Emerald Bay State Park

Emerald Bay State Park in Lake Tahoe, California is part of a national natural landmark. It was rated a landmark in 1968 in order to establish a park. The park offers Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm. Vikingsholm is a 38 room mansion that was built based on Scandinavian architecture. The park also has a small island called Fannette Island. It is only reached by State Route 89 at the southwest section of shore. Emerald Bay is a most popular destination for tourists and residents seeing more than a hundred thousand people each year.

The entire park is 1,464 acres, which is rather small compared to other California state parks. In 1994, California included a bit more land for the state park making land and the surrounding water inclusive. It is the first underwater park in the state. There are several wrecks below the water in the bay. The state wanted to preserve these wrecks and other artifacts by including it in the state park. In the summer temperatures can reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and may be as low as 20 degrees F in winter. The bay can freeze over if it gets too cold. The bay is 1.7 miles in length and two thirds of a mile wide.