Two canines enjoy the beauty of Lake Tahoe

The South Shore of Lake Tahoe offers a great environment for visitors to enjoy with their four legged friends. Between the endless accessibility of activities and the wonderful array of restaurants in town that cater to dogs, make sure not forget to Fido when traveling to the area.

Kiva Beach — Located about a ¼ mile west of Camp Richardson off of 89, this is South Lake Tahoe’s premier dog friendly beach. Make a right onto Fallen Leaf Lake, fork left when the road splits, parking is free at the end of the road. Follow the sandy path in the North West corner of the parking lot that will lead you right out to the beach. There is plenty of room to enjoy at Kiva Beach but it is not technically an ‘off-leash’ area so be respectful of others. This a great place to let ‘em run!

Fallen Leaf Lake — Located about a ¼ mile past Camp Richardson, turn left on Fallen Leaf Lake Road. Follow this for about 1 ½ miles until you come to a trail-head parking lot. Here you will be able to access the lake and various hiking trails leading into Desolation Wilderness. The massive snow melt we receive here during winter ensures beautiful waterfalls cascading along the trail throughout. Not to be missed are the Glen Alpine Falls located just a short walk from the trail-head parking lot.

Cove East: Tahoe Keys –This pet friendly trail leading to a beach is located right next to the Tahoe Keys Marina off Venice Street. Turn onto Tahoe Keys Boulevard from route 50 and make a right at your first stop sign, Venice Street.  Drive to the cul-de-sac at the off the street and you will find the trail-head. The trail leading to the beach is an easy mile long path surrounded by luscious Lake Tahoe marsh lands. This beach is a great place to escape crowds due to its privacy and lack of material regarding the area. Watch the massive yachts cruise in and out the marina, often casting an entertaining setting.

Bijou Dog Park — A gated dog park, dog watering bowls, benches, and a fire hydrant! An urban pet’s playground is found at this dog park located in Bijou Community Park and is a great place to meet fellow animal lovers. Located on Al Tahoe Boulevard between Route 50 and Pioneer Trail, the park is easily accessible due to its central location in South Lake Tahoe. This is one of the hottest spots in Tahoe to take your pooch.

Regan Beach — Located smack dab in the middle of town, this beach is easily seen while driving on Route 50. Turn down Lakeview Avenue, and proceed through the stop sign. Towards the end of the street there will be an access point on the right side of the road. This is the south end of Regan Beach which is off-leash dog friendly.  One of our beautiful, lakefront Lake Tahoe rentals, Blue Waters is located a few hundred yards south of this beach and has a pier extending 50 feet onto the lake. Locate the buoys floating just offshore and try to keep your pet in between them, as this is technically the pet friendly vacation rental area. Regan beach is a wonderful place to play and the easiest accessible beach to South Lake Tahoe.

North Beach: Zephyr Cove — Can you say “epic sunsets?” This beach is arguably the best place on the lake to view the sun set over the Sierra Nevada’s. Drive north on Route 50 past the casino corridor about 7 miles, on your left you will see Zephyr Cove Resort. Park about a ¼ mile up on the lake side, next to the wooden fence. Follow the walking path out to the beach; this northern part of Zephyr Cove is dog friendly!  Admire the crystal blue water with your companion and take a dip to cool off on hot summer Tahoe days. Bring your dog, maybe some drinks and dinner, to enjoy a fabulous sunset light show complements of Mother Nature.

There are plenty of great places to enjoy Lake Tahoe with your animal friend, we ask you to be respectful of others and always pick up after your animal. Do your part in keeping Lake Tahoe Blue.

A large reason many of our guests stay in Lake Tahoe rentals is to be able to cook their own meals, whether it is to save on vacation costs or to bring everyone together by having some fun in the kitchen.  We do have a variety of grocery stores in the area to pick up all of the goods for your culinary adventures, but for a truly, scrumptious experience, I highly recommend checking out the fresh produce at our weekly farmers markets.  Being so close to the San Joaquin Valley (California’s leading agricultural producing bioregion) and other local farms, we are fortunate to have 2 weekly farmers markets here in South Lake Tahoe which offer some incredible produce, goods and crafts.  The markets take place during the warmer months, which are typically June, July, August and most of September.  The larger of the two markets takes place every Tuesday from 8:00am to 1:00pm and can be found at the American Legion building at 2748 Young Street in the city of South Lake Tahoe — it can be well-seen from Highway 50 (also known as Lake Tahoe Boulevard) across from the Red Hut Waffle Shop.  The other market takes place every Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm on Ski Run Boulevard in between Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail, right next to the Blue Angel Cafe, a great place to stop in for some lunch after you have finished your shopping!

Some of the items that can be found at the farmers markets are (but definitely not limited to) giant heirloom tomatoes, corn (my personal favorite!), berries, lettuces, root vegetables and herbs.  You can also find vendors selling products other than produce: breads, pastries, flavored honey, jams, soaps, crafts, meats and cheeses.

Don’t forget to bring cash for the vendors and your reusable shopping bag!