Can vacation renters use Incline Beach, Ski Beach or Burnt Cedar?

Only in narrow cases. The IVGID beaches are private and not open to the public. A renter can get in if the homeowner gives them a Recreation Punch Card for the stay, or if a pass holder is with them at the gate. Owners cannot sell beach access, so don't count on it when you book, including at any MG home.

What is the best public beach near Incline Village?

Sand Harbor, in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, is the best known and has sand, boulders and facilities. It needs a day-use reservation every day from May 15 to September 30. Hidden Beach, Chimney Beach, Secret Cove and Kings Beach are all public too.

Do I need a reservation for Sand Harbor?

As of the 2026 season, yes for drivers, every day from May 15 to September 30, through reservenevada.com with a $5 processing fee (same-day bookings are exempt from that fee). Pedestrians arriving on the East Shore Trail don't need one. Check Nevada State Parks for current rules.

Where do you park for Hidden Beach?

Hidden Beach has no lot of its own. Limited parking is about a mile north, and the Ponderosa lot at 1102 Tahoe Blvd. with the paved East Shore Trail is the usual way in. Park only where it's marked as allowed.

Are dogs allowed on Incline Village and Kings Beach beaches?

Mostly not. At the IVGID beaches, dogs are only allowed at Ski Beach west of the boat ramp in the off-season. Sand Harbor allows pets only from October 15 to April 15 on a leash of six feet or less. Kings Beach does not allow dogs on the beach at any time of year.

Is there a lakefront MG home with its own beach access?

We have exactly one lakefront home, Lakeside Luxe Retreat in Kings Beach. Our other homes are a short drive from the public beaches in this guide.

Incline Village Beaches: Which Ones Vacation Renters Can Use

In short

Incline Village's IVGID beaches are private: renters get in only with an owner's punch card or a pass holder at the gate. Sand Harbor and Kings Beach are open to all.

Incline Village's own beaches, Incline Beach, Ski Beach and Burnt Cedar, are private. They belong to the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) and are open only to pass holders and their guests. A vacation renter can get in only if the homeowner hands over a Recreation Punch Card for the stay, or if a pass holder is with them at the gate. Everyone else, which means most visitors, uses the public beaches: Sand Harbor, Hidden Beach, Memorial Point, Chimney Beach and Secret Cove on the East Shore, and Kings Beach just across the California line. None of our homes comes with IVGID beach access, so plan on the public beaches. They include some of the best water on the lake.

Quick reference: beaches near Incline Village

Fees and rules below are as of the 2026 season. They change yearly, so check the linked source before you go.

Beach	Access	Fee	Parking	Reservation	Dogs	Best for
Incline Beach, Ski Beach, Burnt Cedar (IVGID)	Private: pass holders and their guests	Guest fee $18 adult, $10 ages 6–17, free 0–5	Limited at Incline Beach during 2026–27 construction	No; access is by pass or punch card	Ski Beach west of the boat ramp, off-season only	Guests of owners who hold passes
Sand Harbor	Public state park	$10 Nevada vehicle, $15 out-of-state; $2 bike-in	Park lot; gates close when full	Required daily May 15–Sep 30 for vehicles	Oct 15–Apr 15 only, 6-ft leash	Sand, swimming, families
Hidden Beach	Public state park	No fee	Limited, about 1 mile north	No	Check park rules	Quiet coves off the East Shore Trail
Memorial Point	Public	Check before you go	Along the East Shore Trail corridor	No	Check park rules	A stop on a walk or ride to Sand Harbor
Chimney Beach	Public (U.S. Forest Service)	$12/day to park at the trailhead	Trailhead lot, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., no overnight	No	Check Forest Service rules	Fit hikers who want fewer people
Secret Cove	Public	$12/day to park at the Secret Harbor trailhead	Small lot (31 spaces), about a half-mile walk	No	Check Forest Service rules	Coves and boulders, fewer crowds
Kings Beach	Public California state recreation area	Per-vehicle parking fee; check current rates	Beach lot, 6 a.m.–9 p.m.	No	Not allowed on the beach, all year	Easy family day, playground, picnic tables

The IVGID beaches: Incline Beach, Ski Beach and Burnt Cedar

Who can get in

According to IVGID's beach page, the Incline Village beaches are for Picture Pass holders and Recreation Punch Card holders whose cards include beach access, plus their guests. They're open dawn to dusk. IVGID's Ordinance 7 says plainly that the beaches are not open to the public.

