Forget Lake Tahoe: These 5 California Lakes Are Scenic And Less Crowded Destinations

California's Lake Tahoe has the crystal-clear water, alpine views, and recreation-filled beaches that many travelers dream of — and about 15 million fulfill that dream and visit the lake each year, according to the California Tahoe Conservancy. The perfect mix of natural beauty and water-based adventure gets somewhat tainted when you add those chaotic crowds into the mix. If you'd rather not scramble to find a spot to lay down a towel among throngs of tourists, there are, luckily, plenty of other lakes dotted throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains that come with equally stunning views and fewer crowds. That means quieter beaches, easier parking, and shorter lines for rentals and boat launches.

To compile this list, we stuck to lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountain range region so that the views (think: pine forests and jagged peaks) are relatively similar to the landscapes Lake Tahoe is known for. We looked at the lakes' popularity and weighed it against reviews to select higher-quality destinations that aren't overrun. These lakes also provide opportunities for hiking, swimming, paddling, and more — activities that visitors might expect from a Lake Tahoe getaway, made all the more authentic and relaxing when divorced from the highly commercialized shores of the more famous lake.

Of all the lakes on this list, Fallen Leaf Lake is the closest to Lake Tahoe geographically. You can drive there from South Lake Tahoe in under 15 minutes. Yet Fallen Leaf is much less crowded than its larger counterpart. One Yelp reviewer described it as "so peaceful and secluded, it is a nice break from our busier, more populated lake." At about 3.5 miles long – compared with Tahoe's 22-mile length – Fallen Leaf Lake is small but idyllic, surrounded by peaceful campsites and wilderness trails. Like Tahoe, it's framed by rugged mountains. The peaks south of the lake were responsible for its formation, as glaciers once moved down the slopes and stopped here, melting into what became the lake basin. Lovely trails wind through the valley south of Fallen Leaf Lake, including the Glen Alpine Falls Trail, which begins near the lake's south end and offers overlooks of a graceful waterfall.

To get to Fallen Leaf Lake, turn onto Fallen Leaf Road from California State Route 89. (Note: Like many roads around Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Road is typically closed during the colder months.) Several parking lots line the road, including a day-use parking area at Fallen Leaf Campground on the north side. From there, you can walk down to the lake in about 5 to 10 minutes. When the recreation season is underway, you can go swimming, waterskiing, and paddling on the lake. There's no public motorized boat access, though.

Shaver Lake is further south in California — easier to reach than Lake Tahoe if you're coming from Fresno, just over an hour by car. The lake is a secret spot hidden in the California mountains and sits within the Sierra National Forest, lending the surrounding landscape its particular flavor of oak-blanketed hills, vast wilderness areas, and glistening mountain streams. At over 5,300 feet above sea level, it shares that elevated, alpine atmosphere of Tahoe, but it's far less busy. Travel blogger Yves On the Road noted, "During the week it's usually less crowded but in general you'll always find a spot where you can hang out at the lake without too many spectators."

For visitors, there's a day-use beach at Camp Edison on the west side of the lake, complete with on-site electricity and a general store at the campground. Around the shoreline, you'll find 10 developed day-use spots — most require a parking fee, but you can also find free shoreline access, too. Unlike Fallen Leaf Lake, motorized boats are allowed on Shaver Lake. A marina at Camp Edison beach includes a public access boat launch. For anglers, the lake is stocked with bass, catfish, rainbow trout, and kokanee salmon.

Donner Lake is another alternative to Lake Tahoe that lies within Tahoe's vicinity, about a 20-minute drive from Tahoe City. Donner Lake offers a less-crowded, year-round recreational paradise. "Clean, crisp and never too crowded," one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote. As with Tahoe, Donner Lake sits high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and its name stems from the ill-fated 19th-century expedition by pioneers who got stuck in these mountains during a harsh winter: The Donner Party. Sixty of those pioneers were camped near Donner Lake, now preserved in the Donner Memorial State Park. Despite its bleak history, the park is a wonderful area for lakeside recreation. During the summer, the park offers free paddling tours around Donner Lake every Thursday.

