Some adventures come from spontaneous ideas, and this was one of them. Kristin and I, both having grown up near Lake Tahoe, realized that despite our roots, we had never spent a full day kayaking its iconic waters. So, we woke up at 3:30 a.m. with a bold plan: hit three stunning kayaking spots in a single day—Emerald Bay, Bonsai Rock, and Zephyr Cove.
We had a crazy idea, let’s road trip down Highway 395 in our self-converted van (watch the video tour of our dodge promaster 2500) with kayaks and explore as many bodies of water as possible. We only had a week, so how much could we cram into a single outing? We were not sure, but we wanted to try. So, would five bodies of water be too many, ten? Now, I’ll admit neither of us are good at kayaking, heck we can barely get in the kayaks without flipping, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we committed to the idea and have loads of fun along the way.
With Lake Tahoe being such a huge lake, surely you are asking yourself, “Where the best spots to kayak and paddle-board around Lake Tahoe?” Well, look no further because Zephyr Cove is one of the best places to kayak and SUP in all of Lake Tahoe, giving you access to those giant boulders everyone is posting about on social media.
Now that you have discover where these flat water locations are, what makes them special, and additional activities in the area, it is time for you to explore the best flat water kayaking in Northern California for yourself.