How a renter can get access

There are only two ways in under Ordinance 7:

With a pass holder at the gate. A pass holder can bring up to 15 guests per parcel per day, as long as the pass holder is there at the gate.
With the owner's Recreation Punch Card. An owner can give a Recreation Punch Card to their guests, who can use it without the owner present. The guest fee is deducted from the card each visit.

What an owner can't do is sell beach access. Ordinance 7 prohibits it. So a rental listing can't legally charge you for beach access, and a punch card, if one is offered, is the owner's own card to lend.

Why you shouldn't count on it

Each parcel that pays IVGID's Recreation Facility Fee gets five cards in total, a mix of Picture Passes and Punch Cards, per IVGID's passes page. Punch cards cost $173 each for 2026–27 at parcels with beach access, and they expire May 31. Most owners keep their cards for their own family. That's why we tell every guest the same thing: don't count on IVGID beach access at any of our homes, and plan your beach days around the public beaches below.

Guest fees and hours

When a punch card or a pass holder gets you in, the guest fee as of the 2026 season is $18 for adults, $10 for ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. The beaches are open dawn to dusk. Check IVGID's beach page for current fees.

Incline Beach construction, 2026–27

IVGID is rebuilding the Incline Beach House from April 2026 to mid-summer 2027. Incline Beach stays open during construction but with limited parking. The Burnt Cedar Snack Bar and the Ski Beach Surf Shack are closed until May 2027.

Good to know: dogs are allowed at the IVGID beaches only at Ski Beach, west of the boat ramp, in the off-season, typically October 15 to April 15.

Sand Harbor

Sand Harbor is the best-known beach on the Nevada side, part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, a few miles south of Incline Village on NV-28. It's the one most people picture when they think of Tahoe: sand, big smooth boulders and clear water. It's also the one that takes the most planning in summer. Our Sand Harbor guide goes deeper; here's what matters for a first visit.

Fees and reservations

As of the 2026 season, entry is $10 per vehicle with Nevada plates and $15 for out-of-state vehicles, per Nevada State Parks' reservation FAQ. Day-use reservations are required every day from May 15 to September 30 and are made through reservenevada.com, which adds a $5 processing fee (same-day reservations are exempt from it). Arriving by bike costs $2.

When the lot is full

When Sand Harbor fills, the gates close, and they usually reopen around 5 p.m., according to the park's Sand Harbor FAQ. There's no in-and-out, so if you leave, you're done for the day. You also can't walk in along Highway 28; don't park on the shoulder and try.

Getting in without a car

This is the easiest way to do Sand Harbor from Incline Village:

Walk or bike the East Shore Trail. A paved trail runs about 3 miles from Incline Village to Sand Harbor. Pedestrians arriving on the trail don't need a reservation. Our East Shore Trail guide covers the route and where to start.
Ride the East Shore Express. In 2026 the East Shore Express ran free every day from June 21 to September 12, roughly 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with parking at the Tunnel Creek lot (1102 Tahoe Blvd.) and the East Shore Trailhead. Check the Tahoe Transportation District for next season's dates.

Hours and rules

Open 8 a.m. to one hour after sunset.
Pets allowed only from October 15 to April 15, on a leash of six feet or less.
Beach Patrol is on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
No glass in the waterfront areas.

Check Nevada State Parks for closures before you go.

East Shore Trail coves: Hidden Beach and Memorial Point

Hidden Beach

Hidden Beach is part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and unlike Sand Harbor, it has no entry fee. It's about 750 feet long, with rocky coves and usually fewer people. According to Tahoe Public Beaches, glass, barbecues and fires aren't allowed. Parking is the hard part: there's only limited parking, about a mile north.

The practical way in is the East Shore Trail. The Tahoe Transportation District's Ponderosa lot at 1102 Tahoe Blvd. has 90 spaces, and you pay by texting "ParkTahoe" to 727563, per TTD's parking page. From there, walk or bike south on the trail.

Memorial Point

Memorial Point sits along the East Shore Trail corridor between Incline Village and Sand Harbor. It's a natural stop on a walk or ride toward Sand Harbor rather than a destination beach of its own. Check the trail and parking pages above for current access.

Good to know: the trail is the calmest way to see this stretch of shore. Leave the car at the Ponderosa lot, walk south, and stop wherever the water looks good. It's the one plan that doesn't depend on a lot having space.

Chimney Beach and Secret Cove

South of Sand Harbor, the shoreline gets rockier and the walk down gets longer. That keeps the crowds smaller.

