5 Beautiful Places To Photograph In Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe: sandy beaches, blazing sunsets, crystal-clear water and snow-capped peaks are just a few words used to describe one of Northern California and Nevada’s most pristine landscapes. The 72 mile drive around the lake provides more picture opportunities than you will have time for, so listed below are 5 incredible places to take some pictures of Lake Tahoe. However, if you’re trying to shoot a nice serene photo of these areas your best chances are off-season or sunrise. During the summer these photos are almost impossible to take without people noise.

Bonsai Rock — This location is a bit interesting to find and there is a bit of a hike to get to it, but I promise it’s well worth it. Take Hwy 89 toward South Lake Tahoe (or Hwy 50) heading East. Here is the tricky part. Bonsai Rock is not visible from the road. I recommend that you map it on your phone and then find the closest turn out to park in and hike down to it. Sunset is the best time of day to photo this location, and with a some snow, you have the money shot.

Skylandia Pier -Located in North Lake Tahoe just off of Hwy 28, Skylandia pier is another great pier to photograph, especially after freshly fallen snow. During the summertime you will bump into a lot of other photographers, mostly taking engagement or family photos. Again, the light just after sunset is heavenly, but you may also find the just before sunset just as incredible. Access is well marked. Just follow the signs to Skylandia State Park && Beach. Note, at the time of this posting, there was no fee for parking, but it was restricted during certain times of the day, Monday thru Friday.

Sand Harbor -Located just up or down the road from Bonsai Rock, this location is another amazing photo shoot. Again, it is very popular for engagement, wedding and family shoots, so time of year and time of day are extremely important. Sunrise seems to be the most photogenic with the least amount of people noise. Sand Harbor is also know for it’s Shakespeare on the Beach presentations over the summer. During off season however, you can drive into the parking lot and explore and shoot to your hearts content.

Emerald Bay — Located over the West side of the lake, Emerald Bay is not only rich in history, beauty, trails, camping but waterfalls too. The Eagle Falls trail and Cascade Falls are also close by. Don’t expect to get a great shot during the summer or early fall. This is a high traffic area with a lot of tourism, but the exploration to plan a great shot is definitely worth the discovery time. Also, keep in mind that if you’re going for the waterfalls time of year makes a huge difference on the amount of water flowing.

The last must-take photo is from the Mt. Rose Peak, or Incline Village vista. Choose which view you want to shoot depending on how adventurous you are feeling, and of course weather permitting. The Vista turn off of Mt. Rose Hwy 431 (map show to the left) is just outside of Incline Village heading toward Reno or Tahoe. You can’t miss it and has one amazing view of South and West Lake Tahoe, as well as some interesting history you can read about. If you are extremely adventurous and have about a half hour to burn, then I highly recommend the Mt. Rose Peak hike. It starts at the summit and is about 11 miles round-trip with heavenly views of the lake, interpretive trail below and as you wind northeast the Carson/Minden valley and even Reno (Truckee Meadows).

I have been to all of these locations in Lake Tahoe, as well as many more and can’t stress more that the secret to taking great photos of Tahoe is time of day and season. You can see many of these shots in my online gallery, jMcCarthy Galleries, as well as purchase open editions and framed editions. Some are even on display at local shops in Reno, Nevada.

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