Fall for Lake Tahoe

Water Adventures on Lake Tahoe

09.12.2018

Get Up, Stand-up! Rent a stand-up paddleboard at Kings Beach Recreational Area, a lively enclave surrounded by cool shops, restaurants, and plenty of places to rent kayaks and paddleboards. Even for beginners, stand-up paddleboarding is a fun way to explore Lake Tahoe. Stick close to shore to enjoy teal coves with giant boulders ideal for sunbathing.

Paddle from a State Park: Rent a kayak and explore Lake Tahoe from the east shore at Sand Harbor State Park. (Get an early start as the parking lot fills quickly.) This beach area has picnicking and day use facilities, along with kayak and paddleboard rental. Explore the clear waters accented by hulking boulders, with high-rising Mount Tallac across the way. Discover beach after beach and find tucked-away coves perfect for taking a quick dip.

 

Find Hidden Beach: It’s really called Hidden Beach! Located just south of Incline Village near Tunnel Creek Road, this secluded spot has limited parking, but early birds are treated to a sandy beach with rocky alcoves. Another picturesque beach you can hike to is Chimney Beach, named after a stone chimney that still stands on the lakeshore. This is a popular spot during summer, but late season and fall see fewer people. Bonus: Chimney Beach is dog-friendly!

Change Is Good: Change up your Lake Tahoe routine and make your weekend home base in Reno (aka the Biggest Little City in the World). It’s close to Tahoe’s shores and is quickly emerging as a hotspot for craft breweries, a lively river walk with restaurants, and Instagram-worthy Burning Man art installations.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  2. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View
  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View

  2. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View

  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View