Top spots to paddleboard in Lake Tahoe (Beginner's Guide)

Looking for the top spots to paddleboard in Lake Tahoe? These places will make you feel like the next Connor Baxter

Sand Harbor State Park

If you’re new to paddleboarding, Sand Harbor State Park is where you want to be. You’ll find the dazzling blue waters a joy to paddleboard on in a sitting or kneeling position.

As a beginner, you’re likely to fall in a few times, so it’s helpful to have some shallow bays to practice on. Sand Harbor features shallow bays and massive stacked boulders for your viewing pleasure while you surf the waters.

The waters are calm in the mornings, and it swarms with people on weekends, so have these considerations in mind when picking a time and day to visit the park. If you don’t own a paddleboard or yours is rough around the edges, don’t fret. You can rent one at the park.

Sand Harbor State Park is incredibly beautiful, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s come to be one of the top spots to paddleboard in Lake Tahoe. It features gentle sloping beaches, crystal clear waters, and amazing rock formations.

When you’re done paddleboarding, you can relax in one of the picnic sites in the park, hike on the Sand Point Nature Trail to take in magnificent views of the lake or find more beaches to explore via the Memorial Point Trail.

Zephyr Cove

You’ll find Zephyr Cove on the Southeastern part of Lake Tahoe, a flamboyant part of the lake that is sure to mesmerize you.

Paddleboarders will find all the clear, flat waters they need to have a blast with their paddleboards on any day of the week.

Paddle boarding at Zephyr Cove is the perfect way to enjoy a holiday or weekend getaway as it not only features nice, calm waters with lots of beautiful views and beaches, but also many other activities to try out after you’re done.

There are casinos, hiking trails, ski resorts, boats, and horses to entertain yourself, have fun, and while away the time. A paddleboard rental is also available here.

Carnelian Bay

If you love mountain views and good food, you’re going to love Carnelian Bay. It’s surrounded by amazing lofty mountains and these, along with the beaches, are a pleasant sight to behold.

This is a popular paddleboarding spot, hence it attracts lots of visitors just like the others, particularly during the summer. If you’re keen on surfing on calm waters, then you’ll need to come early or on a weekday.

Carnelian Bay is a convenient place to paddleboard. You can park your car in the nearby parking lot (if you arrive early) and go over to Waterman’s Landing (a nearby resource for all your paddleboarding needs) if you need anything.

Waterman’s landing has SUP (Stand up Paddle Boarding) touring clinic classes, SUP yoga classes, paddleboard rentals, and delicious meals. It’s also the place to go to if you need information about the area.

D.L Bliss State Park

This park is known for its beautiful wildlife and other interesting attractions and activities. It’s a popular paddleboarding destination with clear waters and amazing alpine views. It has a great shoreline too.

Many adventure-seeking paddleboarders paddle over to other popular spots like Meeks Bay and Emerald Bay from this spot.

Others explore Lester beach, which is where you’ll find the wildlife habitat, or paddle towards the headland to get a view of the Rubicon Point Lighthouse.

The Rubicon Point Lighthouse is one of the must-see attractions around D.L. Bliss State Park, so if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you do whenever you visit this park. This park also features hiking trails and campsites for relaxing after surfing the waters.

It helps to have a bit more experience before hitting the waters in this part of Lake Tahoe as the shoreline is not as developed and the waters can be somewhat choppy in certain weather conditions.

Emerald Bay

Launching a paddleboard at Emerald Bay deserves to be at the top of your list of things to do in the near future. Emerald Bay is not only a top paddleboarding spot but the best spot to take photos too.

There’s an incredible panorama of beautiful, calm, blue waters and extensive land and greens to take in while you paddle around, and to spice up any photo.

Watching the sun set in Emerald Bay is an astounding experience that you’ll cherish for life. There’s a hiking trail in the area and waterfalls too.

If you wish to take a photo of the bay (which you absolutely should), the best spot is at Inspiration Point. There you’ll be able to take an impeccable photo of the bay and Fannette Island.

One downside to paddling at Emerald Bay is the absence of a direct launch on the bay. However, you can launch from other Lake Tahoe spots like Meeks Bay and Kiva Beach and then proceed towards Emerald Bay.

