Pope Beach
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Pope Beach in South Lake Tahoe runs about three quarters of a mile along the lake's south shore on national forest land, a long sandy stretch backed by Jeffrey pines. The water stays shallow a good way out. Mount Tallac fills the view to the west, and the beach has a food concession and kayak rentals in summer.
Long, shallow, and sandy with a real view of Tallac, but the summer lot fills and the fee adds up for regulars.
How we score beachesRide in on the Pope-Baldwin bike path instead of driving. You skip the entry line at the lot, and the path connects to Kiva and Baldwin if you want to beach hop.
A Forest Service day-use lot off Highway 89 charges a per-vehicle fee and fills on summer weekends by late morning.
Short, flat paths lead from the lot through the trees to the sand; the last stretch is soft sand.
Dogs are not allowed at Pope Beach.
July and August are the swimming months, when the shallows here warm up faster than the open lake. Snow covers the beach most of the winter and the lot closes for the season.
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