Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail
Tunnel Creek Rd trailhead, NV-28
Incline Village, NV
A ten-foot-wide ribbon of pavement that carries you safely along the wildest, bluest edge of Lake Tahoe, from Incline Village down to the granite coves of Sand Harbor.
For years the only way to walk or bike between Incline Village and the beautiful coves at Sand Harbor was along the narrow, curving shoulder of Highway 28, dodging traffic with the lake dropping away below. People did it anyway, because this stretch of the Nevada shore is stunning, but it was genuinely dangerous, and cars parked crookedly along the road made it worse. The East Shore Trail was built to fix that, and in doing so it opened one of Tahoe's finest walks to everyone.
Opened in the summer of 2019 after years of planning and fundraising, the trail is a ten-foot-wide paved path that runs about three miles from Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park, safely separated from the highway. It has been called one of the most beautiful bikeways in the country, and it earns the title: the whole way it hangs above water so clear and blue it looks tropical, with the Sierra crest rising across the lake.
What Guests Love
- Some of the most jaw-dropping lake views anywhere in Tahoe, right from a flat, easy paved path
- Reaching quiet coves and boulder-strewn beaches like Hidden Beach that are otherwise hard to get to
- A wide, smooth surface that works for a stroller, a wheelchair, a cruiser bike, or an easy walk
- Interpretive stops that explain the lake's geology, forest, and wildlife as you go
Worth Knowing
- The path is popular and parking at Incline Village and Sand Harbor fills early on warm days, so arrive in the morning or use the shuttle
- The first half mile climbs a bit before leveling off, and the rest is gentle, so most people manage it easily
- There is little shade and the pavement gets hot, which can burn a dog's paws in summer, so bring water and time your visit
- It is an out-and-back, so the full round trip is about six miles unless you turn around sooner
Details
Incline Village, NV
Learn about Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail
A trail built to save lives and open the shore
The East Shore Trail is that rare piece of infrastructure that is also a destination. It grew out of a real safety problem: the shoulder of Highway 28 had become a magnet for people trying to reach the lake, and the mix of pedestrians, cyclists, and fast mountain traffic on a road with almost no room to spare was a wreck waiting to happen. A coalition of state parks, the Tahoe Transportation District, the Forest Service, Washoe County, and the nonprofit Tahoe Fund came together to build a proper path instead.
It took a major federal grant of roughly twelve and a half million dollars, plus more than a million in private donations, to make it happen, and the care shows. The path is engineered to shed water away from the lake so runoff does not carry sediment into Tahoe's famously clear depths, part of the long regional effort to keep the water blue. What could have been a plain sidewalk became a thoughtful, sustainable trail that people now travel from far away just to experience.
What you see along the way
The path threads along the mountainside above the shore, and almost the entire route is a lake view. Interpretive panels set along the way explain what you are looking at, from the granite that forms Tahoe's basin to the pines, chipmunks, and ospreys that live here, so an easy walk turns into a small lesson in the natural history of the lake. Benches and vista points give you excuse after excuse to stop and just look.
The real treasures are the beaches. Short spur paths drop down to a string of coves, including Hidden Beach, a longtime local favorite of sand and huge granite boulders that had been awkward and unsafe to reach before the trail existed. There are many places to scramble down to the water's edge, dip your feet in the cold, clear lake, or spread out on a warm rock, then climb back up and carry on toward Sand Harbor.
At the south end the trail delivers you to Sand Harbor, the crown jewel of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, with its curving white-sand beach, shallow turquoise shallows, and the smooth boulders that make it one of the most photographed spots on the entire lake.
Walking or rolling the trail
Because it is fully paved, ten feet wide, and built to accessibility standards, the East Shore Trail welcomes just about everyone: walkers, runners, families with strollers, wheelchair users, and cyclists all share it. The grade is gentle after a short climb near the Incline Village end, so it is an easy outing rather than a hard hike, which is a big part of why it is so beloved.
The main trailheads are at Incline Village, near the Tunnel Creek area with its cafe and bike rentals, and at Sand Harbor to the south. It is out-and-back, so you can turn around whenever you like, or ride one way and shuttle back. Because it is so popular, the parking lots fill early on summer days, so come in the morning, ride a bike in, or take the seasonal shuttle. Plans are underway to extend the trail farther south toward Spooner Summit, which will one day make this beautiful stretch of shoreline even longer to explore.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Incline Village
Sand Harbor
About 3 miles
The trail's southern anchor, a stunning curve of white sand and granite boulders in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and home to a summer Shakespeare festival on the shore.
Hidden Beach
About 1 mile
A secluded cove of sand and giant boulders reached by a short spur off the trail, a longtime local swimming and sunning spot.
Flume Trail
About 1 mile
A world-famous mountain-bike route on an old water flume grade high above the lake, starting near the Tunnel Creek trailhead.
Diamond Peak
About 3 miles
Incline Village's ski area, with lake-view runs in winter and hiking and scenic chairlift rides in the warmer months.