D. L. Bliss State Park

This tops my list of state parks followed by Custer in South Dakota. The water is truly amazing and the opportunity for photos never ends. We hiked to emerald bay and back....took a good chunk of day. But the beautiful trail through the park was awesome the whole time. If you see the pictures of this park they are legit and worth a view in person. $10 to get in on a day pass which is good for all CA State Parks according to the guy we paid. One of the beaches had very few boulders in the water so that's the best for swimming but all of it is beautiful!!

Wonderful place for quick day hikes. Lots of views along the trail. There's an old lighthouse which is cool. There's campgrounds and a beach as well but I didn't visit them. I went in mid May and the park was closed to cars and was seemingly unattended. There's a small parking lot at the gate and more parking along 89. It's about 2 miles from the gate to the end of the road. Bring water, there's none. Pack it in, pack it out.

Must go early in busy Summer season, before 9am for good parking. Otherwise you'll be forced to park on the busy road and walk about a mile to the trail head. Excellent hike with lots of amazing views. We only did about 30 minutes in and 30 minutes out, not the whole trail. Bring lots of water if its hot, really heats up after 1PM. $8 for parking, but if you park on the road its free.

Probably great but closed at time of writing. If you want to do Rubicon hike go down to Vikingholm (also closed, but you can park and there is trail access)

D.L. Bliss State Park is a great state park to visit in West Lake Tahoe. It offers a few miles of hiking trails, campgrounds, some unique rock features, and great views of the lake. Highly recommend if on the West shore of Lake Tahoe.

A beautiful state park with an adorable visitor center/gift shop. The educational displays of the local wildlife (lots of taxidermy) is fantastic & makes for some great teachable moments. We were the only people there except for the ranger/clerk who was knowledgeable, friendly & very helpful. This was my first trip to the Lake Tahoe area & it's a photographer's dream. This park has a winding road which leads to a stunning beach. Although it was an incredible day in the 2nd week of September, with temperatures in the upper 60's, there were few people around. The colors are reminiscent of the Caribbean with blended blues, greens, turquoise and gold. What a sight! Looking forward to going back again next year.

Great state park on the west coast of Lake Tahoe. If you can actually get reservations it is an amazing place to stay. We we fortunate enough to get prime real estate campsite right by Leater Beach. People start coming in at 645am to grab spots at the beach. So we felt privileged to be easy walking distance. We had sites 157 and 159. Tahoe 's water clear and cold as usual. But during a heat wave you are not complaining. Bathrooms were somewhat clean. Fresh water access at each site. Bear lockers, picnic bench ,and fire pit at each site. Sites are kinda small so if you like privacy you won't get that here. On one last note the yellow jackets are outa control. We weren't stung all weekend but definitely makes cooking a pain.

One of the most beautiful parts of tahoe. Such a pretty hike around the coast to emerald bay. Plenty of stops to make on this trail. Pack it in, pack it out. Your mother does not live here. Have fun

My 2000th review! Reasons we selected BLISS 1. Central Location: close to Emerald Bay. Relatively close to Eagle Falls, Glen Alpine Falls and 33-minute drive to both south to Stateline and north to Tahoe City in case you want to treat yourself to a restaurant or bathrooms where moths won't watch you poop. 2. Known for their clear sandy* beachfront with almost unrealistically flat movie-set views and shallow, clear water. When we went there were more geese in the water than people. A perfect bike ride from the Pines campgrounds, though walkable. [*Sandy = tiny rocks that looks like sand but feel like dungeons and dragons dice.] 3. Easy access to Lighthouse (highest elevation lighthouse in US), Rubicon, and Balanced Rock trails. DL Bliss has 4 pines areas and 1 beach area. The beach area is not directly on the beach, nor does it have a beach view, and the area seemed more tightly packed with smaller spots and filled with more loud people (shirtless bros, families with unsupervised kids with the camping apps, TikTokers doin' it for the 'Gram), so I am kinda glad my reservation did not go through. Our cheaper Pines area was very spacious, shaded, and peaceful, except for someone who was blasting "We Are The World" for a hot two minutes. I think someone finally approached them. Let us realize that a change can only come when we stand together as one, Things you might want to bring: firewood (they charge $10 cash upon check-in and don't allow wood gathering), bug spray, and eye mask (the nearby bathroom lights were bright). But don't just take my word for it: #1 of 9 Best Campgrounds at South Lake Tahoe, CA Lana Law, PlanetWare, 2022 #1 Best campgrounds for hitting popular attractions TentCampingTrips #1 of 5 Tahoe Campgrounds Near the Water Christina Nelleman, 7x7, 2014 #2 of 10 Best Lake Tahoe Campgrounds CampsitePhotos, 2022 #2 of Best Camping in Tahoe: 12 Scenic Tahoe Campgrounds Laura Gray, California Crossroads, 2022 #2 The Best Camping in Lake Tahoe FoxInTheForest,2020 #2 in South Lake Tahoe RV Parks and Campgrounds Jamie Cattanach, RVShare, 2021 #6 of 8 Best Lake Tahoe Camping VacationIdea, 2022 #9 of 11 of the best Lake Tahoe camping spots to visit Emily Price, SFGate, 2022

