We recently left a friend’s house just outside of Tahoe, and had planned to boogie right on through Lake Tahoe, expecting it to be overcrowded and not camper van friendly. However, we were pleasantly surprised to learn October is the perfect time to experience Tahoe in a camper van.
Driving down the west shore of Lake Tahoe in October, we found so many epic viewpoints, hikes, and great places to swim and even where to see bears. So I thought I’d document our trip, sharing the best places to stop on the west shore of Lake Tahoe in October.
Starting from the north, near Truckee and heading south to South Lake Tahoe, we found the following places to be perfect to visit in October.
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Pebble Beach in Tahoe City
- Location | Pebble Beach | 39.121374, -120.161320
- Cost | Free
- Parking | Roadside Parallel Parking | 39.121185, -120.161395
Honestly, I’m not really sure this beach is called Pebble Beach, but that’s what it reminded me of, and I think it’s a super fitting name.
We passed this beach multiple times when biking and walking the trail, and each time there were a good amount of people just enjoying the beach.
As the name suggests, its a decent sized beach area where the ground is pebbles, or well river rock that looks like pebbles. The rocks continue into the water making for some really pretty colors and textures for photography.
The beach is pretty wide, offering lots of space to spread out, and parking is free parallel to the beach, making it the perfect quick and easy place to stop!
Pier Near Kaspian Day Use
- Location | Free Public Pier | 39.114567, -120.157999
- Cost | free
- Parking | Kaspian Campground and Day Use | 39.113941, -120.157915
We found free camping right in this general area and ended up spending three nights here. This pier is one of the only piers on we saw on the west shore that was open to the public.
Walking out on the pier gives a great view of the mountains to the south, and also just puts into perspective just how clear Lake Tahoe is.
While I wouldn’t recommend jumping from the pier in October, as the water is pretty cold, I would suggest going to the end of it and getting in the water using the ladder!
We swam from this pier twice, and really enjoyed the quick and easy access with the ladder at the end. We also saw a few other people taking a quick polar plunge from this pier as well. It’s kinda the perfect spot for deep water access!
If you’re not into swimming from the pier, it’s still worth going out on and enjoying the view. The end of the pier is the perfect place to sit with your legs dangling over the water and talk about life or enjoy a nice drink!
READ MORE | 5 Ways To Stay Warm When Camping in October
Kaspian Campground and Day Use
- Location | Kaspian Campground and Day Use | 39.113941, -120.157915
- Cost | $27 to camp early October, free from mid October
- Parking | Blackwood Canyon Sno-park | 39.113885, -120.158720
Kaspian Campground is a fantastic place to camp when on the west shore of Lake Tahoe in October. Mid-October the campground closes for the season, however, there’s no gate and one toilet stays open for day use.
This means you can camp for free here from mid-October until November 1st, when sno-park permits are required.
There are nine different walk in campsites, each with a fire ring, bear box, and picnic table. One of the toilets stays open for use (bring your own hand sanitizer), and the parking lot is big and flat, making it perfect to sleep in the car in as well.
The campground and day use area here are beautiful. Yes, they’re right on the road, however, the picnic tables and benches around are perfect. And, it’s a great place to park and then hop on the shoreline trail on bike or foot.
If you walk north for about five minutes on the trail, you’ll find a nice little swimming hole and picnic area that’s more off the road and has bear proof trash cans to toss all your day use trash.
Eagle Rock Hike
- Location | Eagle Rock Peak | 39.109003, -120.161919
- Cost | free
- Parking | Eagle Rock Trailhead | 39.107829, -120.161393
If driving down the west shore of Lake Tahoe, you must stop for this super quick and easy hike up to an amazing viewpoint!
The Eagle Rock Hike is under a mile in total, and has a very gradual elevation gain to a rock face offering views of not just Lake Tahoe, but the entire surrounding area.
While driving from Kaspian Day Use, you’ll turn a corner and can see the top of Eagle Rock, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see people up on the rock enjoying the views.
