Lake Tahoe – Discover Hidden Coves on the Rubicon Trail
After hearing about the Rubicon Trail in Lake Tahoe for years, I finally did this phenomenal point-to-point hike in the summer of 2020. This hike offers views of the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe in Emerald Bay and the hidden coves along the lakeshore to the Bliss State Park. With only about 400ft of elevation gain, the most challenging part of this hike is figuring out where/how to park (I’ll cover that in the first section). This hike quickly became one of my favorite hikes in Lake Tahoe for the lovely views of Emerald Bay and Fannett Island to the coves facing Lake Tahoe proper. Let’s get into it.
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Rubicon Trail: Emerald Bay State Park Lookout to Vikingsholm
I will be describing my hike as a point-to-point trail from the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout to Calaway Cove in D.L. Bliss State Park. We started the hike at 9:00 am and the parking lot was already getting full at the Lookout. There is a trail to the left when looking at Emerald Bay, where you will find a better view of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island. There is a wide trail that descends to lake-level which is a series of switchbacks. Within 15 or 20 minutes we were in front of Vikingsholm.
If you’re doing the Rubicon trail, I think it is worthwhile to do the short detour to Vikingsholm and check out the Scandinavian Architecture. Read more about the history of Vikingsholm on this website. Another detour is to Lower Eagle Falls, which you can take a trail from Vikingsholm to visit a viewpoint of the falls. We stopped by Vikingsholm but did not check out the falls as was already getting warm/busy on the trail.
Vikingsholm to Farley Beach
There will be signs for the Rubicon Trail from Vikingsholm, which is a path next to the Lake along Emerald Bay. This stretch of trail is beautiful, relatively flat, and lovely. You will be get a slowly rotating view of Fannette Island and the tea house. At first, I found the island difficult to photograph as the sun was directly behind it. But as we got further down the bay, there were more opportunities at an angle.
About halfway or one-third of the way down the bay, the trail passes through Emerald Bay Boat Camp. This is a campground and docking area. The docks are not private, so if you are not obnoxious, I bet you could take a photo or two here.
There are a couple of little coves along the Emerald Bay stretch that are incredibly inviting. The crystal clear water and easy access almost tempted me to swim. These are easier to access than coves on the Bliss side. At a certain point, you will notice the lakeshore cure away from the trail. The Rubicon Trail does not follow this peninsula, but instead, it cuts across this straight to the Lake Tahoe viewpoints. The first view is at Farley Beach. We briefly considered making our way to the end of the peninsula to Emerald Point but decided against it when we discovered there was no proper trail.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would go again
- Intensity: Hiking Clothes, Hiking Shoes
- Location: Trailhead is across from the Emerald Bay Overlook on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe
- Cost: Depending on where you park, there will be a fee.
- Restrooms: At the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout Parking Lot and at Bliss State Park
- Timing: 3 – 4 hours
- Distance: Roughly 6 miles point-to-point (My partner’s Strava recording says 6.3 miles, google maps says 4.8 miles, and I saw somewhere else it was 7 miles… so I am not exactly sure the distance.)
- Elevation Gain: 512 ft
Highlights:
- One of the best lake-side hike in all of Lake Tahoe with views of little coves that are only accessible by boat
- Slowly rotating view of the Emerald Bay island and tea house, known as Fannette Island
- Depending on your route, you will end up at the beautiful beaches of Bliss State Park
- Visit Vikingsholm
Lowlights:
- This is a popular trail and was quite busy when we visited… so it was not exactly a peaceful retreat in nature
Farley Beach to Bliss State Park Beaches
After hiking through the trees, we popped out looking at a lovely little sandy cove called Farley Beach. Farley Beach is facing Lake Tahoe, rather than Emerald Bay. It is a scenic spot for a snack, but also quite popular. When we passed by, there was a couple eating on a fallen log while watching someone learn to paddleboard in the cove next to a parked boat. The next section of the trail is absolutely stunning. There you’ll find cove after little cove with beautiful blue water, pine trees, and views of Lake Tahoe.
The trail has a slight elevation gain from Farley Beach to the end of the cove section. You slowly get further and further away from the water level, so I see why Farley Beach is so appealing – ease of access. There will be a viewpoint where you can see all the little coves in a line. After that, the trail continues to climb and you lose the view of Lake Tahoe for about a mile. There will be some breaks in the trees to keep you occupied, but overall, it is not as scenic as here.
Keep an eye out for a sign to take a short detour to the lighthouse, which is a small wooden-shed looking object with a sign. This is the highest elevation lighthouse in the world. My parents were the ones to visit the lighthouse and take a few photos. My partner and I opted to skip the lighthouse, so I am happy that my parents did the detour.
