The southern end of the West Shore features beautifully undeveloped swathes of lake shore, along with some of Lake Tahoe’s grandest estates in Rubicon along what’s known as the Gold Coast.
I talked about West Shore from Tahoe City south of Homewood in a previous column, so I’ll pick up from Homewood and head to Emerald Bay for this issue.
Sugar Pine Point
At the far south end of McKinney Bay is Sugar Pine Point and the state park that bears its name. The 4-mile shoreline of Sugar Pine Point State Park is a great place to picnic and sunbath away from the crowds. The north side of the beach is rocky, with sandy beaches on the south side. You can use the public pier or pull ashore; use caution as you can easily get stuck in the sand. From the beach you can go for a hike in the woods or follow the paved, interpretive nature trail to Ehrman Mansion for a tour of this Old Tahoe home.
Meeks Bay
Rounding Sugar Pine Point, you’ll enter Meeks Bay, once the summer home of Tahoe’s native peoples, the Washoe. The Washoe now operate Meeks Bay Resort through a concession with the U. S. Forest Service, which owns the property. The resort features Meeks Bay Marina, a campground, cabins and a convenience store.
Boaters are prohibited from tying up on the white, sandy beaches, but may pull up to the marina for supplies. This is the last place on the West Shore to gas up, grab snacks or other supplies; the next marina and/or eatery is at Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe, which is about a 20 to 30 minute boat ride from Meeks Bay.
Rubicon
Often referred to as Lake Tahoe’s Gold Coast for the families of old money that make this span of the West Shore their summer home, Rubicon Bay is one of my favorite places for a sunset cruise. Stretching from the end of Meeks Bay to Emerald Bay, most of Rubicon’s shoreline is craggy, high cliffs dotted by secluded spots. Once you past the last home on the north end of the bay, you’ll come to the white sand beaches of D.L. Bliss State Park.
With a large campground at the park, the beach, called Calawee Cove, is usually quite busy. You can easily pull up to shore and enjoy the beach, or take a hike on the Rubicon Trail accessible at the parking lot above the beach (to the left of the restrooms). Rubicon Bay also is a popular spot of boaters to weigh anchor and sleep under the stars.
At the sound end of the beach, rocky Rubicon Point juts into Lake Tahoe and begins a great stretch of cliffs extending to Emerald Bay. The waters off Rubicon constitute the deepest part of Lake Tahoe closest to the shore, dropping to depths of more than 1,400 feet. This stretch from Rubicon Point to the mouth of Emerald Bay also is the D.L. Bliss Underwater Park, so be mindful of scuba divers. (Scuba divers will float a small flag in the area where they are exploring.)
Along its high cliffs, you can catch glimpses of the Rubicon Trail. After you spot the bridge past Rubicon Point, look above it to the left to see Lake Tahoe’s first lighthouse, once the world’s highest elevation navigation light. One of the least known historic sites along the West Shore, you can reach Rubicon Point Lighthouse from Calawee Cove along the Rubicon Trail.
Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe’s only bay, is home to Vikingsholm Castle and the famous Tea House perched atop Fannette Island. Enter Emerald Bay only through the channel, marked by red buoys on the starboard and green buoys on the port, to avoid large boulders under the water’s surface.
The bay is full of treasures to enjoy both on the shore and under the water. On the north side of the bay is a boat camp that is usually open to the public. Work on the pier, however, has the camp closed for the summer. Following the shoreline, look for the wreckage of an old dory — a small wooden skiff — just before the boat camp.
At the end of the bay you’ll find the Scandinavian-style Vikingsholm Castle, where you can tour the stately castle and its grounds. There are picnic tables along the beach and you can usually pull your boat right up to the beach. From the castle, you can hike over to the boat camp and out to Emerald Point.
After you leave the beach, head over to the outlet of Eagle Creek at the bottom of the falls and look for the underwater trees. Continue along the shoreline on the south side where you’ll find two sunken barges once used to transport lumber across the Lake. This is the site for the Emerald Bay Underwater Park, so keep a watch for scuba divers. The site is located directly across the bay from the boat camp. From here, head back to the bay’s crowning jewel — Fannette Island.
Approach the island from the south, where there’s a small cove. Follow the path from the cove and you’ll quickly ascend to the top of the island and the Tea House. The views are magnificent; no camping or picnicking is allowed on the island.
