Sand Harbor is a day-use unit of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, managed by the Nevada Division of State Parks, on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe about 4 miles south of Incline Village. The park wraps around Sand Point, a low granite peninsula, and has three distinct shoreline areas: the long Main Beach on the south side, Divers Cove just below the visitor center, and the Boat Beach on either side of the boat ramps to the north. The state set the area aside in 1958.

The entrance is on Nevada State Route 28 (2005 Highway 28). All visitors arriving by car must use the paid lots inside the park. Walking in from the highway or parking along Route 28 is prohibited, and staff will turn people away who try it. On summer days the gate closes once the lots are full, often by mid-morning, and usually reopens around 5 p.m. Two alternatives skip the parking problem: the paved Tahoe East Shore Trail runs about 3 miles from Incline Village to the park, and the Tahoe Transportation District runs a seasonal East Shore shuttle along the highway.

The Main Beach is the swim beach, about 2,500 feet of sand that slopes gently into very clear water. The bottom is sand near shore with scattered granite boulders, and depth increases gradually enough for waders. Divers Cove is smaller and more sheltered, popular with scuba divers and beachgoers alike, and hard-bottomed boats are not allowed there. Kayaks and paddleboards launch through a buoyed corridor at the south end of the Main Beach. The park runs a Beach Patrol from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Lake Tahoe is cold even in August, with surface water usually in the 60s Fahrenheit and much colder a short way down.

This is not a free swim spot. The day-use fee is $10 per vehicle with Nevada plates and $15 for out-of-state vehicles, or $2 per bicycle for those riding in. Hours are 8 a.m. to one hour after sunset. From May 15 through September 30, a day-use reservation through ReserveNevada.com is required to drive in between 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Booking ahead of the day adds a $5 non-refundable fee; same-day bookings do not. After 10:30 a.m. entry is first come, first served until the lots fill. When the entrance booth is unstaffed, a self-pay machine takes credit cards. The boat launch costs $20 ($25 for non-Nevada vehicles) and is closed for the season as of October 2026.

The park warns specifically about cold-water drowning, and the risk climbs in the afternoon when wind builds waves across the open lake. Swimmers who head out toward the boulder fields should expect cold shock, submerged rocks and boat traffic beyond the buoys. Glass is banned on the beaches, charcoal and wood fires are banned everywhere in the park, and even propane grills are off-limits on red flag days. Dogs are allowed only from October 15 to April 15, on a leash no longer than six feet. There is no camping.

Away from the water there is a visitor center and gift shop, the Kokanee Bar and Grill snack deck, and a shaded picnic area under cedars and Jeffrey pines with tables and paved paths. The one-third-mile Sand Point Nature Trail is wheelchair accessible, and a half-mile trail runs north to Memorial Point. A concession rents kayaks and paddleboards in summer, the park lends an all-terrain Trackchair from the office, and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival stages plays at its lakeside theater every July and August.