Lake Tahoe’s Most Overcrowded Beach Is About to Get a Massive Parking Lot

If you have ever tried to park at Chimney Beach on Lake Tahoe’s East Shore during the summer, you know the drill. Cars squeezed onto the highway shoulder, people crossing multiple lanes of traffic and zero organization.

That’s about to change.

The Tahoe Transportation District announced that the Chimney Beach Trailhead parking area will reopen this spring with approximately 130 parking spaces, up from the original 21. The expansion is part of a broader effort to improve safety, access and environmental protection along the Highway 28 corridor between Spooner Junction and Sand Harbor.

The new lot includes a pedestrian crossing on Highway 28 with advance warning signs for motorists, ADA-compliant connections and future restroom facilities planned for construction this summer. A smaller 30-space lot at the Secret Harbor Trailhead is also included in the project. Both lots will eventually connect to the Tahoe East Shore Trail, which is currently in the design phase.

Paid parking begins June 1 at a flat rate of $12 per day. The lots will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with no time limit during operating hours. Overnight parking is not allowed.

Revenue from parking will be reinvested into the Highway 28 corridor to support ongoing safety and environmental improvements. The project is a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Department of Transportation, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Transportation District.

Roadside and shoulder parking in the area will be removed as part of the project, which officials say will reduce erosion that contributes to declining water clarity in the lake.