Donner Lake is ideal for swimmers. Unlike Lake Tahoe, where the shallower shores mean you often have to wade further to reach cleaner, swimmable water, Donner Lake "gets deep quite quickly," in the words of local blogger Tahoe Fabulous. "I much prefer the nearshore water quality to the south shore of Lake Tahoe."

There's a public day-use beach on the west side of the lake called West End Beach. It offers amenities including a tennis court, beach volleyball court, restrooms, boat dock, and reservable picnic sites. The beach has rentals on-site for kayaks and paddle boats. That said, if you want to avoid a day-use fee, one of the great features of Donner Lake is its 37 public piers scattered along the north shore, available free on a first-come, first-served basis. Find a spot to park on the road, then head down to the dock for sunbathing or fishing (they're not big enough for boat launching, FYI).

Travelers seeking out a body of water as big as Lake Tahoe — but minus the Tahoe crowds — should add Lake Almanor to their itinerary. Its surface covers nearly 44 square miles, and it boasts about 53 miles of shoreline. The overlooked mountain lake is a recreation hub yet maintains a peaceful atmosphere. "Huge lake, clear water. Not at all crowded," a local guide in a Google review noted. In the same vein as Tahoe's communities, Lake Almanor is surrounded by lovely mountain towns like Chester, where you can lodge for the night, browse delightful gift shops, or stop by an arts and crafts show. The lake also has sweeping Sierra Nevada views and a particularly striking sight of Mount Lassen, a volcanic peak and home to the world's largest lava dome.

On the west shore of the lake near Prattville, there are a couple of public day-use beaches with amenities that get good reviews. In Prattville, the marina at Plumas Pines Resort operates a public boat launch with boat fuel available. You can take a boat out onto the water for fishing, jet skiing, or a sunset cruise. On the east shore, there are fewer public beaches — Westwood Beach, located off the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, is an exception. On the southeast shore, the PG&E Picnic Park is an awe-inspiring spot to have lunch by the water, with views stretching across the lake's length and out to Lassen Peak. Along the west shore, the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail is a paved pathway suitable for hikers and cyclists. The stretch between Rocky Point Campground to Plumas Pines is about 6 miles and mostly flat, with some peaceful lakeside spots to take in the views.

In Mono County, on the eastern flank of Yosemite National Park, a cluster of lakes sitting in a canyon delineates the June Lake Loop, a 14-mile route that happens to be one of the best places to experience autumn views in California. Of the four lakes, the namesake June Lake is the most accessible and enjoyable for visitors. It sits right next to the village of June Lake, offering direct access to lodging and restaurants, and it boasts the only swimming beach on the loop. At about 7,600 feet above sea level, June Lake lies even higher than Lake Tahoe (over 1,000 feet higher, in fact), yet it's hardly as busy. "Best lake ever in the loop! Nice and warm, not [too] crowded and the clearest water," a Yelp reviewer raved. And, it's got something else that Lake Tahoe doesn't: a gateway to Yosemite National Park at Tioga Pass, about a 20-minute drive away.

Views from June Lake Beach, the lake's one public beach at the northeast end, are surreal. The sandy beach itself is surprisingly soft and clean, offering a vantage point to the snow-capped crags of Carson Peak and the rugged Sierra crest beyond. For swimming, the water is warm enough in the summer months (though, due to its altitude, it might get colder sooner in the season than other lakes). You'll find kayak and standup paddleboard rentals at the beach, as well as a beach volleyball court, and nearby Oh! Ridge Campground with water hookups and toilets. June Lake is also a good alternative to Lake Tahoe for skiers. In winter, the June Mountain Ski Area offers ample terrain with impeccable views of the High Sierra.

Lake Tahoe is known as much for its popularity as for its natural beauty, so to find suitable alternatives, we looked for lakes with comparable scenery and recreation opportunities and fewer crowds. We focused on lakes located within the Sierra Nevada range, which lends Lake Tahoe and its alternatives their distinct alpine features: High elevation, clear mountain water, forested surroundings, and dramatic granite peaks. Each lake was then evaluated based on crowd levels, drawing from traveler experiences on travel blogs and review sites such as Yelp and Tripadvisor. Only lakes with public access points and nearby lodging or campgrounds were included.