California’s most-photographed bay has a Viking castle, sunken wrecks, and a secret island

It’s one of the West’s most photographed spots

Emerald Bay sits on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, and the water here runs blue-green because the inlet is shallower than the rest of the lake.

A glacier carved this bay out of granite thousands of years ago, and in 1969, the U.S. Department of the Interior named it a National Natural Landmark for its display of mountain-building and glacier geology.

The park covers 1,533 acres. Right in the middle of the water sits Fannette Island, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe.

And that’s just what you can see from the road.

A $250,000 summer home inspired by Scandinavian fjords

In 1928, a wealthy woman named Lora Josephine Knight bought 239 acres at the head of Emerald Bay for $250,000.

The bay reminded her of Scandinavian fjords, so she hired her nephew by marriage, Swedish architect Lennart Palme, to design a summer home in that style.

The two of them traveled to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, studying stave churches, medieval castles and village cottages along the way.

About 200 workers then built the entire home in a single summer season in 1929.

Walk through a 38-room Scandinavian mansion on the shore

Vikingsholm is widely considered one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the Western Hemisphere, and you can walk through all 38 rooms.

The workers who built it used old-world methods, joining wood with pegs instead of nails and setting stone by hand.

You’ll see hand-hewn timbers, intricate wood carvings, hand-forged metal hinges and six Scandinavian-style fireplaces. Much of the granite came straight from the Tahoe Basin.

The north and south wings have sod roofs that once grew wildflowers and grasses.

Tours resume Memorial Day weekend after a full restoration

Three major restoration projects wrapped up in 2025, including turret stabilization, chimney repairs and a full restoration of the Morning Room.

Guided tours are expected to pick back up Memorial Day weekend 2026 and run through September. Each tour lasts about 30 minutes and is led by guides from the Sierra State Parks Foundation.

Inside, you’ll find original Scandinavian antiques that Knight collected, along with reproductions made to exact detail.

Getting there takes a one-mile downhill hike from the Highway 89 parking lot, dropping about 400 feet.

Climb to the ruins of a tea house on Fannette Island

Fannette Island is a granite formation that rises about 150 feet above the water in the center of the bay. On top sits the stone shell of the Tea House, a small 16-by-16-foot structure Knight built in 1928-29.

It once had a fireplace, an oak table and chairs, and a motorboat would carry Knight and her guests to the island for afternoon tea.

Today, you can kayak or paddleboard out and climb to the ruins for wide-open views of the bay. Swimming to the island is not allowed because of the cold water and heavy boat traffic.

Two waterfalls and a mountain lake on one trail

Eagle Falls sits just above Emerald Bay and splits into two separate cascades.

Upper Eagle Falls is a quarter-mile hike from Highway 89, where a bridge crosses right above the rushing water. Lower Eagle Falls drops in tiers down toward the Vikingsholm beach.

The falls run strongest in late spring and early summer when snowmelt peaks.

If you keep going past the upper falls, you’ll enter the Desolation Wilderness and reach Eagle Lake in about two miles round trip.

The lake sits in a granite basin ringed by steep cliffs, and you can swim or picnic at the shore.

Hike six miles of lakeshore on the Rubicon Trail

The Rubicon Trail follows the shoreline for about six and a half miles, connecting Emerald Bay to D.L. Bliss State Park.

For most of its length, the trail hugs the coast as you walk through sugar pine and fir forests, cross small bridges, and pass along granite cliffs above the lake.

At Rubicon Point, the trail is cut into cliffs high above the water, and you can see more than 100 feet into the lake’s depths.

D.L. Bliss is expected to reopen to vehicles in May 2026, so for now, you can access the Rubicon from the Emerald Bay side.

Paddle around the island before the afternoon wind kicks up

You can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards at the shore near Vikingsholm during the summer months.

From the water, you get views of the castle, the surrounding granite peaks, and Fannette Island from angles you can’t reach on foot. Morning is the time to go, because afternoon winds often pick up across the bay.

The bay’s shape keeps it calmer than the open lake, but you’ll still want to check conditions and skip windy days.

All small watercraft need to be cleaned, drained, and dried before launch to keep invasive species out of the lake.

Dive among sunken boats from the 1920s on an underwater trail

In 1994, the waters of Emerald Bay became part of the state park, making it one of California’s first underwater parks.

The Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail opened in October 2018 as the state’s first maritime heritage underwater trail.

Four dive sites hold sunken boats, launches, and barges from the early 1900s, resting at depths of 10 to 60 feet. Underwater interpretive panels at each site explain the history of the vessels.

The boats were likely sunk on purpose after they outlived their usefulness during the Emerald Bay Resort era of the 1920s and 1930s.

Stand 600 feet above the bay at Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point is a drive-up overlook along Highway 89 that sits about 600 feet above Emerald Bay. From here, you look straight down at Fannette Island, framed by granite peaks and deep blue water.

Paved walkways and informational signs make it accessible for visitors of all abilities. Several more pullouts along Highway 89 give you different angles of the bay, so you don’t have to settle for one view.

Sunrise and sunset draw the photographers, and for good reason.

Bald eagles, black bears and a bay that sometimes freezes

The park is home to nesting ospreys, bald eagles, bobcats and American black bears. You’ll regularly spot bald eagles soaring over the bay and along the Rubicon Trail.

In the water, rainbow trout, brown trout, Mackinaw trout and kokanee salmon swim below the surface. Summer days sit around 75 degrees, and nights drop into the low 40s.

During extremely cold winters, the bay freezes over completely, which is as rare as it sounds.

Hike, dive, fish or just sit on the beach with a sandwich

You can spend an hour at the overlook or a full day working through everything the park has. Hikers can pick short walks to the falls or commit to the full Rubicon Trail.

History lovers can tour a Scandinavian castle and then explore the Tea House ruins on a tiny island. Divers and snorkelers can swim among century-old wrecks on the underwater trail.

Families can picnic on the beach near Vikingsholm or cast a line from shore for trout and salmon.

Explore Emerald Bay State Park in California

You’ll find Emerald Bay State Park along Highway 89, about 22 miles south of Tahoe City and 12 miles north of South Lake Tahoe.

Parking runs $10 per vehicle for the day or $3 for one hour, and lots fill early on summer weekends, so plan to arrive before 9 a.m. Vikingsholm tours are expected to run from Memorial Day weekend 2026 through Sept. 30.

Dogs are not allowed on any trails or beaches year-round. Eagle Point Campground and a boat-in campground open during the summer months for overnight stays.

Check the official website for current conditions before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Between LA and San Francisco, a peaceful beach town still moves at canoe speed
• Historic Santa Barbara Restaurant Sues City Over $67,000 Monthly Rent
• Point Lobos sits where California’s mountains fall straight into the Pacific