A Guide to the South Shore's Best Attractions

Guests staying on the Nevada side of the state line often ask our concierge desk the same question on check-in: what's actually worth doing beyond the property itself? The south shore packs a surprising amount into a small radius, so here's the short list our own staff sends most often.

Heavenly Village

A five-minute drive from the resort, Heavenly Village is the closest thing the south shore has to a town square — a gondola up the mountain, a handful of restaurants, and a small outdoor amphitheater that hosts summer concerts. It's an easy stop even outside ski season, since the gondola runs year-round and the mid-mountain observation deck has one of the better lake views around without a full day's hike.

Zephyr Cove Beach

A short drive north along the shoreline, Zephyr Cove is the closest sand beach to the resort and the departure point for the paddlewheel boat cruises that run out toward Emerald Bay. It gets busy on summer weekends, so an early morning or a weekday visit is the move if you'd rather have some space.

Van Sickle Bi-State Park

Close enough to reach on foot from the resort, Van Sickle straddles the Nevada/California line and offers a genuinely good short hike with lake overlooks, without needing a car or a full-day commitment. It's our default recommendation for guests who want to stretch their legs before or after a spa appointment.

Emerald Bay State Park

Worth the roughly 35-minute drive, Emerald Bay is the single most photographed spot on the lake for a reason — a turquoise inlet framed by granite peaks, with a steep trail down to Vikingsholm Castle at the water's edge. Go early if you can; the main overlook parking lot fills by mid-morning most of the year.

Kingsbury Grade

For anyone with a rental car and an hour to spare, the drive up Kingsbury Grade toward Daggett Summit delivers one of the better overlook views of the entire lake basin, especially near sunset when the water starts to pick up the same amber-and-teal color the resort is named for.

Planning Around It

Most of what's on this list can be done without a car if you're willing to walk or use the resort shuttle for the closer stops. For Emerald Bay or the Kingsbury overlook, our concierge desk can arrange a rental car or a car service if you'd rather not drive mountain roads yourself.