Lake Tahoe Basin: Rubicon Point to Emerald Bay

Lake Tahoe

I only started hiking regularly in April of 2006. This was my last hike of that first summer season. Shortly after this, I made to trip to Norway and Sweden, and when I came back, I broke my toe and stayed off the hiking trail for several weeks.

It's the hike I had planned to do when I was turned away from D.L. Bliss State Park because it had already reached capacity. That day I made a shorter hike to the same destinations. This time I was going on a weekday shortly after Labor Day--when the crowds have dwindled greatly, but Lake Tahoe is still in its prime. My friend Erik joined me.

We drove to D.L. Bliss State Park, paid our entrance fee, and parked by the trailhead. The trail began close to the water's edge horizontally, but well above it vertically.

As we set out, we had great views of Lake Tahoe, although it was a disappointingly hazy day (because of a forest fire a good distance away). The trail climbed quite a bit and went away from Lake Tahoe, and we were in forest. But then we descended all the way to the water's edge, and soon came to the point I had stopped at on the aforementioned hike from the opposite direction. The views of the lake from this point, just northwest of Emerald Point, are quite spectacular.





Then I was back on familiar trail. The trail cuts off the tip of Emerald Point through the forest and arrives at the shore of Emerald Bay, with its views of the emerald water, Fannette Island, and the ferry taking people out to the island's teahouse. The trail along the north side of Emerald Bay stays close to the water, and there are frequently ladders down to the water, where people can pull in their boats and climb up to the trail.

We passed the boat-in camp and then got to the area with all the people--the beach near Vikingsholm and the spur trail to Lower Eagle Falls. We went from dirt trail to paved paths. We made our way up to see Lower Eagle Falls first, then came back to take pictures all around Vikingsholm (but we did not bring money to pay for the tour). Then we headed to the beach.

California Hiking said that the two weeks after Labor Day are a great time to go swimming here, when the water is as warm as it gets all year, and the crowds are down. So we were in swimming trunks, ready to go in the water. Erik swam quite a bit. I was in and out briefly. Too cold for me. I preferred to lie in the sun on the beach.


Beach Goers

I don't remember if it was before or after this (I suspect before) that we stopped at a picnic table to eat lunch. There an aggressive chipmunk went after my sandwich. Erik picked it up to get it away from the chipmunk, but the determined chipmunk held on. I was trying to quickly take some photos, but didn't get the flash turned off. We held the chipmunk off, but letting our guard down a moment later it made off with the remainder of the sandwich.







Then it was back on the trail for an uneventful return to the car. Back at the trailhead, we had the benefits of having paid to enter a state park--flush toilets and sinks with running water. So much nicer than the smelly pit toilets at forest service campgrounds.

Hike Summary

Date: 12 September 2006
Trailhead: Rubicon Point
Approximate distance: 9 miles

Lake Tahoe Basin: Eagle Point to Emerald Point

Secluded Cove

My plan on this day was to hike from D.L. Bliss State Park along Rubicon Trail on the western edge of Lake Tahoe south to Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm, and Lower Eagle Falls. But even though it was a Thursday, D.L. Bliss State Park had already hit its limit for visitors for the day, and I was directed to Eagle Point Campground, on the southern side of Emerald Bay.

I parked at Eagle Point and headed off in the direction of the trail. I saw a small use trail leading from a picnic table that I thought was a shortcut to the main trail. I followed it, and soon found myself working my way through trees and undergrowth down the side of a slope. I struggled a ways through this before coming out on a clear trail.

I was starting at the point on the southern side of the mouth to Emerald Bay and was hiking west to the innermost part of the bay. I had glimpses of the emerald water and Fannette Island to the north as I hiked along, gradually dropping in elevation.


View of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island

As I got close to the innermost part of the bay, I started encountering people. I crossed a bridge over a creek and hit a junction with the short spur to Lower Eagle Falls, which I took. It's a steep (but brief) climb up to an overlook of the falls. There were lots of people here, and plenty of evidence of where people had left the trail for closer views of the falls. Then I dropped back down to the trail and continued to the north, having already reached the westernmost portion of trail.


Lower Eagle Falls

There I ran into large crowds of people who were parked in a lot above off of CA 89 and had come down to use the beach and visit Vikingsholm. I certainly looked out of place with my hiking boots on and my backpack filled for an all-day hike around people in swimsuits and flip-flops. There were several boats at the pier.


Vikingsholm

But it wasn't long before I was away from the crowds. Hiking east along the north shore of the bay I was much closer to the water, and my view of the bay was not obscured by trees as often as it had been on the south side. At one point I passed through a campground--a boat-in campground.

As I got close to Emerald Point, the trail veered north away from the water. My map showed the trail splitting two ways, with one continuing on along the water's edge around Emerald Point, and the other cutting across farther inland. I figured I would take the latter way out, since it was the only path I saw, and take the other way back for variety.

At one point the trail here passed through the middle of a boulder that was split in two with just enough room for a person to squeeze through.


Narrow Passage

Finally I came out next to the water along the shore north of Emerald Bay. I passed one particularly gorgeous cove that had one boat anchored in it and a lovely beach. What a place to spend a vacation (picture at the beginning of this account).

When I reached a point with an expansive view of the lake and shore with some nice boulders, I stopped to eat my sandwich. As I was sitting there eating, several Steller's jays flew in and landed on rocks around me. I was able to get some good close-up shots.


Stopping Point


Steller's Jay

Then I returned. I tried to find a way out to the end of Emerald Point, but never did succeed. So I ended up just passing through everything I had seen earlier.

Hike Summary
Date: 27 July 2006
Trailhead: Eagle Point Campground