The quaint village of Tahoe City is a central area for many specialty businesses, a variety of restaurants and cafes, shopping and other activities for locals and visitors. For the boater, Tahoe City is the ideal spot to take a respite from the water, to stock up on supplies or to enjoy a leisurely meal.
To the west of the Tahoe City dam, where the lake’s waters flow into the Truckee River, you’ll pass Tahoe Marina Lodge’s condominiums before seeing a nice stretch of public beach – Commons Beach. The beach is a good place for a picnic, to let the kids out to play or to just relax for a bit. The area is rocky and hazardous, so the best way to visit is to dock at the public pier on the east side of the beach, just below Christy Hill restaurant.
The pier is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for public use and overnight mooring is strictly prohibited. Follow the path to the left over to Commons Beach.
There’s also a public pier (open dawn to dusk) on the west side of town near the outlet for the Truckee River. The pier is in a state of disrepair and with the low water, I would not recommend using it. If you do, follow the path to the left at the end of the pier until you reach Mackinaw Road, where you can access Tahoe City. All other property is private.
Navigation aide: The lights of Tahoe City are bright against the night sky, and the town is relatively easy to find. The streetlights along North Lake Boulevard form a line of lights. Tahoe City Marina is on the east side of town; look for the red and green markers for the entrance to the marina.
Commons Beach has a large picnic area, public restrooms, playground and you’ll find free movies every Wednesday and free concerts every Sunday on the beach.
Above the beach, visitors will find a thriving town with sightseeing activities, shopping and eating. From Commons Beach, take the stairs to street level – North Lake Boulevard. Head to the left and the first building along the boardwalk is the Tahoe City Community Center, housing the Visitor’s Center and the North Tahoe Art Center.
From the Visitor’s Center you can plan out the rest of your trip. If you continue to your left (west), you’ll come to the wye connecting the North and West Shores along with the Gatekeeper’s Museum and Fanny Bridge.
Along North Lake Boulevard, you’ll find a large selection of boutiques and restaurants stretching from one end of Tahoe City to the other. To the right of Commons Beach (heading east), you’ll come to Watson’s Cabin, home of Tahoe City’s first constable, and now a museum. Overlooking the lake, Watson Cabin offers visitors a glimpse back into the early days of Tahoe City.
The Tahoe City Marina, the only marina in Tahoe City, is located on the east end of town. From the pier below Christy Hill, follow the path to the right to reach Tahoe City Marina, with many on-site services. The marina offers powerboat rentals, full dock services, slip and buoy rental and storage. A& M Marine offers full marine services, with Tahoe City Marine Supply offering accessories and rentals for wakeboards, tubes and water skis. You also can book a parasailing flight with Lake Tahoe Parasailing or a cruise with Tahoe Sailing Charters. Tahoe City Kayak also launches its rentals and guided tours from the marina, just visit the shop in the center of town to sign-up.
Tahoe City Marina offers guest buoys on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to enjoy lunch at Jake’s On the Lake or do some shopping at Sports Tahoe or Rubicon Collection at the Tahoe Marina Mall or at the many shops at the Boatworks Mall.
The marina offers boat rentals daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the gas dock and boat valet open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through June, and from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in July and August. To use a guest buoy, pull up to the dock and speak to one of the dock attendants. For details on all of the marina’s services, call (530) 583-1039.
At the marina, you’ll also find the Tahoe Yacht Club, a favorite among local sailors and second-homeowners who return every summer to spend the season sailing. The yacht club is an excellent place to meet and socialize with other boaters, and the club offers a variety of activities each summer. For membership information, call (530) 581-4700. They are even offering a great membership discount through July.
In Tahoe City, you’ll find a myriad of local restaurants – River Grill, Evergreen, Fat Cat Café, Fiamma, Sawtooth Ridge, Jake’s On the Lake, Lakeside, Blue Agave, Bridgetender, Christy Hill and Wolfdale’s to name a few – and coffee shops – Gear & Grind, Java Juice, Syd’s, Coffee Connexion, Dam Café and others.
On the far end of town, you’ll see the Tahoe Gal, offering lake cruises. This is a private dock with no public mooring. Continuing east past the state campground, you’ll see a T-shaped public pier available for use from dawn to dusk. Follow the short path to the bike path, and you’re a short walk from Tahoe City.
