Need Help Planning a Lake Tahoe Trip

[Bubba08]

I'm planning on taking the family to Tahoe the second week of August. I was there last year for a bike race and was bummed I didn't have the family and boat with me. Been jonesing to go back. We will be spending a week there staying in a condo in the Dollar Point area. Looking for any feedback/tips on the best way to spend our trip there. I've heard Emerald Bay is a must and I plan on biking the famous Flume Trail. It will be about a 9 hour drive for us. Is it for sure worth it to take the boat? I've heard the fees and inspections for invasive species are kind of ridiculous. Any advice would be awesome. Nicest beaches, best places to launch, good places to eat etc...

[gman]

Its a beautiful lake but be ready because it can get windy and real choppy. We used to launch at the Coast guard station on the north end. Dont know if its still there and then head south to emerald bay. Make sure you make yourself a point of reference from where every you leave especially from the north end because it you do not you may miss your destination by a few miles. At Emerald make sure you get close to the island so that family members can swim to the island and go to the tea house. Some one will have to stay with the boat. When on Water stop and sunnyside restaurant. they have docs and you can get an ice cream and sit outside and view the lake. Take the raft on the Truckee. Do not get in a hurry. Take some sandwiches and water and enjoy the river stopping along the way and swimming. Go to the olympic village Have a great time

[topaz surfer]

On the south end of the the lake you can launch at cave rock and tahoe keys. East side is sand harbor which is a must to check out the shore line along there. emerald bay is real nice camp richardson and the beacon are a good spot for food and a pit stop. Lots of great mt biking in the tahoe area

[Bubba08]

Thanks for the input guys. I can't wait to get out there. Is there a season for the rafting Gman? Truckee Rafting Co. Said they're closed for the season.

[NICKYPOO]

They are up and running but the river is low. I saw a couple spots where people were having to hump there boats over sections of rocks.

[ace4130]

Bubba08 I just wanted to add a few things from my trip last year to Tahoe. It is a amazing lake as you know but a few things were odd to me. I too am from Utah and the first thing that was odd to me was when launching your boat be prepared for the strangest order of getting on the lake ever. For some reason unknown to me the people that want off the water seem to get to go ahead of everybody that is waiting there turn to get on the water. Seemed very odd to me but who knows maybe that is the way they do it over there but here in Utah everybody waits there turn in order of vehicle on the ramp getting on or off. Pretty annoying though. Second the marinas are very small and most were private so finding a good public marina was a little tough also when I was there the water was low so getting out of the marina can be a little tricky. We ended up walking our boat for about 100 feet because there was a sand bar that everybody warned us about that you may hit so better to walk your boat out a ways. Third as mentioned above watch the skies very close because when the weather comes in it was pretty intense. Last but not least the cost to even get your boat on the water was quite a lot. I don't remember the exact amount but it was expensive. Needless to say it was amazing once we were on the lake but if I was to do it again I would just rent a boat for the day on the water already. The roads around the lake are pretty narrow also so towing around a boat when we were done was a little tough. Good luck

[Bubba08]

Thanks Ace. I really am having second thoughts about taking my boat out there. Seems like much more work and money than it is worth. Especially since we will probably only be out on the lake in it a couple days.

[TahoeKen]

Hey Budda08 - we actually have a family vacation house in Dollar Point on the North side of the lake so are fairly familiar with the Tahoe area. If you are going to be on the North side of the lake then the best boat ramp is the Lake Forest boat ramp about 1.5 miles from Tahoe City. It is right next to the Coast Guard station and I think it is $20 to launch for out of state folks. One word of caution when exiting the ramp area - make sure to head south to open water and not to try and cut the corner if heading East on the lake. It gets extremely shallow through that area. One other thing, this is a very popular ramp and gets very crowded early. They have quite a few parking spaces but it fills up quickly especially on the weekends.

I also recommend heading to the East side of the lake and seeing Sand Harbor as mentioned before. Really cool area with giant granite boulders and great place to anchor and swim. There is a little food place there that you can walk to and get something to eat as well. It does get very crowded on the weekends because it is also a boat launch and park area. If you want a little more seclusion if you go a little further South of Sand Harbor you will find Skunk Harbor. There are no facilities at this location but the scenery and water are amazing. Also usually less crowds as you can only get to it by boat or hike down to it.

