Last updated: 04/26/2020
Discover Kiva Beach, a beach unknown to many in the Lake Tahoe region of Northern California. It is a delicious option to enjoy the lake in a place full of canine friends.
KIVA BEACH
Kiva Beach, also known as Tallac Beach/Kiva Point, is a hidden beach in South Lake Tahoe, the largest city on the outskirts of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. We ended up getting to know the place when we decided to take our dog Luna to the place to enjoy the beach. We were there during the winter and summer and Luna was definitely able to enjoy it more in the heat, enjoying the beach and diving in the clear waters of Lake Tahoe. Even if you're not traveling with your dog, it's worth checking out (but you have to at least like dogs, because you'll find many there during the summer).
The beach is a gem located in an area surrounded by mountains, including Mount Tallac. The beach itself is a huge flat sand plain that sits at the mouth of Taylor Creek. As it is hidden, it is not usually crowded and provides a pleasant experience for those who want to sunbathe and have a picnic in this region. It's about 200 meters of a narrow strip of sand, next to a swamp region.
Vegetation includes willows, pines, aspen, swamp grass and some protected plants. Many people also take advantage of the area to practice water sports such as canoeing and stand-up paddle. In the area there is a parking lot, restrooms and picnic tables in a nearby area. You can collect your dog's trash with the bags available at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and throw them in the trash cans located in the parking area.
PUPPIES IN KIVA BEACH
According to official rules, dogs are only allowed on-leash. There are information boards that tell dogs where not to go, and the forest service and the county sheriff are enforcing enforcement in the area to ensure the safety of the general public and wildlife in protected areas. In practice, there is a general consensus that the objective of going to this beach with your dog is to let him play freely around the place (considering that your dog is a docile breed, in addition to being well behaved and knowing how to respond to your commands, it is clear). For this reason, we saw 99% of the free dogs on the beach and ended up releasing Luna to play as well.
RULES IN KIVA BEACH
- free access
- free parking
- Dogs allowed on the lead
- Bonfires are not allowed on the beach
- It is not allowed to consume alcohol on the beach
OUR EXPERIENCE AT KIVA BEACH
Kiva Beach was a pleasant surprise for us. We had gone in December, during the winter, to see the place. However, access is closed to cars because the snow is high and we had to walk most of the way. Luna was 7 and a half months old and had a lot of fun in the snow. We passed quickly by the place, took some pictures and continued our journey.
This time we went with more time and with positive temperatures in the summer. In addition, Luna was already bigger, with about 1 year and 2 months. As soon as we took the trail and arrived at the beach, Luna went crazy. It was difficult to keep her on a leash because she tried to run when she saw other dogs playing free on the beach. We even thought it was hurting the bigeye's neck.
As we saw that the overwhelming majority of the dogs were free, we released Luna. Two weeks ago, we had taken her to a dog pool to learn to swim. She was afraid at first, we put on a life jacket and she realized that she already knew how to swim. Within minutes, she looked like a crazy girl running around and diving. So by the time we got to Lake Tahoe, she already knew she could swim. We just threw a ball for her to dive in and get the ball.
We spread a towel on the sand to leave our things and play with it. Although it was summer, temperatures in Lake Tahoe are very cold during the early hours of the morning, but warm up throughout the day. We reached 1ºC at 6am, but the thermometers reached 23ºC during the afternoon. It was an amazing experience for both us and Luna. We had never seen her so happy! And her playing in the Tahoe snow during the winter had been an amazing experience.
But the summer exceeded all our expectations. She played a lot and kept barking for us to throw the ball in the water for her to go get it. I didn't want to rest even a minute. For us, it was exciting to see our furry one so happy and having fun like never before. We've seen other beaches around Lake Tahoe that allow dogs like Waterman's Landing (stony and narrow), Kings Beach (very crowded and paid parking), Zephyr Cove (very crowded, area where dogs are allowed is on a very narrow stretch of sand and paid parking). None of them have an experience similar to what Kiva Beach provided us with. And we already have plans to go back and see Luna jumping in those crystal clear waters again.
WHERE TO RENT BOATS AND EQUIPMENT
The closest places to Kiva Beach to rent boats, canoes, paddles and stand-up paddle boards are:
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
OTHER CITIES
- Lake Tahoe Cruises (Zephyr Cove, Nevada)
- Tahoe Sailing Charts (Tahoe City Mariana)
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HOW TO REACH KIVA BEACH
Kiva Beach can be accessed via Emerald Bay Road, also known as Highway 89. Take Heritage Way and then Tallac Road. Park your car in the parking lot and follow a small footpath to access the beach. If you follow the Heritage Way, you will reach the Tallac Historic Site, a historical museum that includes a 1920s kitchen, which is open daily from late May to late September from 10 am to 4 pm.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Kiva Beach
- Address: South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
- Schedules: the beach is open every day from Memorial Day (last monday in may) to october, depending on weather conditions
- Entrance: free
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Read more about Lake Tahoe:
- Tahoe Vistana Inn: Lake Tahoe Accommodation Tip
- California: Route on Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the USA
- California: Winter at Lake Tahoe
- California: 10 Restaurant Tips in Lake Tahoe
- California: Heavenly Inn – Lake Tahoe Accommodation Tip