DL Bliss Campground was amazing!! It books out so quickly, but if you get a spot, you completely understand why! The campground has plenty of bathrooms, water spickets, etc. and some sites are walking distance to a beach. You drive a mile or so from the main road to the campground, so no campsites are right next to a busy highway and it is VERY quiet - the loudest noise is the sound that nature. Each site has a very large bear box, fire pit, picnic table, established parking spot for at least one car, and at least 1 flat spot for a medium or large tent. We stayed at site 48 in Upper Pines and liked it for the most part. It was huge (we had a massive two bedroom tent and could have fit an additional medium and small tent on the property). It was fairly private and quiet. My only complaint is that it was in view of the bathroom, which wasn't an issue until the bathroom lights shone in to the tent all night. Next time we camp at DL Bliss, we will come back to this campground. We are excited to check out other areas of the camp, as there are so many spots! Attached to this review are screenshots of the notes I took regarding each campsite at Upper Pines. There are a few missing because they were more hidden and we couldn't find them (although we didn't look very hard).

Hiking during the pandemic and during the smoky skies from the forest fires in September! Arrived to Lake Tahoe over the Labor Day Weekend, having made reservations 6 months in advance in South Lake Tahoe, only to find the place packed to the rafters with tourists during the holiday weekend, and smoky skies from forest fires north of Fresno 170 miles to the south. Break in the smoky skies on the last full day of our week stay. Drove into DL Bliss State Park entrance at 8am, and paid the $10 entry fee with our credit card. Missed the entrance to the parking lot to the Lighthouse trail on the right hand side next to the entrance. Drove 3 miles at the 15mph speed limit along a one and a half lane beautifully paved road, through picturesque forests and ugly campgrounds. We rode into the Calawee Cove beach parking lot, getting the last available parking spot. 15 parking spots total, with 14 parked vehicles, including a small Lexus crossover taking up two of the 5 parallel spots! Flush toilet bathrooms here for pit stops and changing in and out of swim suits for going to the beach just below. We are equipped with high top hiking boots, hiking poles, 40 ounces of water, lunch, hats, and face masks. Most of the people we encounter are wearing sneakers, with a few in hiking sandals, and not wearing masks. A lady driving a Subaru Forester comes in a few minutes after us, checks out the too small an opening in front of the Lexus, rolls her eyes, and takes off for another parking lot 200 yards up the road. We are at the northern tip of the Rubicon trail, which goes 4.5 miles to Vikingsholm, or 6.5 miles to the Emerald Bay State Park. Sign at start of the trail says no dogs and no bikes. Narrow trail, single file in many places, wouldn't want to step in your dog droppings that you were too lazy to pick up! Stairs in places, with climbing over boulders on occasion. 6000 feet altitude at lake level. The first mile here is like climbing stairs over a beautiful lakeside trail, rising higher and higher over the deep blue waters, through the green forests. Areas where there are safety railings, due to cliff like overhangs. Periodic vista points, where the trail widens, but no bathrooms, and no cover for going in the bushes. The trail gradually goes inland, away from the lake, through the forests, one area of dying forests -fire in the past? Sandy dirt trail in the forests, hard gravel rising above the lake. Up and down like a yoyo goes the trail. No animals in sight, except for birds, with plenty of yellow jackets hanging around. 2.5 miles into the hike we come back to the lake along the path, across two streams, and stop on a series of granite boulders overlooking the lake. Emerald Bay just around the corner, with the dark blue lake turning green in the shallower waters. Motor boats speeding along the waters, their wakes rippling along the surface of the otherwise deep blue waters. Loud music from a few boats, with boats congregating along the shore for swimming and sunbathing on the rocks next to the waters. One lady in her 20s hikes in Chako hiking sandals, and goes off the trail through the narrowest of paths downhill to the bottom right next to the lake, to be picked up by a guy in a kayak. We turn around at about 2.5 miles , the halfway point to Vikingsholm, which is closed for the entire year due to the pandemic. 4 hours and 5 miles after starting, we are back to our parking lot. Wife checks out the Calawee Cove beach below, wading in the waters briefly, before coming back to our car. A full size extended cab pickup truck parks right in one of the parallel spots, but it's rear end still sticks over 2 feet into the next spot -first time I've seen a vehicle longer than a parking spot. An SUV lets out a group of men and waits. The lady driver asks us in a Russian accent if we are leaving, and is overjoyed with her good luck, when we say yes. As we exit the state park, there is a sign on the entrance saying "Beach Parking Lots Full". Next time will park outside the park entrance trying to save the $10 fee, and hike directly to the entrance to the Lighthouse trail, some 300 yards from the entrance. 1000th review, and hopefully there won't be more than one 1000th review, given the number of my reviews removed by Yelp.

