William Kent Beach is a narrow, pebbly strip of Lake Tahoe shoreline on the West Shore, about two miles south of Tahoe City in Placer County. It sits on National Forest land in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and the Forest Service lists it among its designated swim beaches on the lake. The beach is run day to day by a private concessionaire under a Forest Service permit, with attendants posted at William Kent Campground directly across Highway 89. Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge and its marina sit right next door to the south.

From Tahoe City, drive south on Highway 89 (West Lake Boulevard) for about two miles. The beach is on the lake side of the road, opposite the campground entrance, with a small parking area between the highway and the sand. Campers walk across the highway, so watch for traffic at the crossing. The paved West Shore bike trail runs along the road here, and plenty of people ride in from Tahoe City or Sunnyside instead of looking for a parking space on a summer weekend, when the small lot doesn't go far.

The shore is coarse sand and small rounded stones rather than soft sand, so water shoes help. The lake bottom is rocky and clear, and divers use this stretch as an easy shore entry, which tells you it gets deep enough for real swimming a short distance out. Lake Tahoe stays cold. Surface water usually reaches the low to mid 60s Fahrenheit by late summer and is much colder in June and after a storm. No lifeguard is listed for this beach, so you swim on your own. Afternoon wind often brings chop and waves to the West Shore, and motorboats come and go from the Sunnyside marina next door, so stay close to shore and use a bright float if you head out.

The Lake Tahoe Public Beaches listing says the beach has no gates, is open year-round and charges no entry fee. The parking area is not plowed in winter. Whether the small lot charges for parking is not published, so check the posted signs when you arrive. Campground fees ($42 a night for a site and $5 for an extra vehicle as of 2026) apply only to people staying across the road. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.

The Forest Service has posted harmful algal bloom and bubonic plague alerts for the Lake Tahoe basin. Check the California water board's bloom map before you swim, keep children and dogs out of any scummy or discolored water, and don't feed or handle squirrels and chipmunks. Wood and charcoal fires are never allowed on Tahoe beaches. Portable gas grills are permitted, and you need a California campfire permit to use one. Stay on the public section of the shore. The beach just to the north belongs to a private homeowners' association and is gated and staffed in summer.

The beach has a restroom building, picnic tables in the trees, and views east across the lake to the Nevada shore. Paddlers launch kayaks and paddleboards from the sand, and it is a stop on the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. William Kent Campground across the road has tent sites and yurts from about May through October. Sunnyside next door has a restaurant on the water, and a shop a short walk up the highway rents bikes, kayaks and paddleboards.