You’ll need to park your car at Vikingsholm to paddleboard here. Consider taking advantage of the Emerald Bay boat camp while you’re here for a truly unforgettable experience in the wild.

El Dorado Beach at Lakeview Commons

This place has one feature in common with Sand Habor State Park which you’ll love if you’re a beginner – shallow waters. Here, you can practice stand up paddleboarding and gain the confidence you need to explore deeper waters.

This beach could also be your next weekend getaway destination. There’s a campground in the area and several other facilities to make your stay a memorable one.

Some of the available facilities are the bike trail, large picnic area, restrooms, turf area, swim area, boat launch with floating dock, water toy and kayak concession, and two free parking lots.

El Dorado Beach offers you everything you need to paddleboard to your heart’s content and relax thereafter. Be sure to add it to your list of places to try out.

Kiva Beach

Kiva Beach brims with wildlife and is consequently a great spot for you if you enjoy watching wild birds and fishes do their thing while you do yours.

There’s a lot of soft sand on the beach and it’s nice to walk on while you recover from an intense paddleboarding session. You’ll enjoy spectating other paddleboarders from the beach as well.

Kiva Beach is another excellent spot for beginners to launch as it has a wide stretch of shallow waters that extend far into the lake.

You can park your car for free, restrooms are available, and the mountain views are amazing. The mountains are a sight to behold; they look like they’re coming out of the water.

You can also bring your dog with you, although you’ll have to comply with certain rules and restrictions, like keeping it on a leash at all times.

Meeks Bay

At Meeks Bay, you won’t experience any challenging winds, so consider going here if you’re still finding your feet. The waters are calm too, which makes this spot ideal for you if you have little to no experience riding choppy waves.

Meeks Bay is located West of Lake Tahoe and it’s not just a paddleboarding spot. It has campsites, fishing spots, and picnic tables. Public bathrooms are available on the beach too along with paid parking.

The scenery at Meeks Bay is magnificent, the beaches are nice and clean, and the clear blue-green waters are pleasant to paddle on.

If you want to avoid huge crowds, come in the fall. It teems with people in the summer, but you can enjoy all the tranquility this beach has to offer in the fall. Make sure to try out the food at the nearby restaurant.

Tahoe City Commons Beach

Commons Beach is a large family-friendly park at the center of Tahoe city where you can do everything from paddleboarding to picnicking.

When you’re not riding the waters, you can enjoy the lovely sunset as you picnic at the group picnic sites or have fun fishing. Public bathrooms, public transit, and a kids playground is also present on the beach.

Commons Beach is a convenient place to launch thanks to the nearby (free) parking lot. You’ll be ready to launch almost as soon as you park your car.

Paddling on the waters is a thrilling experience, and it gets better if you move beyond the city’s marina. The beaches are sandier, and the waters are clearer on that part of the beach.

Just like Emerald Bay, this beach has beautiful photo spots, so don’t forget to take some stunning photos before you leave.

Dollar Point

Dollar Point is located North of Lake Tahoe and is one of the most visited places in the region.

This awesome paddleboarding spot marked by snow-capped mountain backdrops offers several launching spots for your next paddleboarding adventure.

You can either launch from Chinquapin Pier, Skylandia Beach, or Lake Forest Boat Ramp. Skylandia Beach is ideal for coasting along the incredible green torquoise waters while taking in the wonderful mountain and alpine forest views.

Kings Beach

It’s easy to see why this is named Kings Beach as soon as you get there. It’s constantly teeming with visitors and locals swimming, paddling, and surfing the clear, refreshing waters in the lake.

There is a rental on the beach where you can rent a paddleboard and begin to explore the waters as soon as you get there, and if that’s not enough for you, there are plenty of other fun activities to partake in.

You can get on the hiking trail and hike to your heart’s content on foot or on a bike. The shops in the area have all the supplies you’ll need, and good food is only a few minutes away.

From Kings Beach, you can paddle to Speedboats Beach and North Tahoe Beach. Paddle boarding in great locations such as these offer you innumerable opportunities to take stunning photos.

Speedboats Beach has giant boulders sticking out its crystal clear waters, so if you happen to find yourself there, take advantage of that incredible background and capture some gorgeous photos to take home with you.