The trail is mostly along dirt ground, until you reach the top when you’ll have to maneuver over and across jagged rocks to reach the viewpoint. Don’t worry though, it’s pretty easy, and even our cat hiked up there with us!
During nesting season (signs posted during this time) some birds nest on Eagle Rock, so no drones or rock climbing is allowed that time of year. However, you can still hike to the top.
If the main parking area is full for this hike, you can actually access Eagle Rock Trail from Kaspian Day Use, or by parking on Barker Pass Road.
Emerald Bay
- Location | Emerald Bay State Park Lookout | 38.954310, -120.110367
- Cost | $10
- Parking | Small Parking Lot (very busy) | 38.954310, -120.110367
From Eagle Rock to Emerald Bay, there’s a good amount of driving without stopping. This is the time to just enjoy the views. You’ll pass through many different housing developments and private property areas before popping out above Emerald Bay with great views of Lake Tahoe.
Emerald Bay is actually a California State Park that gets super busy. However, there’s parking above the bay and at the curve of the bay, where we were able to find park spots without waiting.
It’s worth noting though, there’s no real clean view of the bay from outside the state park. In the state park, there are bare rocks to climb out on and get an unobstructed view of the bay, everywhere else the trees have grown so big that you can’t see the water without trees in the way.
With that said, if you park on the corner of Emerald Bay, closer to Eagle Falls, there are trails you can walk on to get to the better viewpoints. There are also a couple of pull offs after turning out of the bay that have some pretty good views!
Inspiration Point is an area that at one time had good views of Emerald Bay. However, the trees have grown too big now, and it’s not worth stopping and paying again to see the bay or even read the information boards as they’re the same information boards as you’ll find at Eagle Falls, which is the next stop on this list.
Eagle Falls
- Location | Eagle Falls | 38.950526, -120.115294
- Cost | $5 or free with National Park Pass
- Parking | Eagle Falls Parking Lot | 38.951893, -120.112891
From pictures we’ve seen of Eagle Falls, it’s a really pretty waterfall that when hiked to, offers views down into Emerald Bay.
However, when we visited in mid-October, there wasn’t enough water running to create a waterfall, and the views of the bay were pretty obstructed with trees.
With that said, it’s still a nice place to get out of the car, and hike around moving your body before continuing down the road. The rocky surroundings of Eagle Falls are really pretty and are worth the hike even when the water isn’t running.
If you want to extend this hike, you can continue up past the bridge at the falls and all the way to Eagle Lake. We saw a few different people heading up the trail with fly fishing gear — so if you’re into fishing, this may be a great place to hike to!
Eagle Falls has bathrooms, picnicking areas, and across the highway, good views of Emerald Bay.
Cascade Lake Switchbacks
- Location | Highway 89 | 38.951311, -120.085790
- Cost | free
- Parking | Pull-Off on the Side of the Highway | 38.951311, -120.085790
While this isn’t really a stop on the drive, this is a place you definitely want to pay attention to, or it’s gone in the blink of an eye.
As you drive south, out of Emerald Bay, the highway splits Lake Tahoe and Cascade Lake. You’re literally driving on a small plateau that’s kinda scary with no guardrails, but also so pretty and unique!
After the plateau, there are some crazy tight switchbacks to get you down the mountain and back level with the lake. These switchbacks are equally as pretty to drive, and at the top of them, you’ll find a parking area with access to some trails in the area.
If you park at the top, you can hike around the bare rock and find some really cool vantage points for this road and Cascade Lake. Be careful of cars on the highway, and pay attention to where you’re hiking, as some of this area is actually private property.
Rainbow Trail / Taylor Creek Boardwalk
- Location | Taylor Creek Boardwalk | 38.935401, -120.054872
- Cost | free
- Parking | Taylor Creek Visitor Center | 38.935584, -120.053313
This place is going to knock your socks off! Parking at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, which is closed mid-October, you can walk along the interpretive nature trails in the area and see all sorts of wildlife.
