Incline Village · RedAwning

Tahoe East Shore TrailAmerica's Most Beautiful Bikeway — 3 paved miles from Incline Village to Sand Harbor along Lake Tahoe's east shore

A 3-mile paved multi-use trail that opened in June 2019 between the Tunnel Creek trailhead in Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park — eleven beach access points, thirty bike racks, twenty-five interpretive panels, and the only fully separated bike-and-foot path along Lake Tahoe's east shoreline. Built for $40 million by the Tahoe Fund and the Tahoe Transportation District; widely called the most photogenic three-mile bike ride in North America.

Hours todaySunrise – SunsetFriday hours
TicketsFrom $12Tunnel Creek parking — summer
LocationIncline Village, NevadaTunnel Creek Trailhead, Highway 28
Official sitetahoetransportation.orgPlan your visit

3 mi one-wayLength
11Beach access points
June 2019Opened
FreeTrail use

The Tahoe East Shore Trail opened on June 28, 2019, after a decade of fundraising led by the Tahoe Fund and a $40 million build by the Tahoe Transportation District in partnership with the Nevada Division of State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and a coalition of east-shore landowners. Before the trail existed, Highway 28 between Incline Village and Sand Harbor was the Tahoe Basin's most-feared cycling stretch — a 35-mph curving two-lane shoulder against the cliffs above the lake. Today the same three miles are a 10-foot-wide paved path, fully separated from traffic, with eleven dedicated beach access points, thirty bike racks, and twenty-five interpretive panels on east-shore geology, wildlife, and Washoe history.

The trail starts at the Tunnel Creek trailhead off Highway 28 in Incline Village and threads south past Hidden Beach (a clothing-optional cove popular with locals), Memorial Point overlook, and a series of unnamed granite-boulder coves before ending at the Sand Harbor north entrance. Total length is 3 miles one-way, total elevation change is roughly 230 feet, and the grade tops out at 5%. Easy enough for a 6-year-old on a kids' cruiser; scenic enough that even Tour-de-France-trained pros stop for photos. The lake is in view almost continuously.

Plan an hour for a leisurely round trip on foot, two hours by bike with stops, half a day with a beach swim at the midway Hidden Beach. Vista Trail Bikes in the Incline Village shopping plaza ($45 cruiser, $75 e-bike) is the closest rental — they include locks and helmets and offer free covered parking. The summer East Shore Express shuttle ($4) lets one-way riders avoid the climb back, useful with kids or a strong afternoon headwind. Pets welcome on leash; no horses; no motorized vehicles other than mobility devices.

Tunnel Creek trailhead
The north terminus at the Tunnel Creek Cafe parking lot off Highway 28 — a 60-car paid lot ($12 weekday, $20 summer weekend), the most popular bike-rental drop, and the start of a separate 1.3-mile hike up to Monkey Rock for the panoramic shoreline view. Restrooms, espresso, and a sunscreen-cooler stop.
Hidden Beach
The unmarked clothing-optional cove at the trail's midpoint — granite boulders, a 50-foot drop-off, and a kid-friendly shallow at the south end. A local-favorite swimming hole with no parking access of its own; the trail is the only walk-in. Restroom and a bike rack at the bluff above.
Memorial Point overlook
A paved overlook at mile 1.5 — a wood-bench platform that frames the long-axis lake view down to Heavenly's ridge, with interpretive panels on Tahoe's 1,645-foot maximum depth and the Mark Twain steamship that once docked at this spot. The trail's iconic photo angle.
Eleven beach-access stairways
Eleven dedicated wood-stairway beach access points carved between the boulder coves — open swim spots without the parking-lot scrum at Sand Harbor. Each stairway has a bike rack at the top, and the trail crew rebuilds them every spring after winter storm cycles.
Sand Harbor walk-in entry
The trail ends at the Sand Harbor State Park north entrance, where a $2 walk-in fee replaces the $20 vehicle fee — the only reliable summer-weekend workaround when Sand Harbor's parking lot posts a Lot Full closure by 9:30 AM. Bike racks at the entrance hold roughly 120 bikes.
Twenty-five interpretive panels
The trail's twenty-five donor-funded interpretive panels covering east-shore geology (the Sierra batholith granite), wildlife (osprey nesting platforms, the American marten), Washoe history (the summer fishing village at Sand Harbor), and the trail's own construction story.
East Shore Express shuttle
A summer-only shuttle service ($4 one-way) running between Incline Village transit hubs and the Sand Harbor entrance — designed to let one-way riders avoid the climb back and to help families with younger kids skip the round trip. Memorial Day through Labor Day, every 30 minutes.
Vista Trail Bikes & e-bike rental
The closest bike rental shop, in the Incline Village shopping plaza off Highway 28 — cruisers from $45 half-day, electric e-bikes from $75, kids' bikes and trailers available. Free covered parking and a 0.7-mile rideable plaza-to-trail connector. Locks and helmets included with every rental.

Open hours

Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. The trail is plowed sporadically in winter — check the East Shore Express shuttle status before riding November through April. Best riding window: mid-May through late October when the surface is reliably ice-free.

MondaySunrise – Sunset
TuesdaySunrise – Sunset
WednesdaySunrise – Sunset
ThursdaySunrise – Sunset
FridayTodaySunrise – Sunset
SaturdaySunrise – Sunset
SundaySunrise – Sunset

Note · No gate or last-entry cutoff — you can ride at any hour, but the trail is unlit and the Tunnel Creek parking lot empties at sunset. Plan to be off the path 30 minutes after sunset for safety.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Trail useFreeWalk, run, ride — no fee, no permit
Tunnel Creek parking — summer$12Per car, weekends $20 in July & August
Sand Harbor walk-in / bike-in fee$2Per person at the south-end gate
East Shore Express shuttle$4One-way summer shuttle, Incline ↔ Sand Harbor
Bike rental — Vista Trail Bikes$45From — half-day cruiser; e-bikes $75

Park at the Tunnel Creek lot ($12/$20) or the free Incline Village covered garage at Vista Trail Bikes and pedal in. Sand Harbor itself charges a separate $2 walk-in fee at its south gate. The summer East Shore Express shuttle ($4 one-way) lets you ride one way and ride back, useful for kids or wind days.

Trail information

Where to stay