Skunk Harbor:

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I you are going to go to Emerald Bay know that it is about a 45min boat ride from the North Shore. There is some very cool scenery along the way and the water is amazing. Be careful when you get to the mouth of Emerald Bay as there are buoy's marking a channel into the bay. Stay within the buoys and you will be fine - gets shallow out side of them and the Water Police like to ticket in that area since it is so popular. Climbing on the island and going to the tea house is pretty cool as well. The island is only accessible by boat. On your way back stop at Sunnyside as gaman mentioned. Great patio to sit out and look at the scenery.

One of our favorite places to take the boat is to Garwoods. It is on the North Shore and only one bay to the East from the Lake Forest boat ramp. Awesome place to sit on the deck and chill. Food is really good and you have to try one of their Wet Woodies. YUM!!! They have pier that you can pull up to and tie off. If the pier is full they have buoys that you can tie up to and a shuttle service to and from the pier. Great place - can not recommend it enough.

Hopefully the above helps. Enjoy it. Tahoe is one of my favorite places.

[Bubba08]

Hey Budda08 - we actually have a family vacation house in Dollar Point on the North side of the lake so are fairly familiar with the Tahoe area. If you are going to be on the North side of the lake then the best boat ramp is the Lake Forest boat ramp about 1.5 miles from Tahoe City. It is right next to the Coast Guard station and I think it is $20 to launch for out of state folks. One word of caution when exiting the ramp area - make sure to head south to open water and not to try and cut the corner if heading East on the lake. It gets extremely shallow through that area. One other thing, this is a very popular ramp and gets very crowded early. They have quite a few parking spaces but it fills up quickly especially on the weekends.

I also recommend heading to the East side of the lake and seeing Sand Harbor as mentioned before. Really cool area with giant granite boulders and great place to anchor and swim. There is a little food place there that you can walk to and get something to eat as well. It does get very crowded on the weekends because it is also a boat launch and park area. If you want a little more seclusion if you go a little further South of Sand Harbor you will find Skunk Harbor. There are no facilities at this location but the scenery and water are amazing. Also usually less crowds as you can only get to it by boat or hike down to it.

Skunk Harbor:

[ATTACH]43747[/ATTACH]


I you are going to go to Emerald Bay know that it is about a 45min boat ride from the North Shore. There is some very cool scenery along the way and the water is amazing. Be careful when you get to the mouth of Emerald Bay as there are buoy's marking a channel into the bay. Stay within the buoys and you will be fine - gets shallow out side of them and the Water Police like to ticket in that area since it is so popular. Climbing on the island and going to the tea house is pretty cool as well. The island is only accessible by boat. On your way back stop at Sunnyside as gaman mentioned. Great patio to sit out and look at the scenery.

One of our favorite places to take the boat is to Garwoods. It is on the North Shore and only one bay to the East from the Lake Forest boat ramp. Awesome place to sit on the deck and chill. Food is really good and you have to try one of their Wet Woodies. YUM!!! They have pier that you can pull up to and tie off. If the pier is full they have buoys that you can tie up to and a shuttle service to and from the pier. Great place - can not recommend it enough.

Hopefully the above helps. Enjoy it. Tahoe is one of my favorite places.

Tahoe Ken,

Thanks for taking the time to provide some advice. Is there a place to launch closer to Emerald Bay? I'd hate to get stuck in bad weather and have a 45 minute boat ride back to Lake Forest. Also is there a place to anchor and take everyone on the boat to the little island and Tea House or will someone have to stay with it?

That's funny you mention Garwoods, I noticed them on trip adviser. Going to have to hit it up for sure.

Would you recommend launching at Sand Harbor to visit that area or just ride across the lake from Lake Forest?

What is the procedure and fees for boat inspections? How big of a PITA are they there?

What is the best spot to rent paddle boards in the area?

Thanks,

Branson

[TahoeKen]

Hi Branson - There are places to launch closer to Emerald Bay but they are not as good and more expensive than Lake Forest. Emerald Bay is closer to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe so you may want to launch from one of the marinas/boat launches there. I am not as familiar with the South Shore area but I do know there is a very nice marina in Tahoe Keys on the south shore. If you are staying in North Shore the drive down to the South Shore are can be quite tricky if you go down the west side. The road gets very narrow and windy through certain parts. Could be tough pulling a boat/trailer.

Sand Harbor launch is nice as well and puts you right there to anchor and swim. Honestly the ride from the Lake Forest launch over to Sand Harbor is quite nice. You actually go over the deepest part of the lake which if I remember right is about 1,600ft deep. If you do decide to do it from the Lake Forest area when you are heading over to Sand Harbor look for what looks like "claw marks" on the mountain. They will take you straight to Sand Harbor. Tahoe can get pretty rough and ugly especially in the afternoon. Just keep an eye on the weather and when the wind starts to pick up it is time to head home especially if you on the east side and heading back to Lake Forest.