D.L. Bliss could easily stand for "Definitely Love Bliss" or "Downright Lovely Bliss!" This state park is absolutely blissful! I was curious about the real reason for its name and found this: "The park is named in honor of timber and railroad magnate Duane Leroy Bliss, whose heirs donated 744 acres of land to the state in 1929." -thank you Wikipedia! My hubby camped here every summer over 25+ years in-a-row with his family, so they are certainly longtime fans and experts of this amazing place (and camping pros!). Since we got married 3 years ago, we've now made camping at D.L. Bliss our annual tradition. I'm happy to say my very first true camping experience was here in July 2018, and I absolutely loved it! Not only do you have multiple campgrounds here, but also one of my favorite trails (Rubicon Trail) and the gorgeous, pristine beach. Keep in mind that it gets VERY crowded in the summertime and you must reserve months in advance. You can easily purchase a day pass if you don't intend on camping which is $10 (if I remember correctly), and that money goes toward the great cause of maintaining and preserving this awesome state park. I'm sure it also helps support the rangers and staff here, who by the way are extremely warm, friendly, welcoming, and helpful! Just the other week we enjoyed a snowy hike at D.L. Bliss and got to enjoy and appreciate a very quiet, social distancing-friendly afternoon, just us and nature. If you come here, as always, please leave it better than you found it (i.e. pack your trash and dispose of it properly in the designated bear-proof receptacles, respect the land, lake and wildlife, as well as other humans. :)

The camping season is over in the South Lake Tahoe area at this time of the year. DL Bliss State Park is one of my favorite state parks with a beautiful campground available in the summer. The state park has a lot of huge trees. So the temperature of the park is always very comfortable. The campground area is also very big with so many campsites available for travel trailers or tent camping. The campsites are more private than most of the other campgrounds because of the number of trees in the state park. I love this DL Bliss State Park and the campground area. This is a very good destination for the whole family in the summer.

Still my favorite place in Lake Tahoe but it's even better coming out in the late fall/early winter when the crowds aren't so bad and the surrounding mountains are covered with snow.

This park has a beach, camping, hiking (Rubicon trail!) and a great little cove. Located on Lake Tahoe, you can't beat the beach and hiking views. The camp sites looked really nice so I will be camping here in the future! This day was spent on the cove beach, which you need to walk down a set of dirt stairs to get there. Not ADA accessible. If you can get down there, it's a beautiful spot for a picnic, which is what we did. There is a small outcrop of rocks that jut out into the water, a perfect place to jump in to the water if you don't mind the cold temps! It is a CA state park and it does cost $10 for a day pass. I thought it was well worth it. Plus, if you go to any other CA State parks that day, the pass is good at any of them.

D. L. Bliss is considered one of the most beautiful parks and beaches along Tahoe, and there is no denying or even debating that issue. The beach here is absolutely stunning. However, I haven't been there to experience it for myself in a long time, so this review is simply for the store/rangers booth at the entrance. We were told they had ice - a much needed commodity for our camping group considering the very hot days with little shade on our coolers and a lot of drinking. Camp Richardson store was forever crowded and traffic jammed, so we gave this tiny spot a shot. The nice ranger lady showed us an ice machine few know about and we stocked up. I paid cash and was happy to throw in a donation to the park as tip. Not something most come here for, but certainly a service we needed!

BEAUTIFUL HIKING TRAIL Pay the $10 day use fee, and wind your way to the trail head at the end of the road of this picturesque cove. Early birds will find parking. Others may have to leave their vehicle further away. Since we arrived on a busy Saturday in mid September around 10:30AM, we had to park by the gorgeous, white sandy beach, two parking lots away from the Rubicon trail head. The views were worth it along the well-marked path. It's hard to resist photographing this stunning, blue lake, so be sure to bring your camera! Everywhere you look is amazing. Be prepared to climb. Some of the big, rock steps can be a challenge for short people. A walking stick helps. About a half hour up the trail, it splits, offering a route to the lighthouse. We logged 22 flights of stairs on our Fitbits before heading back the way we came. Total bliss!

Like the Lester Beach for swimming & lounging. Helpful State Rangers. Sorry no dogs allowed on beach. Thankfully the lot full sign proved inaccurate - asked the concierge (lead) ranger at the gate who somehow knew 4 beach area parking spots had just opened up.

We stopped here primarily to see the balancing rock. Well we saw it and did a little hiking around the area and drove through the campground. It looked like it would be a really nice place to camp. We enjoyed our little hike and oohed and aahed at the rock. You gotta wonder how long until erosion finally gets to it and it falls over.

This review pertains mostly to the beach at Calawee Cove (Rubicon Point). Our family was completing a long, fun day of driving around the lake and hitting some sites along the way. Both the beach at Calawee and the Rubicon Trail were highlights that were high on our Tahoe Bucket List, so when we came to the DL Bliss State Park entrance on the southwest side of the lake, we turned in to check it out. On your way to the bottom of the park, heading toward the beach, you drive through some beautiful woods and campsites. You'll pull up to a station/gate in the road where you'll be forced to pay a $10 per car parking fee, which I firmly dislike, but this is neither the time or place to get into that... After a few minutes of descending into the park, you come to the parking for Calawee Beach. Our family of four took the slightly steep hike down the hill to the beach (watch your step if you're in slippery shoes or sandals!). Once on the beach, it must be said: the drive, parking fee, and small hike are definitely worth the view and semi-privacy this relatively-difficult-to-access beach affords. The water is, of course, clearer-than-crystal clear. There are a bunch of weathered, soft boulders along the beach and building up the cliff over on Rubicon Point. They were fun to climb and perch on while watching the late afternoon sun make its way to the West and illuminate the water and mountains in the east with a beautiful glow. As mentioned, there were only about a dozen people on this relatively small beach, so it was quiet and felt very secluded and private. After a bit at the beach, I climbed back up the cliff to the parking lot and entered the Rubicon Trail. I was only able to get a few minutes into the hike (somewhere around a mile, I would estimate), but the trail and scenery are second to none. I would have LOVED to have packed a bag with some provisions and made the full hike over to Vikingshome and Emerald Bay. Next time!!

