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State park

Emerald Bay State Park

California

About

Emerald Bay State Park is a California state park managed by State Park and Recreation, about 6 miles from South Lake Tahoe. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, a national forest area that covers the broader Tahoe region. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in South Lake Tahoe show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the low 40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near 18°F from December through February. Several trails and climbing areas start close by. The Rubicon Trail is under a mile away, and the Vikingsholm Trail and the South Bliss climbing area are each about 0.9 miles off. Bayview Campground, about a mile away, is the closest place to camp.

Park size

1,340 acres

Inside this park

Climbing

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Location

Emerald Bay State Park

California

Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–80°F and lows of 29–43°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA weather station, 6.7 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan43° high18° low
  2. Feb43° high19° low
  3. Mar48° high24° low
  4. Apr53° high28° low
  5. May62° high33° low
  6. Jun72° high38° low
  7. Jul80° high43° low
  8. Aug80° high41° low
  9. Sep73° high35° low
  10. Oct62° high29° low
  11. Nov51° high23° low
  12. Dec43° high18° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
South Lake Tahoe, California · 6.3 mi
Managed by
State Park and Recreation

Source: USGS PAD-US 4.1; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

    Emerald Bay State Park — State park in California | Roamze