Chimney Beach

Chimney Beach is on U.S. Forest Service land about 2 miles south of Sand Harbor. Tahoe Public Beaches describes the hike down as challenging, so it's not the beach for coolers, strollers or anyone who'd struggle on the climb back up. Our Chimney Beach guide has more detail.

Secret Cove

Secret Cove is about 1.5 miles south of Sand Harbor, roughly a half-mile walk from the Secret Harbor lot, per Tahoe Public Beaches.

Parking for both

The Tahoe Transportation District lists 130 spaces at the Chimney Beach lot, which 2026 construction may reduce, and 31 at Secret Cove. Starting June 1, 2026, the Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor trailheads became paid parking at $12 per day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no overnight parking, as South Tahoe Now reported. Check TTD's parking page for the current setup.

Kings Beach (and Crystal Bay)

Head west from Incline Village through Crystal Bay, cross into California, and you're in Kings Beach. The Kings Beach State Recreation Area is the easiest all-around beach day on the North Shore: a wide public beach with picnic tables, a playground and a boat ramp, and a lot right there.

As of the 2026 season, per California State Parks:

Parking is charged per vehicle, by the day or by the hour. Rates vary by source and season, so check current rates before you go.
The lot is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dogs aren't allowed on the beach at any time of year.
No alcohol.
No charcoal or wood fires; propane is allowed.

Crystal Bay sits right on the state line between Incline Village and Kings Beach. If you're staying there, Kings Beach is just across the line. Our home Livin' on the Edge is in Crystal Bay, and we have six homes in Kings Beach itself.

Beaches by season

Summer (late May to mid-September)

This is peak season and the time to plan ahead. Sand Harbor needs a reservation for vehicles from May 15 to September 30. Beach Patrol is on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The free East Shore Express ran June 21 to September 12 in 2026. Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor trailhead parking is paid from June 1. Go early, or skip the parking question entirely by walking the East Shore Trail. Our Incline Village in summer guide has more ideas for the season.

Fall (late September and October)

After September 30, Sand Harbor no longer requires reservations. From October 15, Sand Harbor allows pets on a short leash, and Ski Beach opens to dogs west of the boat ramp for IVGID users. The water is still clear and the crowds are thinner.

Winter and spring

Sand Harbor keeps its daily hours (8 a.m. to an hour after sunset), and winter is the quiet time for walks among the boulders. Pets remain allowed at Sand Harbor until April 15. The Burnt Cedar Snack Bar and Ski Beach Surf Shack stay closed until May 2027. See our Incline Village in winter guide for what else to do, and our best time to visit Lake Tahoe for how the seasons compare.

Parking and arrival tips

Reserve Sand Harbor first. If a Sand Harbor day is the point of your trip, book the reservation as soon as your dates are set.
Use the trail when lots are full. Pedestrians on the East Shore Trail don't need a Sand Harbor reservation, and the trail reaches Hidden Beach too.
Don't park on the highway shoulder. Use marked lots only. At Sand Harbor you can't walk in along Highway 28.
Know the paid lots. The Ponderosa lot takes payment by text; Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor are $12 per day with no overnight parking.
Plan for no re-entry. Sand Harbor has no in-and-out, so bring what you need for the day.
Leave the glass at home. Sand Harbor's waterfront areas and Hidden Beach don't allow glass.
Check dog rules first. Sand Harbor allows pets only from October 15 to April 15, and Kings Beach not at all.

For a wider look at the lake's shoreline, our Lake Tahoe beaches guide covers more of the lake.

Where to stay for a beach trip

Twenty of our 41 homes are in Incline Village, a short drive or trail walk from Sand Harbor and Hidden Beach. The rest are across the North and West Shore, in Kings Beach, Carnelian Bay, Crystal Bay, Tahoe Vista, Tahoe City, Homewood and Tahoma. Our homes don't accept pets, and Sand Harbor and Kings Beach don't allow dogs in summer anyway.

If you want to be right on the water, we have exactly one lakefront home: Lakeside Luxe Retreat in Kings Beach. For the rest of our homes near the lake, start with our lakefront and lake-view rentals, or search by your dates to see what's open.

When you book directly on our site, you pay our base rate, which is lower than the same home on Airbnb or Vrbo. Every home page shows that comparison for your own dates. Our guide to booking direct vs Airbnb explains why, and our team in Incline Village is happy to help you pick a home near the beach you have in mind: get in touch or call (530) 317-0291.