Sand Harbor Beach Lake Tahoe Reservation Policy
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Prior to the 2024 summer season, park officials for Sand Harbor Beach State Park announced the impending implementation of a new reservation policy that would (sort of) go into effect in the later half of 2024, and would go full tilt in 2025.
If you’re like me and you frequent the east shore of Lake Tahoe, you saw this coming. Sand Harbor is one of, if not the, most popular beach in Lake Tahoe. Some would even argue it’s the best beach in Lake Tahoe. No matter how you slice it, the crowds don’t lie.
Just about every morning during the summer travel season, prior to the park’s opening time, you’ll find a hefty queue of vehicles on Highway 28, causing a lot of headaches for those just driving through.
Additionally, despite a policy banning this practice, those who couldn’t get in park on the side of the narrow two-lane highway, creating potentially dangerous traffic conditions. While no one enjoys making reservations like this, the need for it is obvious in this case.
In this post, I’m going to discuss the details of Sand Harbor’s new reservation policy, how to go about making one, the costs involved, what to do if you don’t have a reservation and more. Let’s get into it.
Do You Need Reservations for Sand Harbor Beach?
If you’re planning to visit Sand Harbor Beach on the weekend or on holidays beyond August 17, 2024, yes, you will need one. This is only for the hours between 7:00am (park opening) and 10:30am.
Don’t risk lining up in the morning queue of vehicles hoping you’ll get lucky. If you arrive between the specified hours and you don’t have a reservation, they will turn you around without exception.
Reservations will work on a tier-based system, meaning a certain amount of reservations will be made available over a rolling 90-day period. Those tiers are:
TIER 1: 200 day-use reservations are reservable 90 days out
TIER 2: 100 day-use reservations are reservable 30 days out
TIER 3: 50 day-use reservations are reservable 7 days out
TIER 4: Unbooked day-use reservations are made available same-day up until 10:29am
Starting in April 2025, day-use reservations will become a daily requirement. Not just weekends and holidays like it is now. This is just the trial period to allow park staff and guests time to get acclimated to the new system before it gets fully implemented.
So if you’re thinking of going to Sand Harbor in April 2025, tier one reservations for that month will become available in January. Likewise, if you’re aiming for a July visit, then the first batch of reservations will become available in April.
This may be moot to point out, but I fully expect reservations to sell out rather quickly as they become available. You’ll likely need to be on-the-ball in order to get your preferred date, especially if you’re planning to visit in the busy summer months.
How to Make Sand Harbor Reservations & Fees Involved
Sand Harbor reservations can only be made through the state’s Reserve Nevada website. When you arrive to the homepage, you’ll see a search bar in the middle of the page. Simply select Sand Harbor Beach in that search bar.
Next, you’ll select your preferred date or a range of dates. Then, you’ll select the type of reservation. In this case, you’ll select “Day-Use” and then click “Show Results”. On the next page, you’ll be presented with the available selections (or lack thereof).
If you’re successful in securing a reservation, you will pay a $5 process fee. Note that this is in addition to regular park entrance fees, which are:
$10 for Nevada license plates
$15 for all others
If you were lucky enough to snag a same-day reservation, then the $5 fee is waived and you’ll only pay the appropriate entry fee. When you arrive to the park, you will need to present proof of your reservation to the park ranger, and show identification with the name matching the one on the reservation. Keep in mind that reservations are per vehicle and not per person.
How to Get Around Needing a Sand Harbor Reservation
If you don’t have a reservation, there are a number of ways you can still access Sand Harbor. The first of which would be to wait until after 10:30am and try your luck then. The chances of the park being closed due to maxed-out capacity is high, though.
If you have a reservation for the Ramada group-use area of the park, your reservation includes twenty-five parking spaces for your guests. The costs to reserve this area are $400 in addition to the usual park entry fees. Additional reservations are not needed for your guests.
Another way to access Sand Harbor is via the Tahoe East Shore Trail. Currently, this is the only way to legally walk into the park and no reservation is needed for those walking in. Though you still need to pay the entry fees.
Keep in mind that it’s a hefty walk to Sand Harbor along this route - about three miles. Additionally, you could rent a bike near the trailhead at the Tunnel Creek parking lot to help get you there faster.
Lastly, you can take a ride on the East Shore Express Shuttle, which conducts regular drop-offs and pick-ups at Sand Harbor on the weekends in June, and daily throughout the rest of the summer. It picks up on the corner of Southwood and Highway 28, near the old elementary school.
Fares are $3.00 for those 5 years and up, and $1.50 for seniors 65 years and up. Fares are cash only with no change given and currently cannot be purchased online ahead of time. You’re free to bring your beach chairs and coolers, but bikes, kayaks, pets, grills, etc., are not allowed.
Other Lake Tahoe Beaches
Of course, you could always just skip Sand Harbor and plan to visit one of the many other beautiful Lake Tahoe beaches that don’t require a reservation. Sand Harbor is arguably the most scenic, but there are plenty of others worthy of a visit.
Unfortunately, Sand Harbor is one of just a few “park and walk up” beaches on the Nevada side of the lake. The rest require a bit of walking/borderline hiking to reach. These beaches include (the * denotes hiking involved):
Hidden Beach* (just down the road from Sand Harbor and accessible via the Tahoe East Shore Trail)
Secret Cove* (nude beach)
Chimney Beach*
Whale Beach*
Zephyr Cove
Round Hill Pines Beach Resort (highly recommend. Read about my experience here)
Additionally, you can drive further down the highway to Spooner Lake. It doesn’t have the big beaches (or scenery) that Lake Tahoe has, but it sees far less crowds and is serene in its own right. You could also drive further into the south shore into California and visit Baldwin Beach, Pope Beach, Lakeside Beach, D.L Bliss and more.
