Okay so I love Lake Tahoe in the summer.   So when my friend Frank asked me if I had been to Chimney Beach with my kids and husband,  I was a little embarrassed to say I had not even heard of it.

I think Tahoe is one of those place where we really quickly become creatures of habit.   We go to the same beach near the campground or hotel that we love, our favorite restaurants become must do visits and we forget to explore.   Chimney Beach is worth exploring.

GETTING THERE

Depending on where you are staying the beach can be a bit of a drive. Here’s a map so you can figure out where it is in relation to where you love to stay or camp.

We came from the Tahoe City area and it took about 45 minutes.  Put Chimney Beach into the GPS and it came up as a destination which helps.  Once you get there you need to look for all the cars parked alongside the road.   That’s important for two reasons.   First, the parking lot is small and will fill up quickly.   Second, there are no signs letting you know you’ve arrived.

HIKING DOWN

If you park on the side of the road you should still walk to the parking lot first because that is where you will find the trail head.   We saw a lot of people just head over the side of the road and go down into the brush and the trees but we assumed they knew where they were headed.  We didn’t.   Just off the parking lots are signs that let you know you are going in the right direction.

The trail is not hard.   It is well-marked and not that steep.   We saw very young kids and toddlers and people carrying ice chests, tents and rafts heading down so don’t worry  about difficult terrain.    A warning though,  it is a mile long hike.   And its downhill all the way so what goes down must hike up at the end of the day.   You can do it in flip-flops but I was glad to have my sneakers on and its dusty so your toes will get dirty in sandals which can be annoying.   It is gorgeous.   Even my kids avoided the “how far is it” question because the lake is stunning.

 

WHERE DO I PUT MY STUFF

The only downside about these little beaches is that there is not that much beach.   There is room but you might have to have to look around.   Instead of one big beach there are several inlets and some rocks that make for a nice place to plant your stuff.    Like many Tahoe beaches the sand is more like small fine rocks but good on your feet.

 

THE BEST PART – THE ROCKS

The rocks are great for climbing and laying on.   And yes there are great jumping rocks at lots of heights.  These big rocks are scattered along the shore and you can find one that fits what you are looking for.   The water is cold but its worth it.

Of course as always a warning that you should check the depth of the water before you dive or jump.   There are definitely places where there are groups of people waiting to jump and the water is so clear that it makes it easier to see the hazards.

Hope you enjoy exploring Chimney Beach as much as we did!