What are the nearest attractions to Emerald Bay State Park?

Attractions near Emerald Bay State Park: Tahoe City Squaw Valley Northstar

What else should I know about attractions in Lake Tahoe?

As well as visiting the Emerald Bay State Park, check out these trip ideas to make the most of your visit: How to Spend 1 Day in Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe Ski Resort Guide 15 Best Hiking Vacations in the USA

Emerald Bay State Park - History, Location & Key Facts 2022

The Basics

You can view Emerald Bay from overlooks and hiking trails on land, by air on a helicopter tour, or by water on a Lake Tahoe cruise. All offer different perspectives to take in breathtaking views of the picturesque spot. Sunset is a particularly beautiful time to visit, so book sunset dinner cruises and sunset helicopter tours in advance. Other not-to-be-missed sights include Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion that is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States, and Eagle Falls, a beautiful waterfall accessible by short hike.

How to Get There

Lake Tahoe lies on the border of California and Nevada. Emerald Bay is on the California side of the lake, on the western edge of the south shore. To get to the park, take Highway 89 to the southwest shore of the lake. It is about a 4-hour drive from San Francisco, and eight hours from Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Trip ideas

How to Spend 3 Days in Lake Tahoe

Whether your trip is a snowy adventure or or a warm-weather bask in the Sierra sunshine. Get started with these trip-planning tips.

Things to Do in Lake Tahoe This Summer

Things to Do in Tahoe This Winter (That Aren't Snow Sports)

Skip the skiing and try your hand at some other activities this winter in Tahoe.

15 Best Hiking Vacations in the USA

Dust off your hiking boots and grab your backpack for this wanderlust-worthy roundup of hiking vacations in the US.

How to Spend 2 Days in Lake Tahoe

How to Spend 1 Day in Lake Tahoe

Top Hiking Trails in Tahoe

There is no shortage of hiking trails in the Lake Tahoe area, but it's nice to know how “easy” or “hard” they'll be before you set out. Here are some of the most popular and easy-to-access hikes from the main towns, where most visitors stay.

Kid-Friendly Winter Activities in Lake Tahoe

8 Best Weekend Getaways from San Francisco

Hit the road for coastal towns, Sonoma wineries, lakes in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and more—all less than a 4-hour drive from SF.

Lake Tahoe Ski Resort Guide

Choosing where to ski or snowboard at Lake Tahoe, home to more than a dozen resorts, can be overwhelming. For some, size matters, while for others, it’s location or whether a mountain participates in a certain season pass. Here, we’ve summarized the top six Lake Tahoe ski resorts to help you decide.

Tahoe Winter Resorts Where You Can Bring the Whole Family

Hit the slopes with the kids in tow at these top Tahoe resorts.

When to Get There

Emerald Bay is stunning in all seasons. Summer is the best time to visit, as temperatures are fairly mild. In winter, however, temperatures often remain below freezing and access to hiking trails is limited. You can pick up trail maps from the Lake Tahoe Visitor Center in summer or from the park’s headquarters in South Lake Tahoe year-round.

Popular Lake Tahoe Activities Nearby

Many visitors come to beautiful Lake Tahoe for the scenery alone, but there’s plenty of outdoor adventure to be had as well. In the summer, hiking, biking, and water sports are widely available, while the winter opens world-class ski runs at the many nearby resorts. Photographers will appreciate the landscape photo opportunities, including the surrounding, often-snow-capped Sierra mountain range.

Recent reviews from experiences in Lake Tahoe

Wonderful Mother’s Day Gift

Jason_B, May 2022

Private Boat Charter Emerald Bay

Captain Bryan was very accommodating to deliver a terrific sight-seeing adventure for my mom this Mother’s Day weekend. High winds rolled during the weekend, but he moved our time back so we could still make the trip happen. His knowledge and experience of the lake, boat, and weather all combined made the trip well worth it. Thank you, captain Bryan!

Beautiful

Human_H, Apr 2022

Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe

Amazing views. Lake Tahoe always has a special place for me and seeing it from birds view was incredible. I definitely recommend it.

Summer flight

Rafael_D, Apr 2022

Great experience, highly recommended we back for the winter time and our pilot Matt was great with us

Highly Recommend

Laura_L, Jul 2021

Bryan was awesome. Very knowledgeable and accommodating. I highly recommend. His boat was very clean , as well as comfortable.

Amazing experience

CLAUDINA_D, Mar 2022

Amazing pilot! Fantastic views of Lake Tahoe, overall a great experience. I would recommend this trip to family and friends.

Do this trip

Marlene_O, Aug 2021

Emerald Bay Sunset Boat Charter - Romance on the Lake

This was a family celebration. Worth every penny. Bryan is a great caption and full of interesting Tahoe stories.

Highly recommend for couples

Denny_B, Aug 2021

Sunset Wine & Cheese Emerald Bay Boat Charter

We loved the trip, beautiful lake and Bryan was entertaining as well. We did for our anniversary. He showed us around Emerald Bay and we got off to look at Vikingsholm.

Great tour! 👍

Monica_P, Jan 2022

This was a magical experience, even though it was only 10 minutes the tour was worth it! If you come to Lake Tahoe you must do this tour!

Fun and smooth

Shiwaani_P, Dec 2021

The helicopter pilot was very friendly and the ride was really good, we really enjoyed every bit of it and will definitely recommend to my family and friends. Can’t wait to get another trip soon 😊

Beautiful ride around the lake

Kathy_N, Aug 2020

Nice people, great communication. Beautiful ride. Go early for smooth water. Great outdoor activity during COVID

Great experience!

Joshua_R, Nov 2021

We had never ridden in a helicopter before and the pilot was very smooth and made us feel comfortable. Views were breathtaking!

Best day ever

Doug_N, Oct 2020

This is a must, to do if in this area! Brian was awesome and helped me with details for a marriage proposal. It went off perfect and will forever be a great memory and time for us. We will definitely do this again!

Emerald Bay State Park