Vikingsholm Beach is the sandy shoreline at the head of Emerald Bay, on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe inside Emerald Bay State Park, which is run by California State Parks. The beach sits directly in front of Vikingsholm, the Scandinavian-style summer home Lora Josephine Knight built here in 1929, and looks straight down the bay toward Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe. Eagle Creek runs out of the canyon behind the house and spreads a small sand delta into the bay at the south end of the beach.

There is no road to the water. Most people park at the Vikingsholm lot on Highway 89 above the bay (the same lot as the Emerald Bay overlook) and walk a steep, well-graded one-mile trail down to the house and beach. The trail drops roughly 400 to 500 feet, and the climb back out at more than 6,000 feet of elevation is the hard part; State Parks warns that there are no rides out. The lot takes vehicles up to 18 feet, no trailers, and it fills early on summer days, when rangers may gate it to keep highway traffic moving. Do not park along Highway 89, where cars get towed. In summer the Emerald Bay Shuttle stops at the lot. You can also come in on the Rubicon Trail from Eagle Point Campground (about 2.5 miles) or from D.L. Bliss State Park, or paddle in by kayak.

The swim area is the open water off the beach between the Vikingsholm pier and the Eagle Creek delta. The bottom is sand and gravel and stays shallow off the creek mouth before dropping into the deep blue water of the bay. Lake Tahoe is cold even in August, so expect a short swim unless you are used to mountain lakes. No lifeguards are listed for this beach. Boats and paddlers use the bay all summer, the speed limit within 600 feet of shore is 5 mph, and swimming out to Fannette Island is prohibited because of boat traffic.

The park and parking lot are open sunrise to sunset all year, and overnight parking is not allowed. The beach itself has no entry charge, but parking costs $10 per vehicle for the day or $3 for one hour, paid at a self-service machine that takes exact cash or a credit card. A day-use receipt is good at any California State Park that day, and California State Parks passes are accepted, but federal passes are not. Arriving on foot or by boat costs nothing.

Rules are strict here: no dogs anywhere on land, including the beach, trails and the grounds around Vikingsholm; no fires, smoking or drones; and no bikes on the trails. Restrooms behind the house stay open year-round, but there is no drinking water or other services from October through May, and snow and ice make the trail hazardous in winter. As of early October 2026, the Vikingsholm tour season and the Emerald Bay Boat Camp have closed for the year, while the beach and the Rubicon Trail remain open.

Tours of Vikingsholm run daily from late May through September 30, with tickets sold at the visitor center next to the house; proceeds go to the Sierra State Parks Foundation for restoration work. The waters of the bay have been part of the park since 1994, and scuba divers can follow the Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail to sunken boats and barges, some sitting 10 to 40 feet down. Lower Eagle Falls is a short walk up the creek from the house.