Top 10 things to do on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, ranked
Sand Harbor beach on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe
A 1-to-10 order for the east shore, from Sand Harbor down to Stateline.
One through five
1. Sand Harbor — the best beach on Lake Tahoe, period. $2 per person walk-in, $15 per car; get there by 9am in July or you won’t park. 2. Flume Trail — 14 miles of world-class mountain biking with a shuttle from Tunnel Creek Cafe. Rent bikes at Flume Trail Bikes. 3. Heavenly Gondola from Stateline — $69, tops out at 9,123 feet with the observation deck. 4. Cave Rock — short walk, free, best photo point on the east shore. 5. Emerald Bay overlook (drive over into California) — the postcard view, 20 minutes from Stateline.
These five are the reason people fly into Reno-Tahoe. Sand Harbor and Flume Trail are peak-summer stars; Heavenly Gondola works year-round.
Six through ten
6. Thunderbird Lodge tour — George Whittell's 1936 stone mansion, reservation-only ($59), the most Nevada-specific Tahoe experience. 7. Diamond Peak ski area, Incline Village — cheaper and less crowded than Heavenly, top of the lake views. 8. Spooner Lake — easy 2.1-mile flat loop, $10 per car, great for autumn aspen. 9. East Shore Trail — paved 3-mile path from Incline Village toward Sand Harbor, opened 2020, bike or walk. 10. Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course — $300+ green fees but the lakefront finishing holes are worth it once.
I skipped the Stateline casinos (fine, but you didn’t come to Tahoe for a casino) and the MS Dixie paddlewheeler (departs from South Lake Tahoe, California side).
Before you book
What people ask before booking Reno.
Nevada's east shore has the best beaches (Sand Harbor) and quieter towns (Incline Village). California's south and west sides have Emerald Bay and more restaurants. Ideally, base in Nevada and day-trip.
By 9-10am on summer weekends, often earlier during the Shakespeare Festival in July and August. After that, rangers close the entrance and you’ll need to come back after 3pm.