You will need to get your boat inspected before you can put it in the lake. They are very strict about this. There is an inspection station on Hwy 89 near the Alpine Ski area. I think the fee is $30 for the inspection and if you need to be "decontaminated" that is an additional fee. If you can make sure your boat is bone dry. If there is any water in the bilge at all they will make you do a decontamination. You only have to do this once then you can put in and take out as often as you like. One word of caution: since it sounds like you will be trailering and launching each day make sure you get back before the launch ramp closes. You can still load up but you will not be able to get your boat tagged (wire they put through your bow ring) and will have to have it re-inspected. It is kind of a pain but boating on Tahoe in my opinion is so worth it.

In regards to paddle boards, there are a few places to rent them. There are a few shops in Tahoe City that do it as well as a couple places in Kings Beach area. The Kings Beach area is nice. Huge sand beach area that is very popular. You can rent paddle boards, jet skis and do para sailing there.

Again, all these places are on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. If you plan on staying on the South Shore (where are all the big casino's are) then I am not much help. We like the North and West shores the best. A little quieter although during the summer both areas will be crowded. This brings up another point. If you are staying on the North Shore the traffic can get pretty bad during the summer months. If you plan on going into Tahoe City do it earlier rather than later.

One other place that you might want to check out is Bridgetender restaurant. It sits right on the Truckee river and is very casual. It has a nice open air patio area to dine. Food is alright (burgers, fries, ect) but the setting is pretty cool. It is located right at the "Y" where Highway 89 and 28 meet just across from the dam. By the way check out the Salmon and Bass at the base of the dam - they are huge! Unfortunately no fishing but kind of cool. You can see them from Fanny bridge. You will understand why it is called that when you see it!

Enjoy your time there. It is an awesome place.

[TahoeKen]

Branson - sorry forgot to answer your question about Emerald Bay. You can anchor in the bay close to the island but it can be tricky. We have anchored in the past but always have someone stay with the boat. There is a fair amount of boat traffic in the area so you need to be careful. I think you will enjoy Emerald Bay and the trip down there. There are some beaches you can stop at on the way if you want to anchor and swim. The water is fantastic although it can be a little chilly if you are not use to it.

[NICKYPOO]

Good map here. http://www.tahoechamber.org/Location-Climate

My West Shore advice-

Obexers is my home marina at Tahoe. I always launch there. $30. Does not include inspection fees. Meeks bay might have a slip you could rent for the week but that is not cheap. It's just north of Rubicon Bay. Huge beach there at Rubicon. Sugarpine point, just north of that is a nice place to let the kids run around. Just north of that, around the corner, is the best spot on the lake for lunch, Chambers Landing. There's a little wooden walk from the dock that leads to a little restaurant. The most expensive item on the menu is the French dip at $14. It's last nights prime rib from the Swiss Lakewood restuarant in Homewood. Good stuff. 2min up from there is Obexer's. Just up the beach from there is the West Shore Cafe. Expensive but very good. Next up the beach would be Sunnyside. Spendy, good food, for lack of a better term, trendy. We don't really go there anymore. Takes forever, costs a lot. I've been there many times. Kinda over it. I'd still recommend it for a first timer. The seared Ahi is delicious. Tahoe city would be next. Jake's is a real good spot for dinner on the lake. Lots of boat parking in the marina. For Mexican, Hacienda del Lago in Tahoe City is right there too although I hear the Blue Agave is getting real good reviews from the locals. Breakfast on the West Shore, Fire Sign Cafe. Best Benedict in town.

[NICKYPOO]

Don't be scared of being caught out in a Z3. I've been out in some of the worst of the worst in less. I've yet to sink a boat. I'm always amazed how much abuse a boat will take and still float. Tahoe can get gnarly but a Z3 will be fine. If you're on the west shore you're fairly protected. If there is a nor'easter coming through, just leave it on the trailer.

[Bubba08]

Thanks for all the advice guys. You have helped out a ton and definitely relieved some stress related to coordinating all the activities. I was super neevous about launching, inspections etc. You guys are awesome for taking the time time provide some excellent advice.

[Bubba08]

How is the drive for pulling a trailer in the section between Lake Forest and Obexers? Looks like that would be about half way to Emerald Bay from where we are staying.