Speedboat Beach

Located near the border between California and Nevada, Speedboat Beach - also known as Buck’s Beach - is a narrow and small beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated in the community of Kings Beach along the shores of Lake Tahoe. This beach has many large granite boulders along its shoreline. 

Speedboat Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms (only available during summers), so plan your trip accordingly. 

Speedboat Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, fishing, wildlife watching, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, diving, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and boating. The water near Speedboat Beach is generally calm, making it ideal for beginning swimmers, paddleboarders, kayakers, and canoers. Kayakers can also launch their kayaks from this beach and explore the northern part of the Lake Tahoe shoreline. The water’s clarity also makes it ideal for divers and snorkelers. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Speedboat Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have occasional strong currents and dangerous waves, especially during stormy weather. If you like birdwatching you can see many kinds of birds near this beach including northern goshawk and willow flycatcher. You can also explore the large rock formations present around this beach, which also serve as great platforms for diving into the water. If you like fishing, you can catch many kinds of trout fish in the water near Speedboat Beach. In addition, you can also catch crayfish in the water near Speedboat Beach just around sunset. However, if you are planning to fish in Speedboat Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations.

Getting to Speedboat Beach is easy - from California State Route 28, you need to divert towards Speedboat Avenue and park on the street near the spot where Speedboat Avenue merges into Lake Street. From this spot, you need to walk to the intersection between Lake Street and Harbor Avenue, where there is a narrow access path leading to Speedboat Beach. It is important to note that street parking spaces on Speedboat Avenue are extremely limited and hence we recommend visiting this beach early.

There are many attractions near Speedboat Beach. If you like golfing, Old Brockway Golf Course is a 9-hole golf course that offers a fun and challenging golfing session. This golf course also offers fantastic views of Lake Tahoe. The Historic Stateline Fire Lookout site is a clifftop spot that was formerly the site of a fire lookout tower. Currently, this clifftop spot offers Instagram-worthy views of the northern Lake Tahoe shoreline. This clifftop spot also has interpretive displays on the local history. In addition, the access trail to the Historic Stateline Fire Lookout Site offers a great hiking experience and the area near this site also has picnic tables and more interesting interpretive displays. If you are looking for another attraction near Speedboat Beach, the Lake Tahoe Sculpture is an interesting sculpture of the topographic map of Lake Tahoe. In addition, this sculpture also has a plaque inscribed with a quote by famous writer Mark Twain praising Lake Tahoe. As an amusing fact, this sculpture is also sometimes known as the "Hot Tub" Lake Tahoe Sculpture due to its uncanny resemblance with a hot tub.   

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Speedboat Beach. Soule Domain has a charming wooden interior area and offers delicious coastal Californian cuisine with some French influences. This restaurant has also been mentioned in Tahoe Quarterly magazine’s BEST OF TAHOE 2020 READER’S POLL. Jason’s Beachside Grille offers a pleasant beachside dining experience and serves excellent classic American dishes including steaks, clam chowder, and baby back ribs. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Speedboat Beach, the modestly priced Char-Pit offers delicious burgers, fries, and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Speedboat Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Franciscan Lakeside Lodge offers many amenities including a private beach club, a pier, a seasonal pool, barbecue grills, a horseshoe pit, and a volleyball court. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino offers many amenities including a casino, a pool, a hot tub, and two restaurants. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Speedboat Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Firelite Lodge offers many amenities including a seasonal pool and a hot tub.