Emerald water
Around the island.
Famartin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blake Everett Carroll — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Famartin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kyle Hawton — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jesseriver73 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Emerald Bay is a long, narrow inlet on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, its water shading from turquoise green to deep blue, ringed by pine-covered slopes, with a small rocky island in the middle. It lies in Emerald Bay State Park, created in 1953 over 620 ha, and the bay was named a National Natural Landmark in 1969. It holds Fannette Island, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe. Its sights include Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion that is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States. In 1994 the bay's waters were added to the park, making it one of the state's first underwater parks. You stop at Inspiration Point on the highway to see the whole bay, or walk a steep trail down to the beach and the mansion. It is about 11 km in a straight line west of South Lake Tahoe. Highway 89 is sometimes closed by snow in winter.
Around the island.
Above the bay.
By the road.
Emerald Bay State Park, Highway 89, Lake Tahoe, California
Yes, by a steep trail.
It sometimes closes for snow.