Crystal Bay

Crystal Bay is so named by virtue of the clarity of its waters. Stare into the water and your eyes will be met with a clear view of the bottom of the lake. This is the most amazing bay you’ll ever see on Lake Tahoe.

Unfortunately, you can’t access most of its pristine shoreline, but there are a few access points to launch your paddleboard within Incline Village, such as the Ski Beach, Hidden Beach, and Burnt Cedar Beach.

Here’s a fun fact about Crystal Bay: the deepest part of Lake Tahoe is found off of it.

Convenience shops, casinos, motels, and restaurants are within a short drive from the bay. I recommend you check out Crystal Bay Steak & Lobster House and Stateline Fire Lookout if you do decide to explore the area.

Whale Beach

If you’re looking for a spot that is off the beaten path, you’ll love Whale Beach. It’s one of the few “hidden” beaches in Lake Tahoe that don’t attract huge crowds, so you’ll have a lot more space on the lake to paddle around and have fun.

Whale Beach will make you feel like you own the entire lake but be sure to come early to experience true seclusion.

The beach is made of dark sand, and that’s why it’s alternatively called Black Sand Beach. The parking area is two miles away from the beach, so you’ll need to hike for a good while before launching.

Shades and public bathrooms are available here, and dogs are allowed too on the condition that you comply with certain rules.

Secret Cove

Secret Harbor is another “hidden” beach in Lake Tahoe and it provides access to Secret Cove, a similar beach that offers protection from the winds that sweep across the lake in the afternoons.

Secret Cove features sparkling turquoise waters, grandiose granite boulders, and offers impressive views of the lake, but perhaps the most notable thing about this beach is you can come completely nude.

Since clothing is optional, nudists frequent this beach, but they aren’t the only ones allowed on the beach. Families and even dogs are too.

If you visited this place in the 90’s with your clothes on, you’d be among the 20% of clothed visitors on the beach.

However, these days, it’s the other way around. The vast majority of visitors come with their clothes on, so don’t be afraid to paddleboard here even if you have no interest in doing it naked.

Cave Rock

This is a nice park with crystalline waters situated along the Southeastern shore of the lake, it’s popular among boaters, so make sure you launch your paddleboard from the beach instead of the boat ramp.

Other activities available in this park include swimming, fishing, snorkeling, hiking, and sunbathing. Picnic areas with barbecue pits and restrooms are present in the park too.

An awesome way to pass the time before or after paddleboarding is to climb to the top of the rock and take in the majestic views from the rock overlook.

While paddleboarding, look toward the rock and you’ll see a figure that resembles a woman’s face on it. This is why the Washoe Indians call this place “The Lady of the Lake”.

Parking space is limited, but you can park beside the road at no cost. After parking, you’ll need to hike to Cave Rock. It’s a pretty short hike that takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Echo Lake

Want to paddleboard and fish at the same time? This is the perfect spot for you. Get your fishing gear ready because there’s a lot of salmon and trout to catch.

Echo Lake isn’t actually in Lake Tahoe, but it’s very close to South Lake Tahoe. It’s a beautiful, secluded area engulfed by tall mountains, natural scenery, and granite rocks.

This area offers a peaceful, secluded escape in a mountain setting with hiking trails to explore the area, picnic tables and barbecues, and activities such as boating, fishing, and waterskiing. You can also take part in extra activities during the winter, like dog sledding and cross-country skiing.

There are nice cabins to rent in the area for getaways. These cabins are inside Echo Chalet, a rustic resort with a store where you can shop for groceries, sporting equipment, and rent gear.

Final Thoughts

As your imagination runs wild thinking about all the extraordinary experiences you could have in these awesome paddleboarding spots, don’t forget about safety.

Whilst paddleboarding is a safe sport, you should come prepared to avoid driving yourself into a corner. Wear a life jacket; it will save your life if you fall into the lake.

Paddleboard on shallow waters and avoid strong wind currents if you’re a beginner. The winds are stronger in the afternoons, so you have the choice of either paddleboarding in the mornings or going to a beach that is sheltered from strong winds, like Secret Cove.

In addition to that, unless you’ve mastered the sport, always start on your knees until you feel comfortable, stay centered, and follow all best practices.