Chimney Beach — Attraction in Carson City

Important INFO: Ice chests, gazebos and small children are not recommended on the trail down to the beach unless you have ample help to bring everything down (AND BACK UP) a very narrow, uneven and steep trail full of trip hazards and slippery areas. The parking lot to this beach is clearly marked with a limited number of parking spaces available in a roundabout. DO NOT park on the highway without checking the signs. At least four cars were cited for leaving their car in a "NO PARKING" area. Once you've procured a legally acceptable spot for your vehicle, head towards the trailhead, which begins to the right of a pair of vault toilets, the last place to go potty before you head down. There's also a bear-proof dumpster to dispose of your trash on the way back out.

The trip down the hill is very steep (at times) and uneven. Not terrible, but nothing an able body individual shouldn't be able to handle. Make your life easier and carry all your essentials in a small backpack. There is a general downward slope to this dusty dirt trail with elevation changes due to roots and rocks and a few switchbacks around boulder formations. When you get to the definitive fork near the water's edge (presently marked by a 4x4 post in the ground with no signage), hang a RIGHT.

From the fork, you'll continue down another uneven winding dirt path for several hundred yards with a few trails along the way peeling off towards the lake offering slightly lesser waterfront opportunities. You'll see two small beaches before finally arriving at the Chimney. There's nothing much beyond that, so don't worry about wandering off too far. Just keep the lake to your left and in sight on your way down and you'll find it just fine.

The increased water level in Winter of 2016-2017 has diminished the size of most Tahoe beaches, but Chimney is still one of the nicer small ones on the NV side of the Lake, especially of the "free" ones. Sand Harbor is bigger and easier to access, but much more crowded, and you have to pay $12 park. I prefer free parking and the hike with considerably smaller crowds.

Chimney offers decent beaches and gorgeous views of the Lake. There's also a rock formation to the immediate North of the main beach which allows for some amateur "cliff diving", although I wouldn't recommend head-first jumping into any water unless you know what the hell you're doing.

The day we went, the beach was not overly crowded, but the wind was whipping in at speeds of up to 30 to 40 miles an hour. This was causing major waves, which emulated the ocean, just without the salt water. Despite the less than ideal conditions, there were still quite a few people. It wasn't so busy that we couldn't find a spot, though, and we got there about 2 p.m. We settled on a small area just south of the main Chimney Beach because we brought our dog. He didn't venture out into the main Lake, but there was a small Lagoon directly behind us that he loved to swim in. It was a perfect watering hole for a pooch.

We brought inflatable toys, but the waves were too strong to allow us to use them. All in all, we spent about 3 hours on the beach enjoying the beauty of Lake Tahoe. The walk back up the hill is just as tiring as the trek down, but even worse because now you're exhausted from spending a day at the lake. Leave early, and preferably sober, and you'll make...

I think this spot is over-rated, especially for the effort that it takes to get there and especially for families. If you are a wanna-be-instagram-influencer or aspiring to be, then this spot maybe worth your time. The parking lot is small and always filled. Most people are forced to park along the road and carefully walk along the busy highway to the entrance. The hike down is a bit long but not too bad. The hike up, especially if you’re carrying stuff (families always pack in stuff), is long, dusty and sweat-filled. When you get to the beach area, the lake itself is really bad for swimming. The shoreline is rock filled and is painful to walk into without water-shoes. Once you wade a little further, this changes to large, slippery moss covered stones that are treacherous. If that wasn’t enough, the offshore wind combined with the boat traffic creates a constant set of waves that make it difficult to get a firm footing while in the water. The conditions are just not great for kids/families to enjoy the water. If you’re just there to take some pics, then it is not an issue to be concerned with. In my opinion, there are many better beaches that are MUCH easier to access and have...

Chimney is seriously one of the best places on Tahoe, although in recent years it's become quite popular. I guess the word's gotten out? The trailhead is relatively hard to spot so really keep an eye out on the west side of 28 about a mile from the Carson City/Washoe line. If you see the parking lot to Marlette Lake on the right, just look across the highway to a very faint trail leading into the woods.

There's a reason why the Nevada shore is SO much better than California's bawdy, built-up, touristy side. Most of the Nevada shoreline of Lake Tahoe is maintained as a wild, wilderness setting with only hike-in access to the water ... and that's exactly what you get here. It's about a half-hour walk from the highway through deep woods to the beach so if you're carrying a floaty device it could take a bit. My advice is to get here mid-week because on summer weekends it is impossible to find a spot on the beach and parking on the highway is spotty. Nevada troopers will leave a ticket on your windshield at certain spota. Five stars ... even with the all the skin on the beach. (Yes it is technically a...