Emerald Bay State Park
The Rubicon Trail

Our Stay in Grizzly Flats, CA

Emerald Bay State Park The Rubicon Trail

We hiked the Rubicon Trail, just over 12.5 miles out and back in Emerald Bay State Park and Bliss State Park near Lake Tahoe. The Emerald Bay is paradise on earth with its emerald-green waters.

Captivated by the bay beauty, Lora Josephine Knight, one of the wealthiest women in America, bought land here to build her Scandinavian-style castle, Vikingsholm, in 1929, where she spent the summers. Mrs. Knight would entertain her guests at her castle-like teahouse on Fannette Island. This is a small island in the middle of Emerald Bay and the only island in Lake Tahoe.

Walking towards the trailhead, we spotted a bear. This is the closest I have ever come to encountering a large carnivore in the wild. Quite impressive but a bit frightening as well. As guests in their bear habitat, we acted confidently to ensure our safety and that of the bears. We ignored the animal; it ignored us and disappeared into the forest.

We turned around at the Rubicon Trailhead North in D. L. Bliss State Park. The Rubicon Point Light is a small wooden lighthouse built in 1916. Lake Tahoe was once a major shipping route. Today, the lighthouse is no longer in use and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

And, of course, there were the cliffs, the coves, and the beaches providing beautiful scenery that never got boring!