The Final Section
Then, toward the end of the hike, the trail bends back toward the lake for more incredible views. There are more rocky coves to look down into and a rocky section with chain railing. This section is beautiful, but watch where you are going – there are some low-hanging rocks, which I had to duck under. The first sandy beach you see is Calaway Cove and you can congratulate yourself for making it to the end of the trail!
Calaway Cove Beach and Lester Beach
There are two sandy beaches within D.L. Bliss State Park: Calaway Cove and Lester Beach. Both are beautiful and worth a visit. Calaway Cove has limited parking, which is nice because it is smaller than Lester beach. The parking feels appropriate for how much space there is on the beach. You have to walk down a series of steps to get to Calaway Cove, so it is not as easily accessible, but with a slightly more picturesque scene, surrounded by rocks and pine trees. Lester Beach is wide and sandy with parking nearby. You get a view of the entire Rubicon Bay and easy access to your car. I’ve stretched out on both beaches are lovely.
After hiking the trail, I met my parents at the car, which they parked near Calaway Cove. We all changed into swimsuits and brought a little lunch down to the beach. It was phenomenal to Rubicon cool off in the Lake and relax on the beach after the s over the years – both hike.
Choosing a Route
This trail connects two state parks – Emerald Bay State Park and D.L. Bliss State Park. There is parking at either end, so figuring out transportation is the most challenging part of the hike. Here are a couple of options:
- Hike the trail twice: If you have one car, you can park at either end and hike the trail as a there-and-back. This is perfect if you want to dip in from either side or if you would like to spend the day soaking up the views of Tahoe. Bring plenty of snacks, water, and sunscreen!
- Using a Shuttle: If you have one car and want to hike the trail one-way, you will need a way to get back to your car. There is a shuttle called the Nifty 50 Trolley, that you can use to get between the Emerald Bay State Park and the entrance of Bliss State Park. One important thing to note is that the entrance to D.L. Bliss State Park is 2 miles uphill from the beaches. Wherever you park, I would avoid climbing this 2-mile hill. Double-check that the shuttle is running during the time of year you plan to visit (or during Covid restrictions).
- Two cars or drop off: Ideally you can get dropped off at the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout while part of your group parks at the Bliss beaches. If you have two cars, it is going to get a little pricey as there is a fee to park at the Emerald Bay Lookout as well as an entrance fee to D.L. Bliss State Park. To complicate matters, there is limited parking at both locations, so I highly recommend getting a very early start, especially during the busy summer months with two cars.
My route:
When I was planning to do this hike, I was on a family vacation. My parents had already done the Emerald Bay section of the trail, so they agreed to drop my partner and me off at the Emerald Bay State Park Lookout, while they parked at Bliss and hiked part of the trail from the Bliss side. We met them on the trail, took some photos, and then met up again to spend a couple of hours at Calaway Cove Beach. This was perfect as my parents could decide exactly how much they wanted to hike that day, whereas I looked forward to hiking the entire trail. A drop-off method is a great option if you are with others who want to chill at the beach because both Calaway Cove and Lester beach are stunning.
Rubicon Trail Recommendations
Opposite from the Maggie’s Peak Hike, which is short but steep, the Rubicon trail does not have all that much elevation gain (only about 500 ft). However, I recommend that you take your time and enjoy all the little coves that this trail has to offer. With that in mind, here’s what I recommend bringing on the Rubicon Trail:
- Get an EARLY start – the parking areas will fill up quickly and the trail will get busier with a later start
- Hiking shoes or trail runners – I love my Keens (this sounds like an ad for Calvin Klien underwear)
- At least 2 liters of water – I use an Osprey bladder to ensure I am drinking enough water
- Snacks and food
- Sunscreen – I use this sunscreen for my face, and this one for my body
- Small tripod for photos
Other Things to do at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a loved and common destination for me and my family. Here are other activities that I’ve done in the area (I will link to these activities as I publish them):
- Maggie’s Peak Hike – Tough Hike with Incredible Views
- Cave Rock – Short Hike on the Southeast Shore
- My Favorite Lake Tahoe Beaches
- East Shore Bike Path – Bike and Swim in Lake Tahoe
Overall Thoughts: Rubicon Trail Hike
Since I have heard of the Rubicon Trail many times before, I did have somewhat high expectations. The trail definitely met those expectations! I would love to do it again with a swimsuit and clothes that are easier to change in and out of so that I could jump in at the lovely coves along the way. Since I knew we would be spending time at the Bliss beaches, we focused more on soaking up the incredible views of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe and not swimming.
One thing to note: this trail is POPULAR. Since we visited in August 2020 with Covid happening, there were times in which the trail was uncomfortably crowded. Other hikers clogged some of the scenic viewpoints, so I avoided them altogether. This was a bit of a bummer, but in large part my own fault because we did not start early enough. Expect the trail to be busy in summer, but maybe not as busy in Fall, Spring, or even winter.
I’m always looking for more hikes to do around Lake Tahoe. Do you recommend any other hikes for me to check out? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
