d.l. bliss state park

D. L. Bliss is a good place for the beach at Lake Tahoe. There is hiking possibilities; the Rubicon Trail is here. In addition, there is camping opportunities. We enjoy going to this state park. In the winter it is closed for the season.It is a very popular park, so its good to get here early to get a parking spot.

A must see beach of Tahoe, beautiful rock formations and serene beach and limited parking spot for non-camping visitors.

A beautiful place to take pictures, hike, or just relax. The scenery is gorgeous. It would be a great place for a picnic....if we had thought of it!

We had to walk down 1 mile as the park entry is closed for tht season but easily found the start of the Rubicon Trail. It's 3.6 miles one way to Vikingsholm and a fabulous walk. Easy to Moderate, with great views for much of the way. We stopped at Vikingsholm for our picnic lunch then heeded back on the trail and up the road to our car. All up 9 miles (16kms) in 4.5 hours and not too strenuous as all the uphill is very gradual. Would recommend this walk to anyone. Very well maintained path and we met many older people on the trail doing just fine. Take your own water and out of season be prepared to use the bush as a bathroom. Note you can do this walk the other way around and start with uphill rather than end with uphill as we did but we thought lunch at Vikingsholm was a great idea.

Two couples, parked one car, drove to Bliss. We increased hike inadvertently distance by walking through the campground forested area. The walk is easy, takes about 4 hours at a leisurely pace and you will enjoy wonderful scenery throughout.What can you say about the views!. The trail is easy to navigate and not very difficult, until you work your way up to the Emerald Bay parking lot, so just pace yourself, but do it.

We lucked out with site #49. It was on a hill with built-in stairs, but that made it very unique and secluded. Even the ranger who greeted us at check-in said it was a great site. A few things to note... despite some of the reviews saying this park is infested with problem bears, we didn't see one bear. Just be careful with your food and they'll stay away. We hiked 11mi of the Rubicon trail and didn't see any wildlife other than some birds. The view of the lake was amazing though. The scariest part of this park is the drive in! There are lots of winding turns and the road isn't in the best condition - just go slowly and let the more experienced Lake Tahoe drivers pass you.

We spent a half day hiking the trails here. The short balanced rock trail was very nice and there was an informative trail guide brochure.There was a small store that had some educational displays like animal skeletons, pelts, a beavers tail etc.The highlight though was the hike along the lake that went all the way down to the beach area. You have views of the lake and the tall pines as well as the huge boulders

I was really nervous about Lake Tahoe because of all the bear fear mongering that I read before I left. I was all ready to have to go toe to toe with a bear, but it never happened. DL Bliss was my second choice after Emerald Bay was closed for construction, but I ended up being very satisfied with DL Bliss! The site I was at was lodged into a hill side and was very beautiful, the trails and beach were very nice and I got some great shots of the lake from the elevated views along the path. Great Spot!

The park itself has received lukewarm reviews, but not many people know that the park has the trailhead for the breathtaking Rubicon Trail. The trail is 4.6 miles one way starting from the Rubicon trailhead in D.L. Bliss SP trailhead and ending at Vikingsholm castle in Emerald Bay SP (or in reverse direction). You can do a return hike for 9.2 miles, which took me about 5.5 hours with plenty of time for stops, photos and a quick lunch picnic. It really is not that hard of a hike despite its length, but it gives you breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe, a number of beaches, coves and even waterfalls, in addition to the lakeshore of Emarald Bay. If you have two cars, it is possible to do a one-way hike per the web site below but remember that a mile-long additional hike is required between the Vikingsholm parking lot next to Highway 89 and the Vikingsholm castle on the lakeshore of Emarald Bay:http://www.tahoeadventuresports.com/hikeindex/west/rubicon.htmAlso remember that the Rubicon trailhead in the D.L. Bliss park is at the very end of the main park road until you can drive no further (about two miles from highway 89). The lot is very small and arrival before 9:30am is certainly recommended.

Following a total knee replacement almost six months ago, I was able to walk the Rubicon trail, overlooking the lake and climbing slightly. Because the lake is absolutely clear the contrast of dry bark and scrub and earth agains the multihued blue green water was enough to make one gasp. And then there is the water temperature, in August at Lester Beach, not even 65 degrees at the surface, and colder below. But overall, an experience to remember forever. Yes, parking is in short supply, so day visitors should come very early, or wait for others to depart.

Spent a short weekend with the family camping at DL Bliss and I would definitely recommend this locale to anyone interested in car camping.Pros: Immaculate camp sites that are well-shaded, friendly rangers, the beach was awesome and the water was amazing. I snorkeled in the water for about an hour and I felt like I could have been in the Carribean (for the clarity of the water). Overall, the facilities were very nice.Cons: Camp sites were very close together, to the point where you could easily hear conversations from adjacent spots. The beach parking was very limited and filled up very early in the morning. This made it difficult to get chairs, cooler, etc. down to the beach.I would definitely come back again and will make sure to get to the beach early. If you looking for a quiet spot, this probably isn't the best. Most of the sites had small children riding bikes and scooters around the loop. This was perfect for us, since mine were doing the same.

We spent just one night here, and found that many neighboring campers had no idea that there were "quiet hours" after 10:00 PM. One family, with at least 5 cars and three camp sites, seemed to feel that the park was there for them. They took our parking space, as well as others, and they were arguing loudly far into the night - parents and children. Finally, the grandfather said "OK, are we all settled for the night?" to stop the loud "discussion". Also, because of the third year of drought, which clearly affects most Californians (not all, sadly) the restrooms are shut down, and chemical toilets are provided. They were clean, thankfully. We were quite happy to leave the next morning.

We stayed in site 113 which had big boulders and backed up to open space and defined out space nicely. It was just up the hilll from the beach. It would be a long walk, but we brought bikes and the ride back up the hill was good exercise. Like most of Tahoe in the summer though, it was crowded. Even in the middle of the week, day beach parking fills early. And boats park at the beach making it a little more crowded, but that's Tahoe in summer.

We had tent site #99, tucked away, quiet, yet close to the bathroom/showers (which were closed due to the CA water shortage). We had a great 2 night stay!! It was accessible to the Rubicon hiking trail and Lake Tahoe.

This is the first place we camped in California and, a year later, it is still our favorite. Lake Tahoe is incredibly beautiful and once you are here, it is a hard place to leave. We like to find rocks to read and drink coffee on, we like to hike and we like to go to the beach. You can do all these things without leaving the campsite. The Rubicon trail (that starts in the campsite and skirts the lake from beach to beach) is a great hike. Although you can camp near the water, it is $10 extra a night so we have never done it. Our favorite sites are from 113 -130 as most of the campsites are well spaced and have beautiful views if you climb up a little behind the campsites. On a clear night, the stars are incredible. Apparently there are lots of bears around, but I have never seen one - just make sure that you use the bear locker for everything that might have a scent.