Boat class rescheduled
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has rescheduled its About Boating Safety class from July 25 to Aug. 1 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. For more information, call Jerry Gilmore at (530) 587-3334.
I talked about West Shore from Tahoe City south of Homewood in a previous column, so I’ll pick up from Homewood and head to Emerald Bay for this issue.
Sugar Pine Point
At the far south end of McKinney Bay is Sugar Pine Point and the state park that bears its name. The 4-mile shoreline of Sugar Pine Point State Park is a great place to picnic and sunbath away from the crowds. The north side of the beach is rocky, with sandy beaches on the south side. You can use the public pier or pull ashore; use caution as you can easily get stuck in the sand. From the beach you can go for a hike in the woods or follow the paved, interpretive nature trail to Ehrman Mansion for a tour of this Old Tahoe home.
Meeks Bay
Rounding Sugar Pine Point, you’ll enter Meeks Bay, once the summer home of Tahoe’s native peoples, the Washoe. The Washoe now operate Meeks Bay Resort through a concession with the U. S. Forest Service, which owns the property. The resort features Meeks Bay Marina, a campground, cabins and a convenience store.
Boaters are prohibited from tying up on the white, sandy beaches, but may pull up to the marina for supplies. This is the last place on the West Shore to gas up, grab snacks or other supplies; the next marina and/or eatery is at Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe, which is about a 20 to 30 minute boat ride from Meeks Bay.
Rubicon
Often referred to as Lake Tahoe’s Gold Coast for the families of old money that make this span of the West Shore their summer home, Rubicon Bay is one of my favorite places for a sunset cruise. Stretching from the end of Meeks Bay to Emerald Bay, most of Rubicon’s shoreline is craggy, high cliffs dotted by secluded spots. Once you past the last home on the north end of the bay, you’ll come to the white sand beaches of D.L. Bliss State Park.
With a large campground at the park, the beach, called Calawee Cove, is usually quite busy. You can easily pull up to shore and enjoy the beach, or take a hike on the Rubicon Trail accessible at the parking lot above the beach (to the left of the restrooms). Rubicon Bay also is a popular spot of boaters to weigh anchor and sleep under the stars.
At the sound end of the beach, rocky Rubicon Point juts into Lake Tahoe and begins a great stretch of cliffs extending to Emerald Bay. The waters off Rubicon constitute the deepest part of Lake Tahoe closest to the shore, dropping to depths of more than 1,400 feet. This stretch from Rubicon Point to the mouth of Emerald Bay also is the D.L. Bliss Underwater Park, so be mindful of scuba divers. (Scuba divers will float a small flag in the area where they are exploring.)
Along its high cliffs, you can catch glimpses of the Rubicon Trail. After you spot the bridge past Rubicon Point, look above it to the left to see Lake Tahoe’s first lighthouse, once the world’s highest elevation navigation light. One of the least known historic sites along the West Shore, you can reach Rubicon Point Lighthouse from Calawee Cove along the Rubicon Trail.
Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe’s only bay, is home to Vikingsholm Castle and the famous Tea House perched atop Fannette Island. Enter Emerald Bay only through the channel, marked by red buoys on the starboard and green buoys on the port, to avoid large boulders under the water’s surface.
The bay is full of treasures to enjoy both on the shore and under the water. On the north side of the bay is a boat camp that is usually open to the public. Work on the pier, however, has the camp closed for the summer. Following the shoreline, look for the wreckage of an old dory — a small wooden skiff — just before the boat camp.
At the end of the bay you’ll find the Scandinavian-style Vikingsholm Castle, where you can tour the stately castle and its grounds. There are picnic tables along the beach and you can usually pull your boat right up to the beach. From the castle, you can hike over to the boat camp and out to Emerald Point.
After you leave the beach, head over to the outlet of Eagle Creek at the bottom of the falls and look for the underwater trees. Continue along the shoreline on the south side where you’ll find two sunken barges once used to transport lumber across the Lake. This is the site for the Emerald Bay Underwater Park, so keep a watch for scuba divers. The site is located directly across the bay from the boat camp. From here, head back to the bay’s crowning jewel — Fannette Island.
Approach the island from the south, where there’s a small cove. Follow the path from the cove and you’ll quickly ascend to the top of the island and the Tea House. The views are magnificent; no camping or picnicking is allowed on the island.
Boat class rescheduled
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has rescheduled its About Boating Safety class from July 25 to Aug. 1 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. For more information, call Jerry Gilmore at (530) 587-3334.