Just my luck that I made it right before they closed this trail for the season. I went the last day before closing and I couldn't have been happier! I drove down all the way to the parking spot by Calawee Cove Beach. Got there early enough to score parking (getting there early in a car is a must). We hiked it up towards the old lighthouse view point sticking to the trail closest to the lake. The views were amazing! I couldn't get enough of Lake Tahoe! The blue of the water was such a deep blue that my pictures looked like they had been edited (they weren't). We did not take the trail all the way to Emerald Bay Park. We turned back at the old lighthouse. FYI the old lighthouse looks like a small wooden shack (not what I was expecting). On the way back we took the inner trail and we were still able to get amazing views of Lake Tahoe. We rested at Calawee Cove Beach just to take in the amazing water and the serenity of the place. The water was clear and at certain points looked turquoise. Highly recommend checking out DL Bliss park (not a must to do the whole trail from Emerald Bay to DL Bliss) and Calawee Cove Beach.

I'd give this campsite 10 stars if I could! This was my first time camping with my two young kids, and I chose this place from word of mouth from friends. I've always stayed in hotels when I go to tahoe (which is several times a year), and I'm just gone camp from here on cuz it was sublime!!! The campsite I reserved was #115, West ridge, pretty flat and close enough to bathrooms to be easy and far enough not to be a nuisance with foot traffic. Neighbors weren't too close for comfort (our neighbor also had a child and it was the best thing cuz my kids had a blast with theirs!!) This site was also very close to Balancing Rock trail, and a half mile easy walk to the the lake. Clean bathrooms, hot showers and dish washing area made out stay really easy and comfy. Wasps were not a problem this year as I had feared, and I didn't use the big net I brought. Yes there were a few mosquitos and many other critters, but I love looking at and catching insects to show my kids so they weren't a problem for me. Plenty of beetles to be found, and many species of giant ants!!! And they do fight!! Not noisy after 10pm, and was fabulous to toast marshmallows and hot dogs in the fire pit (we bought firewood there, $9 a bundle). Stayed up to watch the stars and woke up to quiet surrounding and birds chirping. So heavenly! We only were able to snag 2 nights a month in advance for $50 total. So cheap compared to hotels!!! Too bad it was completely booked up... otherwise we would've stayed a week. For novice campers like me, don't be afraid to try this place cuz it was the most amazing experience for our first time. My kids can't wait to come back!

Such a great location to explore and soak in beautiful Lake Tahoe. Nestled right off the 89 just North of Emerald Bay. Ventured here for the first time looking for a fun place hike around and capture snaps of Lake Tahoe. We drove past dozens of camping spots nestled among the trees as we drove to the main parking lot. They are not the most private, but being close to the park is worth it. TIP: I hear they book a year in advance, so look and book asap. Once you park, the beach is on your left just down the stairs. The hiking trail is a loop and you can go straight ahead to start on the lower trail or veer right and start on the upper trail. I took the high road! Long and stead steep switchbacks to the top where your met with a fabulous view of Lake Tahoe! As you continue on and start to descend, the path wraps around the mountain while providing epic views from each angle! The trail is well maintained and there is a cool section with an old little bridge to cross. So fun. The trail pops you back out at the parking lot, but only after climb out onto the rocks for yet another breathtaking view! A Tahoe must see!

I was overcome by a profound sense of spiritual satisfaction, happiness and joy while visiting DL Bliss State Park. I think it helped that we visited on a stormy summer day, so Lester Beach wasn't overrun with people. The satisfaction came from a job well done. My husband builds wood kayaks and canoes, so taking the latest project for a spin on Lake Tahoe has become an annual event. And what a place to paddle. For me, the two best ways to experience Lake Tahoe (since I'm not going to mention my secret hideaways) are Sand Harbor and Lester Beach at DL Bliss. In both places, you're going to pay $7/8 as a day use fee. And while the parking lot is small, if you are lucky enough to get a spot, it is a short walk to put your boat in the water. From Lester Beach, you can paddle past Rubicon Point towards Emerald Bay as you glide through the the clear blue-green waters. The kids are entertained by boulder hopping and trying to avoid flocks of geese looking for food. They are aggressive little buggers. Unfortunately, like many beaches on Lake Tahoe, the sand isn't fine and is really more of a collection of little rocks. Make sure to bring your own picnic, since there are very few amenities. And don't feed the geese!

This place is beautiful! $10 for fee. Great beach for swimming but water is very cold. Beautiful trails for hiking also.

Great place all around! If you're lucky you'll see bears and if not you can always rely on the clean beautiful water! Me and my family swam and we came out perfectly. Recommend!

Truly a Gem. We stopped in for day use after how packed Emerald Bay was. This was probably less than 5 mins down the road. It was $10 per car for day use. Parking lots throughout the park to get you near different trails or the beach. Like I said it was awesome. Plenty of nice trails and the beach spot we found had picnic tables on the sand. My family enjoyed the day ages 4 and up. Oh yeah just so you know , no dogs allowed on the beach, leash or not. Our plan is to camp there the next time we go .

You do have to get here really early on weekends but the beach here is very nice. We got a good spot to paddlebaord and the area is very calm ( early morning) and the water is crystal clear. Around midday it starts to get really busy but that's when we wrapped it up.

Reviewing for the beach and hiking. Easily, one of the best beaches in all of Tahoe. Located on the West Shore of the lake, Lester Beach's water is so blue and crystalline you'd think you are in the Caribbean. It's also nice that it features soft white sand and great sunbathing areas. Since Lester Beach is located in a small bay that's protected from the winds, this is also a great place for paddleboarding, kayaking, or inflatable toy cruising. Only issue is the parking lot fills up really fast, especially during summer days. If the parking at the beach is full, no worries. If they let you in, park half way by the lighthouse trailhead and walk your way into the beach. You can either go up to the lighthouse and down OR just take the Rubicon Trail to Lester Beach, with breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe. Hot Tip: On the far south side of Lester Beach are some large boulders you can jump in the water from, and also give shade and more privacy beach areas.

This is my first ever Yelp review and I wanted to write bc we had 5 amazing days here. We were site 38 so we would drive to Lester Beach but close enough and far enough to bathrooms and garbage bins. We have a 10 man tent and had plenty of space with perfect shade, no EZ up needed. I had read in reviews that personnel were horrible, not our experience. I'd read that we were going to be in the land of yellow jackets, never saw one. There was a yellow jacket trap bag hanging from a nearby tree so maybe there once was a problem but there wasn't one last week! We will be back for sure. Excellent find!!!

The day use beach portion is beautiful. The reason for 2 stars is they allow boats to anchor on shore and within 100 feet. And if they have a rule, they sure don't enforce it. We got there early to get a good spot and it was beautiful. That was until some jerk anchored his boat 20 feet in front of us! Luckily we had a couple hours without it. DL Bliss, take a tip from sand harbor and pope beach. Set limits so those that pay to enjoy the beach can enjoy it instead of clueless disrespectful morons that anchor right in front of your paying customers. It's so close that it takes away from the safety of the water. We left because there were too many boats close to shore making it unsafe to let my kids snorkel and swim around

We do a lot of camping. D.L. Bliss is one of my favorite campgrounds for a number of reasons. It is absolutely beautiful, great access to excellent trails, beautiful beach, and pristine bathrooms. Great site for kids, families, couples. They really take excellent care of this park. Weekend "campfire" educational opportunities for the kiddos & grown ups alike. Power outlets in the restrooms, if you HAVE to dry your hair or something. Hot showers (bring quarters) if you need. Just returned from a trip (late July) and had virtually ZERO mosquitoes, and only 2 yellow jacket sightings. No bears (though we are neurotic about using our bear locker - you really have to be, when you're in their territory). I hesitate to tell you my favorite site... as I fear it will forever be booked... BUT - if you yelpers are like me, you're here looking for a tip. All the sites are decent. I like #113 a lot, because it's between two beautiful boulders. You can sling a hammock, too. It's a sunny site - and a little bit of a walk to the restrooms (might be bad for little ones), but it's on the end. The drawback - you CAN hear traffic noise from the highway (but you don't see it). Sites in the 40s and 50s are cool... but many of them require you to walk stairs down to the tent area. Awesome for privacy - but not so hot if you're going back and forth with your gear to your vehicle. I think the beach sites are overrated. They are somewhat open, and cost $10 more. I feel it's not worth it. Note to DOG OWNERS: Dogs are allowed - but it's almost not worth it. :o( They are not allowed on any of the nearby trails, and must be on leash in the campground at all times. They are also not allowed on the beach. If you have a dog, I would look at Icehouse or Wright's Lake Campgrounds. I think they might be better options. Cheers!

Young white kids may harass you and the Rangers seem compliment. Engaged these kids squatting in parking spaces and they tell an Asian-American couple they have no right to park in 'their' spot even though they were not using it. (During a busy holiday weekend!) Ranger was informed twice and never showed up. Disgusting performance by DL Bliss. Seems racism is alive and well at DL Bliss. What's sad is that the Junior Ranger program was great. So one single Ranger enables me to give two rather than no stars..

I have fond memories of DL Bliss from my childhood, and I wanted to introduce this beach to the love of my life on a recent trip to Tahoe. It was the perfect ending to a magical weekend. DL Bliss is clean, has restrooms with shower facilities, campgrounds, picnic tables, and plenty of sand so you are not next to your neighbor when you lay down your beach gear (as is common at other Tahoe beaches). DL Bliss is a perfect beach for families, or those who want a less populated seen from that of other Tahoe beaches.

Even as a local, I still occasionally camp here for mini-staycations. The first time I came, I brought some East Coast friends, one who had never camped before. She was terrified when the sound of the coyotes howling echoed off the canyon walls. Then her shoe soles melted when she napped in front of the campfire. Still, the beauty of the hiking and beaches at Bliss won her over. And the fact that civilization (i.e. South Lake) wasn't too far away kept her from thinking I was trying to cast her into Survivor Tahoe. PRO TIP: Book waaaaaaay in advance. This is one of the better, less crowded, most beautiful campgrounds and a thousand times better than the other campsites that are located right next to the road so all you hear are cars driving by all day and night long. Dog-friendly. Please pick up after your friend.

words most beautiful hike is the Rubican trail and this is where you can start from. So worth the $10 day pass. We left our hiking shoes outside our car and drove off, got back to Truckee and called, Claire answered and drove down to trail head, brought them back to gate and called me. Picked them up the next morning- that is customer service above and beyond. Thank you Claire and DL Bliss Park!

Chill asf after the rubicon hike. I was laying on the beach and it was very relaxing.

If you are going to Lake Tahoe, CA, on the west shore, south of Homewood and just north of Emerald Bay is a little slice of Heaven called Bliss State Park! This is a MUST VISIT spot and one of the most beautiful, picturesque places anywhere in California. You can literally point your camera in any direction and take a post card quality photo. There are nice, easy 2 hour hikes, amazing beaches, crystal clear lagoons and shallow waters to swim in. I really cannot speak highly enough of the overwhelming beauty and clean, refreshing, serenity of Bliss State Park. It's awesome nature. I went there on my honeymoon with my wife and our parents. We passed through really cozy campgrounds to reach the beach and hiking trails. Its situated a couple of miles off of the highway so you will never hear a sound or see cars or many people, for that matter. Definitely visit this amazing treasure when you visit CA.

Loved this state park and campground! We originally were going to stay at Tahoe Valley in town but it was terrible there. We were waitlisted and got sites both nights. Woke up for the sunrise on the beach yesterday and got to see a couple of bears :) highlight of my trip! Hiked rubicon trail too, I loved that I didn't have to go far to get right on a trail in the morning. Definitely will be back.

One of the best trails in Lake Tahoe that treks along the lake can be found at D.L Bliss State Park. Access is $10 dollars. Follow the road all the way down to the last camp ground area. Park and hit the Rubicon Trail that can lead you to Emerald Boat Camp (3.6 Miles) or to Vikingsholm (4.6 miles) and to Eagle Point Campground (6.3 Miles). The views are breathtaking.

No bathrooms. Only portapotties. Not good for families or personal needs. Eagle point has bathrooms

For being a State Park, this was horrible! The restroom only clean at 8am. Bugs in the restrooms. There showers had water build up. 3 minutes for a dollar. Can't get a refund on tokens that I purchased. We had to Hustle making breakfast. Ran into our tents to eat. Clean fast and get the hell out of there. Return for lunch same issue. Couldn't put our feet up after enjoying our adventure. Ate, then got the hell out of there. Came back 8:30pm to cook dinner, that's when the yellow jackets are back in there hiding. We just decided to leave and forgot this "State of the Art Park!" This place is infested with not just yellow jackets but bugs, to which can be maintained by taking care of the camping sites and restrooms. I understand when going camping bugs and fly is usually apart of the great out doors, however, this is do to negligence. Campground host wasn't very friendly upon leaving. We didn't complain, we approached Gill with a good morning we would like a refund on our shower tokens. He smirked "we don't give any kind of refunds" We had all kinds of patience at least the State can do is provide hospitality for our efforts of enjoying Lake Tahoe.

First time at D.L. Bliss State Park and we camped in spot #5. Our spot was great, very short walk to the restrooms and had great privacy from one of our neighbors. The neighbors on the other side were far enough away that privacy was not an issue and we were on hill so we did not have anyone else around us. Each camping spot had a fire pit, grill, picnic bench, and a bear locker. It was bear season when we went in late July and some people in the campground had seen bears both nights we were there (thankful we did not.) Rules are very strict about keeping all food and toiletries in the bear lockers. The spots were huge and although it was only me and my boyfriend camping, there was plenty of room for 2 more tents with breathing room. Bathrooms and showers were closed due to the drought - so bring water. We drove down to the beach in the park and some campsites down there had a lovely view of the lake - wish we would have known about those! Definitely remembering that for next time. The beach and water is peaceful and very clear. We went around 5pm and it was quiet as everyone had left for the day. I saw some big rocks you could probably jump off of, much like Sand Harbor ... sweet! We will be back. Very nice park rangers who seem to love their job.

Beautiful isn't even enough to describe this beach. The waters were amazing. Shallow, crystal clear and an amazing turquoise. We got there too late to park in the lot so we had to park out on road and do the 2 mile hike in. The 1st mile you are on the blacktop through the campground. It was pretty shady and not too bad. The 2nd mile I must recommend you take the Rubicon trail! I(t's a little ways past the entrance shack at the 1st mile end where they would collect your money if you were in a car. The path will be on your right and once on it you go to the left *Ask a ranger , they are happy to help) You take this trail about a mile to the beach. The views are breathtaking and it's worth it! Enjoy the walk. Im grateful that we couldn't park because we would have missed these amazing sites. You will even pass and old light house. Once you're at the end you take stairs on the right down to beach and ENJOY! I definitely recommend bringing food and drinks because after that hike you will want to stay awhile.

One of my favorite campsites in Tahoe. You can hike up to Rubicon lighthouse (which does not really look like a lighthouse at all). You get the mountain views, the beach, and cliffs to go to when camping here. Showers take quarters for a nice hot/warm shower, and they are clean. Campsites are spaced decently. You get enough shade during the summer, and enough sun for the colder months. I love this campground

Good solid campground. Lots of trees, and boulders from which you can admire the beauty that is Lake Tahoe. The ride up is quite precarious, but that's what you expect when you're making your way to Tahoe. It's located up past Emerald Bay and Alpine Meadows. The only thing you have to beware of are the bears. Seriously. The rangers make you sign this thing that says you're aware of the bears and will do your best to keep the food in the bear box. We made the mistake once of leaving an EMPTY cooler outside of the box and when we got back to camp, it was gone. We thought the bears got it, but the rangers had picked it up and wanted to charge us $1000. The best thing to do there is the river float. Everyone gets beer and boats and float down the Truckee river. A good time is always had by all.

DL Bliss is a beautiful location. However our experience was absolutely ruined by the awful, intimidating, harassing behavior from the park ranger. We witnessed several families being harassed while safely driving or trying to care for family at their picnic table. We literally felt uncomfortable, and unsafe around the ranger. Unfortunately the park mate nance staff were no better. Their rude behavior, and dialog while I tried to take my Son in the bathroom right after they cleaned made my boy extremely uncomfortable. Really guys?! All was topped off by the fact that you couldn't step outside without 20+ wasps in your face no matter which way you turned. All made for a tough to overcome, negative experience. A first for our family.

Great beach! Came in the off season so there were no campers. The grounds were very well taken care of and the bathrooms had hot running water (which was a huge plus after kayaking in the cold water!). We paid $10 for the day and the beach was beautiful!

The Rubicon trail was my reason for visiting DL Bliss State Park but fortunately I got to sample a bit more of the area and am looking forward to another trip here during a future Tahoe visit. DL Bliss is a few miles up the road from Eagle Falls but the cars do tend to thin out a bit. Arriving in mid afternoon on a holiday weekend Sunday, we were told the Day Use lots were full. Fortunately there is some street parking, but it adds 2 miles, at least, round trip to whatever hike you're embarking on. The walk down, while paved, was a shaded woodsy area, so for me, still a pleasant stroll. At the second ranger booth, there is a small lot (on days the parking isn't full) from which you can embark on the Lighthouse Trail. That will connect you to the very start of the Rubicon trail. If you prefer, there is a short cut directly to the Rubicon trail, but in my opinion you miss out on spectacularly scenic parts of the trail if you took that path. The rangers there were very helpful, gave us a trail map and suggested we take Lighthouse trail to the cove for the most bang for our hiking buck. Following the Lighthouse trail, you head down towards the Calawee cove and in about 30 minutes or so, you will connect with the actual start of the Rubicon trail. We spent most of our time at the park taking this trail all the way to Emerald Bay and back again. Although walking back up to the car after an 8 mile hike wasn't ideal, I'm still glad the parking situation forced us to see more of the park (including the Lighthouse trail which wasn't on my radar.) DL Bliss has it all-camping, woods, water, beaches, sweeping vistas and hiking trails. Very fond memories created here on my Tahoe trip.

The location is awesome and thats it. The campsites are really close together. Some sites are tiny. Like only a 2 person tent will fit. Suggest you look at the sites before reserving. The staff here have no clue to what they're doing. We accidently booked a handicapped site. They wouldn't let us stay there. I get that. No refund on the site. Made us pay for a different site. Was staying there for 3 days. They told us that it was walk in site and come back and pay for another night the next day. We did that and were told we they'll put us on a waiting list and we needed to pack up site and come back at 2PM because we weren't gauranteed a spot. Why would anyone want to break camp to wait in line for another site that isn't guaranteed. These people are idiots. We ended up staying at a hotel. We will not be coming back to this campground. If all California State Parks are run this way its no coincidence that the system has no money. Also $1000 fine for having food out. Really $1000! We saw someone get fined on our way out. What a joke.

I came over here on a weekday and to be expected it was busy, just a little bit though. I didn't like that we had to pay $10 just to get in even if we weren't staying a night but that seems mandatory for all beaches here. We parked at the far lot closest to the beach and got out. There are bathrooms nearby before going down to the beach. There is also trails that will take you around to Emerald Bay if hiking is your thing instead! Anyways when we came here during summer it was great with the exception of WASPS. It was horrible because everywhere we went there were those yellow and black douches over there. Sigh it was not fun at all. The beach was fun and not too crowded. Went for a swim and it was refreshing especially after a day of hiking! I saw a lot of people camping here and rightfully so it is a beautiful place to camp! It's a nice place to visit but this will be one of the first places that will lost it's sunlight earlier than usual as it is towards the west side of Lake Tahoe covered by trees.

This would be an awesome camping spot. Beautiful and gorgeous scenery, outstanding property! Clean and pretty campsites with good services. Serene, in bear country, the beaches are tranquil. Get there early for day beach use or plan to walk a mile from the parking area, worth the walk.

