Emerald Bay State Park, California

You are coming to a place where lakes are full of sky, where ripples of water and spirals of cloud merge into one entity, as if separated at birth and reunited in the maternal arms of Emerald Bay. This is the land of the sheer Sierras, a maze of cove and lakeside campsite, an underwater treasure hunt for the remnants of shipwrecks - this is one of Lake Tahoe’s secrets that’s impossible to keep to yourself. Emerald Bay State Park, in conjunction with D.L. Bliss State Park, covers more than six miles of Lake Tahoe’s west shore and includes man-made delights like the historic Scandinavian architecture of Vikingsholm (think enchanted castle) and the tea house on Fannette Island. Summer in Lake Tahoe is practically synonomous with water sports and you can also find boat-in camping at Emerald Bay. Even for explorers that prefer foot to paddle, this lush area provides hikes (like Eagle Falls or Maggie’s Peaks) that make mountain and water into a whole new kind of medicine.