Lake Tahoe with kids is mostly about short trails, rocky viewpoints and cold, clear water, and it is all close to the road. We like the south shore and the Nevada side around Kingsbury for trail walks above the lake, the west shore around Tahoe City and Sunnyside for walks under tall pines, and the Emerald Bay overlook for the big view. Our kids also climbed at Lovers Leap on Highway 50 and at Donner Summit on Old Highway 40. The thing to plan around in an RV is sleeping: dispersed camping is not allowed anywhere on national forest land in the Tahoe Basin.
Tahoe is one stop on our big California loop in a Class C Winnebago, with the kids and the dogs. Our photos here are from late May 2021, plus a few older ones from summer 2014. For the whole route, see our California Sierra road trip with kids.
South Lake Tahoe and the Nevada side: Kingsbury and Glenbrook
In May 2021 we spent our time on the south shore and across the state line on the Nevada side, around Glenbrook and Kingsbury. Most of our photos from that trip are of the kids on trails and rocky hillsides above the lake at Kingsbury, and of the family on a rocky ridge with pines and a wide view of the water.
If you want a marked trail from Kingsbury, the Tahoe Rim Trail has two trailheads off Kingsbury Grade, Kingsbury North and Kingsbury South (Stagecoach), both near Stateline. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association posts current trail conditions on its site, which is worth checking in late spring.
Tahoe City and Sunnyside on the west shore
On the west shore, around Tahoe City and Sunnyside, we walked trails under tall pines.
If you want a beach with a playground in Tahoe City, Commons Beach has one in the lakefront grass and sand area, plus picnic tables and restrooms. Leave the dogs in the RV for that one, though: local ordinances ban pets at the park and beach.
Emerald Bay overlook with kids
Emerald Bay is the view most people picture when they think of Tahoe, with Fannette Island sitting in the middle of the bay. Our photos of the bay and its island are from an overlook in summer 2014.
The practical details are what matter here. Emerald Bay State Park is open sunrise to sunset. As of fall 2026, parking at the Vikingsholm lot costs $3 an hour or $10 a day, federal passes are not accepted, there is no overnight parking, and the lot can be gated when full in peak season. Parking on Highway 89 itself is prohibited and cars can be towed. For RV families the key line is this: vehicles over 18 feet are not allowed in the Vikingsholm lot, so a Class C like ours will not fit. Plan to see the bay from a turnout you can legally use, or come in a smaller vehicle.
Dogs are not allowed on land in the park, including trails, beaches and the Vikingsholm grounds, but they are allowed at the vista overlook by the Vikingsholm trail parking lot. The trail down to Vikingsholm is steep, and the park warns there are no rides back up. Fannette Island is reachable only by boat and closes in April and May for nesting.
Highway 89 around Emerald Bay can close in winter for snow removal and slides. In January 2023, Caltrans kept it closed for days after record snow buried the road. Chains or four-wheel drive are often required in winter. Check Caltrans QuickMap or call 1-800-427-7623 before you drive it in a motorhome.
Lake Tahoe beaches with kids, and which allow dogs
Tahoe’s national forest beaches are great with kids, but most of the big swim beaches do not allow dogs. According to the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, dogs are not allowed on the designated swimming beaches at Nevada Beach, Pope, Baldwin, Meeks Bay, William Kent and Zephyr Cove.
Places where leashed dogs can go in or near the water include the Tallac Historic Site shoreline from Valhalla Pier to Tallac Point in South Lake Tahoe, Zephyr Shoals north of the Zephyr Cove Resort swim beach, Hidden and Chimney beaches on the East Shore, Raccoon Street Beach in Kings Beach, and Echo Lakes. The Kiva Picnic Area, between the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and the Tallac Historic Site on Highway 89, allows leashed pets, charges no fee and is day use only. Keep dogs out of the Taylor Creek Marsh.
Forest Service beaches generally open from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October, with parking from 8 am to sunset and a per-vehicle fee at most of them. Campfires are not allowed on beaches. We came in late May, right at the start of that season.
