Then and now: Staying along Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay Resort, circa 1950s
Emerald Bay today offers a Boat Camp on its north shoreline which is accessed publicly only by boat, or on foot via the Rubicon Trail. A pier and several mooring buoys are visible in this current color photo, plus there are campsites on land. Part of an “official vehicles only” access road is visible diagonally at right, which today is gated where it meets Highway 89. There is no public entrance.
Today’s boat-in campground.
Dave Wakeman, who has lived at South Tahoe since 1947, remembers this earlier Emerald Bay Camp & Resort of the 1950s and a smaller neighboring resort (possibly the Lakeview Lodge) which also existed on the north side of Emerald Bay. (Black and white photo.) The “official vehicles only” road mentioned above was the main public access driveway to these resorts.
The state of California purchased Emerald Bay (below Highway 89) from Lora Knight in 1952 while allowing the resorts to continue operating on lease until 1959. Wakeman 
recalls a pier and a restaurant where his family had dined lakeside at the resort, and he says that today’s state-operated boat camp campsites are where Emerald Bay Resort used to rent housekeeping cabins. Wakeman notes that a large log and other shoreline remnants of the past remain around the pier today.
I recall viewing a seaplane docked at Emerald Bay in the 1950s.
The Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum (Highway 50 facing Sno-Flake Drive In) has a huge collection of historical photos, including Emerald Bay Resort. The museum is free.
Photo credits: Old photo is from Pomona Public Library Collection of Frashers Fotos; today’s color photo from me, and the sign from Lake Tahoe News.
— Bill Kingman
My wife has a home movie where a seaplane is landing at Emerald Bay, back in the Fifties.
Dumbluck, you should post it! Those are great. Just watched a home movie of my town from back when I was 2 years old. . . back in the 50’s. Awesome!
Plus, there used to be a sea plane that used to land and take off from right at Ebright’s a few years back. I used to love watching it. Amazed me that the water skiers always got out of the way. . .
Dumbluck, I’m with Dogula on posting the seaplane video, that would be way cool.
When I was a kid my Dad took me up in a chartered seaplane ride in the early 60’s or maybe the late 50’s. We took off over by Ebrights where it was tied to a dock. It was a single engine yellow plane and man was it fun! Flyin’ over Emerald Bay and around So. Shore. The take off and landing were pretty rough as it was windy and the lake choppy, water splashing up on the windshield with my dad and I holding on for dear life..
Just got off the phone with my Dad and he remembers it like it was yesterday.
Thanks for triggering the memories Bill. Old Long Skiis
I love this stuff, Bill. I remember the sea plane taking off and landing. I was quite young, but it made a big impression.
About that official access road: There is one way to get to drive on it. “Conversations with History” at Vikingsholm costs $50 per person, but if you’ve got the money, it’s absolutely worth it. The view from that access road is gorgeous, and guests get to see parts of the mansion that aren’t shown on the standard tour. It was all magnificent, but for me, getting to see into the library was worth $50 right there. The next opportunity is on August 21. Link to info: https://sierrastateparks.org/emerald-bay-state-park/calendar/events/conversations-history
Bill, I have a request — that you’ll do a “Then and Now” item about Edwards’ Boat Service.
How well I remember that sea plane. My wife used to work at Emerald Bay Resort as a teenager, and she and I took off in that sea plane from Fallen Leaf Lake as we departed from our wedding which was held in the little chapel at Fallen Leaf Lake in 1961. We landed on the lake and went to Wes Stetson’s to pick up our car. Wes was the pilot of the seaplane. We continued to go to Emerald Bay to our cabin there every year since 1961. Lora Knight was a frequent visitor to our cabin with my Mother in law and Father in Law. While she owned Vikingsholm, she liked our view. My wife passed away in 2007 and there is a memorial plaque for her in the memorial garden at the Fallen Leaf Lake Chapel. My kids and grandkids and I continue to go to the family cabin at Emerald Bay. Good memories.
There is an old cabin hidden in the woods about 1/2 a mile East of the bridge over the falls on the Southern side of the bay, but closer to the lake than the trail in all that beautiful mess of undergrowth.
Toogee: That cabin was the forge/foundry that was built for the craftsmen to use when Vikingsholm was being constructed….used to make every hinge, fireplace screen and anything of that nature.
Wow! Thanks for the info Laurie. Our home holds more secrets than Carter has pills!