Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DL Bliss State Park
530-525-7277;
www.parks.ca.gov
; per car $10; late May-Sep; )
, which has the western
shore's most alluring beaches at Lester Cove and Calawee Cove. A half-mile round-trip
nature trail leads to
Balancing Rock
, a 130-ton chunk of granite perched on a natural ped-
estal. Pick up an interpretive trail guide to park ecology and wildlife from the
visitor cen-
ter
( 8am-5pm)
near the entrance.
Near Calawee Cove is the northern terminus of the scenic one-way
Rubicon Trail
(
Vikingsholm Castle (add one mile for the downhill walk to the castle from Hwy 89) in
Emerald Bay State Park. It leads past small coves perfect for taking a cooling dip, and
treats you to great views along the way. Add an extra mile to loop around and visit the re-
stored historic lighthouse, a square wood-enclosed beacon (that looks a lot like an out-
house) constructed by the Coast Guard in 1916. Poised above 6800ft, it's the USA's
highest-elevation lighthouse.
tent & RV sites $35-45, hike-and-bike sites $7; mid-May-Sep; )
has 145 sites, including
some coveted spots near the beach, along with flush toilets, hot pay-showers, picnic tables,
fire rings and an RV dump station.
The small visitor parking lot at Calawee Cove usually fills up by 10am, in which case
it's a 2-mile walk from the park entrance to the beach. Alternatively, ask park staff at the
entrance station about closer access points to the Rubicon Trail.
Meeks Bay
With a wide sweep of shoreline, sleek and shallow
Meeks Bay
has warm water by Tahoe
standards and is fringed by a beautiful, but busy, sandy beach. On the west side of the
highway, a few hundred feet north of the fire station, is another
trailhead
for the Desola-
tion Wilderness. A moderate, mostly level and nicely shaded path parallels Meeks Creek
before kicking off more steeply uphill through the forest to
Lake Genevieve
(9 miles
