One of our favorite things to do at Lake Tahoe, other than hiking, biking, and picnicking, is kayaking. We love the atmosphere and vibe of Tahoe City, it’s close proximity to trails, the restaurants, bars, and shops, and Commons Beach — our favorite place to kayak!
Commons Beach
Sitting on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Tahoe City, Commons Beach is part of a stunning, family-friendly, four acre park. While popular with families, Commons Beach is not a typical sandy beach. It’s a rocky stretch of Tahoe shoreline, which means when you’re in the water, you’re standing on cobbles!
The appeal comes from its convenient location and its free summer concerts and movies.
Commons Beach sits in the heart of Tahoe City within walking distance to restaurants, bars, and shops, and boasts a large lakefront grassy area, picnic tables, a big playground and swings for kids, and restrooms.
When our kids were little, the shady playground and grassy area was the perfect place to have a family picnic and afternoon playtime. Now that they’re older, we love being able to park in one place, wander the town, and hit the beach to go kayaking!
Tahoe City Kayak
Tahoe City Kayak has a storefront in Tahoe City where they sell and rent kayaks and stand up paddleboards, and offer tours. We’ve rented single and tandem kayaks from them several times but have never been to the actual store. Why? They make it easy to rent them right from the beach.
Tahoe City Kayak has a ton of inventory stacked in racks on the shores of Commons Beach and a rental tent on the water’s edge — and it’s so easy to rent SUPs or kayaks right from the beach. We’ve had a great experience every time and the staff is super friendly.
Know Before You Go
- The Tahoe City Kayak store is located in North Lake Tahoe at 521 N Lake Boulevard, Tahoe City, California 96145. Satellite rental locations are located on the shores of Commons Beach and in East Lake Tahoe next to the Sand Harbor State Park boat ramp at 2005 Highway 28, Incline Village, Nevada 89451.
- Commons Beach is located at 400 North Lake Boulevard, Tahoe City, California 96145.
- Commons Beach Park has a large lakeside playground, regular flush restrooms, and a decent (but not large) parking area.
- A paved walking / bike path follows the shoreline and connects Commons Beach to the tahoe City Campground, Homewood, and Squaw Valley.
- There is a group barbecue area (up to 75 people) and an amphitheater (up to 65 people) that can be rented through the Tahoe City Public Utility District.
- During the summer, Commons Beach hosts free Concerts at Commons every Sunday afternoon and free movies on the beach every Wednesday night.
- No dogs allowed.