Situated near the South West corner of Lake Tahoe just north of picturesque Emerald Bay, this state park provides a great setting for casual camping and a nice escape from the touristy buzz that characterizes the rest of the region. Within the park you'll find nicely maintained hiking trails and amazing views of the lake from every vantage point. Just watch out for bees. The sites are large enough where you don't feel as if you're on top of other campers and the showers provide hot water at reasonable prices. The showers and bathrooms are cleaned once a day and didn't seem to deteriorate too much by the early morning hours. Amazingly enough, we were allowed to make a campfire weeks after the recent blaze nearby and the rangers seemed fairly nice. Yes there are bears but all you have to do is be smart about it (unlike our the campers across the 'street' who left everything out at 1am to see the northern lights). Lock your food, make lots of noise. All in all, I'm glad we decided to camp as it was a nice inexpensive alternative to staying at an overcrowded resort.

If I had my choice of campsites at DL Bliss I would pick one of the Beach sites (#142-#165) because they're closest to the water and the lake is the reason I'd come here. We recently stayed at #159 and while it was fine, it wouldn't be my first choice because it was a little hemmed in by #157 (thankfully they were great neighbors) and there are better options. For example, I liked #148 because it was off by itself a little more, something that isn't obvious from the campground map I looked at. #160 has lots of space, although it's location alongside the road to the beach means there's a little bit of traffic. I'm a stickler for noise/cars and it didn't bother me (#159 is along the same road), but I might skip it if I was worried about my kids running into the road. My wife's top pick was #156 because of its setting along the bluff and seemingly extra space, although I think she overestimated the space because of the way the tents happened to be configured when we were there. Actually, all of the bluff sites (#149, 151, 153, 156 & 158) are pretty nice, even if there isn't a ton space between them. One last thought about the Beach Camp area: there appeared to be three sites where #164 and 165 were posted, something that I wish I'd investigated more closely. If there are truly only two sites there and you don't mind walking 50 feet to your car, those sites could be a good option, especially if you booked both of them. If there are actually three sites there then it might be a little crowded. I didn't look at Ridge or Pine loops closely and don't want to completely dissuade anyone from staying there as it's still a beautiful setting and you're not that far from the lake. Still, it's further than it looks on on a map. Also, some of the sites in Upper Pine (#80-84, 86 & 88) are far too close to the main entrance road for my tastes; yet another thing I would never have guessed from the scale of the campground map.

Did a 13mile hike from DL Bliss to Vikingsholm on the Rubicon trail with a group of friends over the weekend and oh my goodness, the view is so perfect it felt like I'm in a postcard, so surreal. The water temp was perfect & it was so blue! The trails are well kept although bears may be roaming around so be careful. I'd go back again in a heartbeat. Enjoy the beautiful pictures I took!

We just returned from a long weekend get-a-way at Lake Tahoe. We brought with us, kayaks, bikes and hiking gear. When we arrived at Bliss State Park at 10 am on Saturday morning for day use we were told sorry the park it full, no admittance. We were told to turn around and leave. The day before we also went to this park and the same thing happened, there was no parking available for day users and the women at the gate were down right rude. We have an annual California State Park pass but that does no good it they won't let you even through the gate. There are many, many parks along the South Shore of Lake Tahoe, I will use anyone of them in the future and avoid Bliss.

I would give 4 stars because it's a beautiful place with lots of amenities for the family car camper - but the whole bear thing makes me drop it down to 2 stars - I've had plenty of experience with bears - in the back country, on the Lost Coast, in Tahoe, in Yosemite, on my parent's porch - I'm usually pretty nonplussed. We always keep a clean site - everything that might be scenty kept in the bear box - Maybe it was the recent fire, but the bears that we encountered at DL Bliss in mid-July scared the daylights out of me (AND Sposo- luckily the babies slept through it). These bears are FEARLESS. I'm talking a mama bear with three cubs - at dinner time - lamps lit, fires lit, everyone in the campground up, kids still running around - this mama bear CAME RIGHT UP TO OUR TABLE - we chased her off, she went and broke in someone's windshield, then got in a fight w/ someone's dog, then ran back to our site and up the tree above our tent - where my baby had just been sleeping before I yanked him out by his little arms fast as lightning! Then she dropped out of the tree, just as we'd got in the truck. We watched her sniff around our campsite, everything still lit by the lamps, and headlights, and fires. This was all in the space of a half hour. She came back a few hours later to find her cubs. We all stayed in our cars (no one really slept since she'd already broken in to a car). Alot of people packed up and took off. I know we're in "Nature" (if "Nature" has multiple casinos, bars, restaurants, and supermarkets), and I know they're just doing what bears do when they're looking to put on weight for the winter, but when do bears become problem bears? With all the little kids running around that campground, I would expect more than the "Well we get bears up here" shrug off from the Park Ranger. Aside from the bears, it's a great campground - just beautiful, and the facilities (flush toilets and coin-op showers) are super clean, and the beach is great, and all the hiking trails are convenient - So I'd go back - but I won't camp there for awhile until the bears go back into the back country, or unless we were child-free (of course if we were child-free we would be backpacking, not carcamping)- in fact we were supposed to go back last weekend with another group, but with so many little kids we cancelled our reservation and headed to Lake Mendocino's Kyen campground instead. On a positive note, DL Bliss/Emerald Bay is without a doubt the most gorgeous place I've been in a while - and driving along that narrow ridge between Emerald Bay & Fallen Leaf Lake was wonderfully thrilling!