| Where the mouth of Eagle Creek meets the head of Emerald Bay you will find a beach as beautiful as any you could imagine. Surrounded by peaks rising sharply almost 3,000 feet from the lake, the bay itself has been deemed one of the 'most photographed places on earth'. However, you won't find this beautiful beach without a hike or a boat. The hike is about 1 mile on what is basically a road and there is about 450 feet of elevation change. The beach would be an excellent place to swim but on a typical summer day there are a lot of boats anchored on the beach. Unlike other beaches on the lake, the water gets deep quick here. There is plenty to do though, even for the little ones. The south side of Eagle Creek does have a large shallow area thats good for kids and there's plenty of sand at the beach. The pier, when uncrowded, is ideal for jumping off of. If that's not enough, head underwater. In 1994, Emerald Bay received a designation as an underwater park, featuring relics from the days gone by when there was a hotel on the north side of the bay. Other items of interest in Emerald Bay State Park are Fannette Island, Vikingsholm, and Eagle Falls.
Fast Facts
Directions- Emerald Bay is located on Hwy 89, 10 miles north of the "Y" or 22 miles south of Tahoe City's "Y". The hiking trail begins at the Harvey West parking lot on the north side of the bay.
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