There are all different kinds of birds, ducks, a cute little muskrat, beavers, coyotes, bears, and in October, Kokanee spawning in the stream.
The nature walk is beautiful even without all the wildlife, but the wildlife you’ll see adds an extra layer to the beauty.
The trail is partially paved, and partially a boardwalk over a marsh area, so you’ll literally be walking right on top of the water, and it’s fantastic. Pay close attention to movement in the bushes, as you’ll likely see black bears hanging around or even sleeping in the trees.
Taylor Creek Bears
- Location | Taylor Creek | 38.932406, -120.056579
- Cost | free
- Parking | Side of Highway or Visitor Center Above | 38.933196, -120.055724
Taylor Creek is a hidden gem in the Tahoe area. This creek starts at Fallen Leaf Lake and connects down to Lake Tahoe. There’s a trail that goes the entire distance between the two lakes, and the bears are extremely active along it.
Part of the creek is through the above mentioned marsh area of the Rainbow Trail Boardwalk, but hiking up on the south side of Highway 89 offers a more intimate hiking experience with nature.
There’s fewer people on this side of the highway, and we encounter so many bears fishing in the creek, it was unreal.
The Taylor Creek Trail on the south side of Highway 89 also offered close up views of the salmon spawning upstream, and just a beautiful hike in the fall foliage.
Again, just be on the lookout for bears. We saw many of them up in trees, walking literally on the trail in front of us, and all up and down the creek.
Kiva Beach
- Location | Kiva Beach | 38.940381, -120.056205
- Cost | free
- Parking | Kiva Beach Parking | 38.939390, -120.052930
A sandy beach with mountains towering in the distance?! Yes, please!
Kiva Beach is a long, wide stretch of a sandy beach that’s in a little cove on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe.
This beach has free beach parking with trash cans and porta potties, and has nice trails to the forest leading to a long pathway along the water in one direction and an open sandy beach in the other.
While there are signs that say dogs must be on leash, in our experience, this is a dog beach. All the dogs are running around, off leash and playing fetch, jumping in the water, and wrestling with each other.
Not a dog person, don’t worry, you can get away from the dogs too.. the beach is plenty big, and along the trail there are multiple smaller beach areas perfect for a more private beach day.
We stayed in this area for over a week and went down to Kiva Beach nearly every day.. not just for the clean porta-potties, but because it’s a great place to have a morning coffee or jump in the lake for a refreshing dip!
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El Dorado Beach
- Location | El Dorado Beach | 38.947284, -119.966984
- Cost | free
- Parking | Small Beach Parking Lot | 38.947247, -119.966333
El Dorado Beach is the perfect beach right in South Lake Tahoe to have a picnic at. We grabbed sandwich stuff from Safeway nearby, and then drove down to the beach and enjoyed a quick lunch on the water.
This beach area is also sandy, and is another great spot to jump in the water for a quick dip.
You can walk along El Dorado Beach for quite some time, or just park near the Boathouse on the Pier restaurant and enjoy quick and easy access right to the beach.
Logan Shoals Vista Point
- Location | Pull out on Highway 50 | 39.058287, -119.943102
- Cost | free
- Parking | 39.058287, -119.943102
The Logan Shoals Vista Point is located on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe. It’s a big pull out on the lakeside of Highway 50 with fantastic views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Mountain Range.
This pull out is especially pretty in October when there is a light dusting of snow on the mountains, offering picturesque landscape photography.
Walking around Logan Shoals Vista Point, you’ll find a double pit toilet, a paved walking path, and rocks to climb on and around. The pullout is a ways off the actual water, so it’s not a place to get in or hike down to the beach.
Secret Cove Beach
- Location | Secret Cove Nude Beach | 39.154890, -119.932873
- Cost | free
- Parking | Secret Cove Parking Lot | 39.163735, -119.930434
Secret Cove is one of the few places we found on the east side of Lake Tahoe that offered free parking and beach access. The parking lot has toilets and bear-proof trash canisters, offering a great place for a picnic with a view!