Climbing with kids at Lovers Leap
Lovers Leap is on Highway 50 at Strawberry, less than 20 miles west of South Lake Tahoe, and our kids climbed there. The main cliff is big granite, up to about 600 feet tall, and mostly multi-pitch. For families, the place to look is the Hogsback, the smaller formation in front of the Leap. Mountain Project describes it as less high and less steep, with lots of climbing under 5.9, which makes it a good place for beginners. Easier classics include Knapsack Crack (5.5) and Deception (5.6) on the North Face and Ham and Cheese (5.6) on the Hogwild side. Most of these are trad, so you need trad skills and gear or a guide. See the Hogsback page for approaches.
Access is through the Eldorado National Forest’s Lovers Leap Campground, half a mile east of Strawberry Lodge on Strawberry Lodge Road. As of 2026 it has 21 sites at $36 a night and a $10 day-use fee. It runs June through October, with the 2026 closing expected around October 25. Day parking is limited, so do not park on private property. The campground lists no hookups, no dump station and no RV length limit, so call the ranger district before bringing a big rig in.
Climbing with kids at Donner Summit
Donner Summit, on Old Highway 40 (Donner Pass Road) above Donner Lake, is our other family crag near Tahoe. It is a big area of granite crags between Donner Pass Road and I-80, with over 500 routes on Mountain Project. Summer is prime season, spring and fall are good, and most of it is snowed in through winter.
For easy climbing, look at School Rock. It is the first large formation on the left as you drive down from Sugar Bowl toward Donner Lake, with shoulder parking below it or a lot at the bridge about a quarter mile down. It is a two-pitch, low-angle granite slab with an easy walk-off, and its easiest routes are Kindergarten Crack and Kindergarten Slab (both 5.5) and Junior High (5.6). Again, these are trad routes.
Part of the area is protected land. In 2015 the Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Access Fund conserved the Black Wall, Peanut Gallery and Road Cut areas and access trails to nearby walls. On that property, access is sunrise to one hour after sunset, and camping, overnight use and fires are not allowed. Respect any route closures for nesting raptors. Our family climbing gear list and what to pack for a family crag day cover how we run days like these.
Camping near Lake Tahoe: what is legal
This is where Tahoe differs from most of our trip. We usually sleep on public land, but under Forest Order 19-24-05, in effect through December 1, 2027, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit prohibits dispersed camping on its land, and that explicitly includes vehicle camping and overnighting. Camping is allowed only in listed areas, mainly designated campgrounds and some backcountry areas such as Desolation Wilderness, Meiss Country and along the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim trails. Fines can reach $5,000.
So in the basin, plan on a campground. National forest campgrounds book through recreation.gov, California state parks through ReserveCalifornia, and Nevada state parks through Nevada State Parks. Most open from about mid-May to mid-October; Camp Richardson Resort and RV Park and Zephyr Cove Campground and Resort are open year round. Note that Emerald Bay State Park’s Eagle Point and Boat-In campgrounds are closed for the 2026 season.
Outside the basin, the surrounding national forests follow the usual California rules: dispersed camping is generally limited to 14 days, camp at least 150 feet from water, and get a free California campfire permit for stoves and fires. Ask the local ranger district about fire restrictions and roads before you go. Camping is not allowed at the Donner Summit climbing property.
RV notes for Lake Tahoe
A few details matter for big rigs. The Vikingsholm lot at Emerald Bay has an 18 foot limit, and parking on Highway 89 there is banned. Per-vehicle fees apply at most national forest beaches. Old Highway 40 on Donner Summit has shoulder parking and small lots, so arrive early in a motorhome. Keep the rig bear-proof: Emerald Bay State Park requires all food and toiletries in lockers, and the same habits make sense everywhere at the lake. Our dogs stayed in the RV on walks where dogs were not allowed.
Where Tahoe fits on our California loop
We reach Tahoe after Yosemite on our loop; see Yosemite Valley for families for that leg. If you are coming up US 395 instead, our US 395 Eastern Sierra with kids guide covers the drive north. For the full route, the climbing stops and how the trips fit together, go back to our California Sierra road trip with kids.
