Incline Village, NV, United States
Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe
Sand Harbor, on Lake Tahoe's Nevada shore, pairs gently sloping sand beaches with granite boulders and very clear water, and it has been the traditional start of the Olympic Club's Trans Tahoe Relay. The water stays cold all summer, so ease in slowly. From mid-May through September, cars need a day-use reservation, and the park can close when it fills.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 87/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 23°C, wind 8 km/h, UV 8. Updated .
Know before you go
- Best conditions
- Summer; Tahoe's water typically ranges from about 50 to 70°F between June and September.
- Getting in
- Part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park at 2005 Highway 28; open 8 a.m. to one hour after sunset. Entrance fee is $10 per vehicle ($15 for non-Nevada vehicles) and $2 per bike (fees can change). Day-use reservations are required for vehicle entry on summer mornings from May 15 through September 30.
- Parking & transport
- Park lots only; parking or dropping off on Highway 28 outside designated parking (Memorial Point) is prohibited, and the park can close when full on summer days. The seasonal East Shore Express bus runs from paid parking at Tunnel Creek.
- Lifeguards
- Nevada State Parks Beach Patrol is on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Water quality
- UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center tracks Lake Tahoe's clarity, temperature and nutrients in an annual State of the Lake report and posts live lake conditions; Nevada State Parks publishes harmful algal bloom information.
- Season
- Open year-round; swimming season is summer, when Beach Patrol is on duty (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
- Who swims here
- The Olympic Club of San Francisco's Trans Tahoe Relay, a six-person, roughly 10-mile relay held since 1976, runs from Sand Harbor Beach to Skylandia Beach in Lake Forest, California.
- Watch for
- Cold water shock: Take Care Tahoe reports an average of seven cold-water drownings in Lake Tahoe each year
- Upwelling can bring deep cold water to the surface without warning
- Wind can change conditions quickly; check the forecast
- Facilities
- Visitor center and gift shop · Kokanee Bar and Grill snack concession · Shaded picnic sites · Kayak and paddleboard rentals (summer) · Two boat ramps · Loaner all-terrain wheelchair
Sources: parks.nv.gov, takecaretahoe.org, nltfpd.org, en.wikipedia.org, openwaterpedia.com
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Details
- Location
- Incline Village, NV, United States
- Type
- lake
- Coordinates
- 39.1987, -119.9320