, and bear-proof food storage boxes. Bikes, kayaks, and other watercraft are available for rental directly from the resort, too. To reserve a site at Camp Richardson, head to recreation.gov starting November 1st.

Emerald Bay State Park is home to Eagle Point Campground. This family-friendly destination has a variety of boating and hiking opportunities. Like other campsites around Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay has strict rules around securing food in storage lockers since bears are active, but all information and supplies are provided.

Amenities include indoor and outdoor showers, drinking water, and picnic areas. Emerald Bay also houses California's first maritime heritage underwater trail, along which campers can scuba dive and snorkel. Simply walking around the trails at this park will leave you with stunning views. Makes sense considering it's one of the most photographed places on earth.

Campers interested in history can hike 2.5 miles to Vikingsholm, a beautiful Scandanavian castle tucked on Lake Tahoe's shore. Tours of the castle are available on a first-come, first-serve basis between late May and late September. Keep in mind that Emerald Bay is one of the best places in Lake Tahoe to see the sunset.