The trails from Secret Cove parking to Secret Cove Beach are long, but well worth the hike. The rocky lakeside offers iconic photos and views of Lake Tahoe with boulders along the shoreline.
As you may have caught above, this is technically a nude beach, but it seems like a lot of people actually wear clothes here. And shoot, while visiting Lake Tahoe in October, you honestly probably don’t have to worry about nude people with how cold the weather and water are!
We spent an entire day at the Secret Cove Beach parking lot, exploring the beach trails around the area. In fact, we ended up not making it all the way to the actual Secret Cove because there were plenty of other beautiful beaches along the way.
Chimney Beach
- Location | Chimney Beach | 39.165339, -119.933507
- Cost | free
- Parking | Chimney Beach Parking | 39.167974, -119.926356
As the name suggests, Chimney Beach is a beach with a literal chimney on it. There’s no house or building connected to the chimney, however, you can see remnants of the house that used to be there.
It was actually a home to a caretaker of a nearby lodge, but the only thing that oddly remains is the chimney itself.
While the chimney is interesting to see, it’s also a beautiful beach to hang out at. The sand is nice and the shoreline and water are both scattered with big boulders offering those iconic photos of Lake Tahoe.
When we visited Chimney Beach, we actually hiked down for the Secret Beach parking area. It’s a trek no matter what parking lot you choose, but know you can access it from both!
The weather in Lake Tahoe is pretty hit or miss in October. While it may be a warm day, we found that it was often windy creating a chilling breeze and massive waves in the lake.
There were only one or two days when the lake was calm, and unfortunately for us, neither was when we were on the east shore of Tahoe, so we missed the epic smooth, clear water shots.
Sand Harbor
- Location | Sand Harbor Beach | 39.200579, -119.930281
- Cost | $15 cash only
- Parking | Sand Harbor Visitor Center | 39.198616, -119.929205
While we were down in South Lake Tahoe documenting the bears eating the Kokanee, a few different people mentioned we should visit Sand Harbor. It’s supposedly a must visit location on Lake Tahoe.
However, what those people didn’t know, is that we often don’t do things you have to pay for, and visiting this state park was just that.
With a hefty $15 day use fee for non-Nevada residents, we pulled a quick u-turn and made our way out of the parking area, and up to the free parking back at Secret Cove Beach.
If you don’t mind paying day-use fees, Sand Harbor seemed like a beautiful spot to spend a day. There’s lots of beach access and parking, picnic areas, and even a visitor center. Late in October, we found the boat ramp to be closed and it’s worth noting starting April 2025, you must make actual reservations before entering Sand Harbor if entering before 10:30 am.
RESERVE NOW | If visiting after April 2025, reserve your arrival on the Sand Harbor website here.
A Drive Through That Turned Into Two Weeks
We surely didn’t expect to be spending more than a week on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. In fact, we truly thought we would just be driving right on through the area, just using it as an access to get us to Highway 395.
But, we were pleasantly surprised that mid-October through the end of October was the perfect time to explore Lake Tahoe.
It’s a weird time where things are closed for the summer season, but not quite open for the winter season, so there’s lots of free areas of camping and free day use access that usually you have to pay for.
We enjoyed the fewer crowds mid to late October, and the gorgeous fall foliage popping around every corner. While the lake is chilly, it was still a super refreshing dip in the water each time we jumped in.
And holy smokes, the bear activity around Taylor Creek was the highlight of our stay. In fact, that’s a huge reason we extended our time in Tahoe… and trust us, hanging around for the bears is worth it!
We never paid to park, camp, or for any of the activities listed above. Instead, we enjoyed spending our money supporting the local businesses by getting snacks and dessert out, and having a drink or two at a few different places around the lake.
It’s possible to visit Tahoe and not spend and arm and a leg. And trust us, it’s enjoyable to do it more budget friendly!
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