Can You Camp on Fannette Island in Lake Tahoe
Fannette Island sits in the middle of Emerald Bay, the only island anywhere in Lake Tahoe, and it was the first overnight stop on our five-day paddleboard circumnavigation of the lake. If you're planning your own trip and wondering whether you can actually camp there, or what it's like if you do, this is everything I wish someone had told me before we paddled out to it.
What Fannette Island Actually Is
Fannette Island is a small granite outcrop rising out of the water near the mouth of Emerald Bay. At its peak sits a stone tea house, built in the 1920s by a woman named Lora Knight who wanted somewhere to serve tea to guests who rowed across from her estate on shore. The structure has sat unoccupied for decades, roofless and open to the sky, but it's still standing and still climbable.
It's a small island. You can walk the whole thing in a few minutes. But its size is part of what makes it worth the stop. There's nothing else like it on the lake.
Getting There by Paddleboard
We reached Fannette Island about a mile and a half into Emerald Bay after launching from Ski Run Marina and paddling the first stretch of our circumnavigation. The approach into the bay itself can be tricky. We hit a stiff headwind right at the mouth of the bay that stopped our forward progress entirely, and we had to pull off to the side and wait it out before continuing in.
Once inside the bay, the water calms considerably, and the paddle out to the island from the shoreline is short and manageable in most conditions. If you're planning to stop here, build in time for a possible wind delay at the bay's entrance rather than assuming a smooth, predictable approach.
The Tea House at the Top
Carrying gear up to the tea house means a short climb from the shoreline, gear on your back, over uneven granite. It's not technical, but it's not flat either. Once you're up there, the structure gives you a rough shelter with stone walls but no roof, which turned out to be one of the best parts of sleeping there rather than a drawback.
We made dinner at the top as the light went out of the sky, and the elevated position gives a clear view out over the bay in every direction.
What a Night There Is Actually Like
The sleep itself was rough. Cold stone floor, cold night air, and not much insulation between us and the ground made for a night that was memorable for the wrong reasons as much as the right ones. If you're planning to camp there, bring a proper sleeping pad and don't underestimate how much colder stone gets than dirt or sand.
What made up for it was looking straight up through the open roof at the Milky Way moving across the sky. I've slept in a lot of places over a decade of fieldwork on every continent, and that night on Fannette Island is one I still think about. The lack of a roof, which sounds like a downside, is actually the reason the view was as good as it was.
What to Know Before You Go
A boat with a spotlight circled the island while we were up there that night, sweeping wide arcs across the water. We assumed it was law enforcement checking whether we were allowed to be there. It turned out to be a group of people in a boat doing laps for no clear reason, but the moment was a reminder that Fannette Island sees enough traffic, especially in summer, that you shouldn't assume complete privacy.
Check current regulations before you plan an overnight stay, since access rules for state park land can change. Pack out everything you bring in, and treat the tea house structure with care given its age and history.
Why It's Worth the Effort
Of every stop on our full circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe, Fannette Island is the one people ask me about the most. There's something about camping inside a roofless stone structure from the 1920s, on the only island in one of the deepest lakes in the country, that doesn't translate from photos. You have to be up there, in the dark, looking straight up, to actually understand it.
If you're planning a multi-day SUP trip around Lake Tahoe and can only build in one truly memorable overnight stop, this is the one I'd point you toward first.
How It Compares to Other Stops on the Lake
We camped at several other points across our five-day circumnavigation, a private riverside spot near Eagle Rock, a stretch near Banzai Rock on the Nevada shore, and Zephyr Cove. None of them carried the same weight as the night on Fannette Island. Those other stops were comfortable, scenic, and easy. Fannette Island was none of those things in the conventional sense, and that's part of why it stuck with both of us more than the smoother nights did.
There's a version of trip planning that optimizes purely for comfort, picking the softest ground and the most sheltered spot every night. I'd argue that trading one night of comfort for a stop like this is worth it if you're building a route around Lake Tahoe. Some places are worth the discomfort because of what they give you back.
What to Bring Specifically for This Stop
Beyond the general gear list for a multi-day SUP trip, Fannette Island calls for a few specific additions. A thicker sleeping pad than you'd normally bring, given the stone floor. A headlamp you trust, since the climb up and around the structure in the dark is easier with reliable light. And something to record the experience with, whether that's a journal, a camera, or just your phone, because the view through that open roof is the kind of thing you'll want documented even if you're not planning to share it anywhere. Pack an extra layer too, since the exposed structure catches whatever wind comes off the bay overnight, and the temperature drop after sunset is noticeable even in the middle of summer, more than either of us expected before we actually spent a night up there.
Before You Close This Tab
Have you checked current camping regulations for Fannette Island before planning your own stop there?
What would you pack differently knowing the ground is cold stone rather than sand or dirt?
Would you rather camp somewhere with a roof and a view, or a view with no roof at all?
What is the one stop on a route like this that you'd build your whole itinerary around?
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and brand storyteller based in South Lake Tahoe, California. Over the past decade he has worked with brands including Patagonia, GoPro, Arc'teryx, Four Seasons, Nike, Rivian, and Ford Bronco across all seven continents. He is the creator of the Follow The Journey distribution framework, which has produced over one million organic views per 30-day cycle without paid media. His work includes two published books, an award-winning documentary that aired on PBS, and more than fifty commercial spots directed. He runs Stories by Dalton on Substack, read by more than 34,000 subscribers.