Bluer than blue and surrounded by the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe is by far the most beautiful lake I have seen so far. The lake was formed about two million years ago by vertical faulting and is the second deepest lake in the U.S., with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet (501 m). The shore is 70 miles long and spans over two states - with North shore in California and South shore in Nevada.
For most visitors, 2-3 days are more than enough to explore Tahoe. If you just want to drive around and spend some time on beaches, you can visit most beaches from north to south shore in a day. I would highly recommend visiting the beaches listed in below sections across north and south shore. You can spend another day or two doing hikes and water sports or just exploring the city.
North shore or South shore? If you have time, you should definitely visit both the shores. It takes about only an hour to travel from north to south. But if you have to pick a side - North shore is more of a serene, laid back and family friendly place, whereas South shore apart from the beautiful scenery has casinos and amazing nightlife.
Pope Beach is one of the most loved beaches in South Lake Tahoe. This beach has perfect views of the snow clad Sierra mountains and is a good spot for picnics, kayaking and paddle boarding.
Sand Harbour is one of the bucket list destinations in Tahoe. This beach also has a boat launch, and hiking trails. A short nature boardwalk separates Sand Harbor beach in two sections. The north section has giant rocks and smooth boulders sitting in the blue clear water give a majestic view to the entire place. The south section has a beach with shallow waters. There are no rocks in this are and is more family friendly. Both the sections have stunning view of the snow-clad mountains that surround the shoreline.
The Sand Harbor visitor center has a gift shop, a boat launch, and displays about Lake Tahoe. You can stop by for some food at Sand Harbour bar and grill located near the boardwalk.
Zephyr Cove Resort’s has a mile-long sandy beach with a variety of adventures. It has a beach volleyball court, parasailing, powerboat rentals and the very popular Sunset Bar & Grille that provides beach cocktail service! Apart from this it also has beach chair and umbrella rentals. The main attraction for this place is the cruises that start from here. You can choose from day cruises or sunset cruises which provides breath taking views over the emerald bay. You can find the schedule for these cruises below: