D. L. Bliss SP

Campground

DL Bliss campground and day use are now OPEN for the season with 150 family campsites and 1 group campsite. The camping reservation period is June 11, 2014 - Aug 31, 2014. For reservations, go to reserveamerica.com or call 800-444-PARK. Some campsites will remain open in September after the end of the reservation period.

The campsite fee ($45 for Beach Camp and $35 for all others) includes one vehicle. Additional vehicels are $10 per night.

Day use parking is available for $10 per vehicle. The day use parking areas at the beaches and at the Rubicon trailhead are extremely popular during the summer months and are often FULL by late morning. We recommend arriving early in the morning or late in the afternoon for best chances of finding a parking space. When the parking lots are full, no more day use vehicles are allowed into the park. Day use hours are sunrise to sunset. Thank you for your understanding.

If the entrance station is closed when you arrive, please pay fees at the entrance station using the "self-pay" registration envelopes.

Food Storage Locker Information
Black bears are very active in the areas in and around the campground. Metal bear-resistant food lockers are provided in each campsite. All food, beverages, and toiletries are required by law to be stored in provided food lockers. The inside dimensions of the food lockers are 36" deep, 43" wide, and 22" high. Violators will be cited.

Dogs
Dogs on leash are allowed in the campgound and picnic areas, as well as on paved roads. Dogs may not  be left unattended.
Dogs are NOT allowed on the beach or on any trails.

Summer Activities and Events!

Check at entance station or bulletin boards for current programs and meeting locations. Campfire Programs, Nature Walks, and Junior Ranger Programs are offered throughout the summer!

In addition, Sierra State Parks Foundation has a full schedule of special events in Lake Tahoe Sector State Parks this summer. See the "Park Activites" tab at right for all SSPF 2014 events.

About the Park

Campers and day use visitors enjoy swimming or scuba diving in the crystal clear water of Lake Tahoe, picnicking, relaxing on the warm sand of Lester Beach or Calawee Cove, and hiking the Rubicon Trail, Lighthouse Trail, and Balancing Rock Trail. Lester Beach is a popular location to launch your kayak, paddleboard, or canoe, but keep in mind that trailers are not allowed in the day use parking lots.

The grandeur of the parks and their setting is a product of successive upheavals of the mountain-building processes that raised the Sierra Nevada. From promontories such as Rubicon Point in D.L. Bliss State Park you can see over one hundred feet into the depths of Lake Tahoe.

The park is named for a pioneering lumberman, railroad owner, and banker of the region. The D.L. Bliss family donated 744 acres to the State Park system in 1929.

Location - Directions

The park is located 17 miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89, a couple of miles north of Emerald Bay.

Tahoma Latitude/Longitude: 38.9851 / -120.1304

Seasons/Climate Recommended Clothing

Summer temperatures range from about 75-80 degrees F during the day to the low 40s at night, and winter temperatures average from a high of 40 to lows in the teens and 20s; Winter temperatures may dip below 0 degrees F.

The park is closed during the winter.

Balancing Rock Nature Trail

The Balancing Rock, "tons of granite resting precariously on a slender stone base", has long been a natural attraction on Lake Tahoe's western shore. Visitors to the Lake Tahoe area in the late 1800's and early 1900's enjoyed being photographed next to this geological marvel.

Today, the Balancing Rock is the feature attraction of a short, half mile self-guided nature trail in the northwest section of D.L. Bliss State Park. The granite of this large rock began weathering more rapidly at the joint plane, an extensive horizontal crack that is easily seen at its "waist".

The overlying rock weighs around 130 tons and is now balanced on the rock below. This precarious remnant of granite rock will eventually fall when enough material has eroded away to break the equilibrium between the two pedestals.

Visitors can pick up a brochure at the start of the trail that describes 19 numbered markers, where you can stop and learn about the relationships between the soils, plants, and animals found in the park.