Emerald Bay State Park

Emerald Bay State Park is an outdoor activity in South Lake Tahoe, CA, part of the Lake Tahoe guide. Cost: under $25. Vikingsholm visitor center and tours run May 23 through September 30.

Highway 89, 12 miles north of South Lake Tahoe · South Lake Tahoe, CA

Why you should go…

Emerald Bay State Park wraps around a bay on Lake Tahoe's southwest shore, a National Natural Landmark since 1969. A steep trail, 2 miles out and back with a 400-foot elevation change, leads down to Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion built in Scandinavian style. Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe, sits in the bay, and the Rubicon Trail follows the shoreline. Dogs are not allowed on trails or beaches, and parking is limited to vehicles 18 feet or shorter.

#state park
#lake tahoe
#hiking
#vikingsholm
#scenic overlook

What's around here?

The closest stops to Emerald Bay State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Anderson's Bicycle Rental
$25–$50
Family-owned South Lake Tahoe shop renting bikes right at the start of the paved National Forest Bike Trail.
4.8 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Tahoe WakeBusters
$50+
Family run boat rental company on Lake Tahoe offering wakeboarding, tubing, and sunset pontoon cruises.
5.2 mi awayMore like this
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Cruise Tahoe
$50+
Small-group sailing cruises to Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm Castle on a classic wooden boat.
5.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Boat Tahoe
$50+
Private, captain-included boat charters out of South Lake Tahoe for sightseeing and watersports.
5.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Tours
Date Night
Tahoe Tastings
$50+
Two-hour wine tasting cruise aboard a vintage 1953 Chris-Craft water taxi past Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm.
5.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
SUP Tahoe
$25–$50
Stand-up paddleboard and kayak rental shop on Lake Tahoe's south shore, renting boards, kayaks and gear since 2012.
5.3 mi awayMore like this