Lake Tahoe, is a wonderful place to visit, relax and take in the majestic views of the surrounding Sierra Nevadas. The clear blue freshwater lake, with a depth of over 1,600 ft, attracts adventurers, travelers and photographers to this easygoing location split between the states of Nevada and California.

The 72 mile drive around the lake can provide many epic views, but my favorite is a little cove on the north east side called Bonsai Rock. The location is named for a small, single Bonsai Tree that grows on top of a large protruding bolder just off the shoreline. This spot is one of the most beautiful places to shoot sunset in the Lake Tahoe area. The view, perspective, and size of the bolder changes based on your movement around the cove, the level of the lake and the time of the year of your visit.

If you are interested in learning more about Bonsai Trees - I have include a link to Bonsai Tree Complete Guide: How to Grow and Care for Bonsais by Planted Well. Give it a look, very interesting.

Images and location summary by Tim Wier

Trail Difficulty - MODERATE

I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult).

The dirt trail down to Bonsai Rock is less than a 1/4 mile with a modest 150 ft elevation drop, but has a few slippery places. Just take your time and watch your footing.

GPS Coordinates & Elevation

39°11'6.00"N 119°55'40.23"W

6,225 Ft. Elevation

Google Earth

Download KMZ Trail File

Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.

Directions

CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the Bonsai Rock pullout

Lake Tahoe is a 71 mile circle, so it is hard to choose a starting point for directions. If Lake Tahoe was a clock, the parking area for Bonsia Rock would be about 2 o’clock. The little pullout is 5.6 miles south of the community of Incline Village or 21.5 miles north of South Lake Tahoe. The easiest way to find the parking area is drive to the Sand Harbor and then drive south exactly 1 mile.

Parking on the road around the lake is sometimes very difficult to find. The little parking area is small and only holds around 8-10 vehicles, so if you can’t find a place to park you may have to walk a ways.

Small pullout to park

Trails starts at end of pullout

From the little pullout (parking area), look for a dirt path on the north end of the pullout. There are several paths down to the lake, make sure you take the one at the very end of the parking area. Follow the dirt path toward the lake and you see the Bonsai Rock as you are walking.

There are several places along the lake by Bonsai Rock. I would suggest walking along the shore to find the composition that is best for you. The location of this shot is north of the rock facing southwest.

Dirt trail down to shore line

You can see Bonsai Rock

You're here

Photography Tips

The shot is fairly straightforward. However, as mentioned your view and perspective of the rock and Bonsai tree changes as you move around the cove. Also, the level of the lake will play a part in your composition.

Most of the shots I have seen from this location are longer exposures (2-20 seconds), which helps to reduce the movement of the lake and appear to make it calm.

This shot is all about the light and sky, so be patient and wait for the right light. Because the sky will remain brighter than the foreground at sunset/twilight, you may need to blend multiple images to achieve the right look.

EXIF Data

Focal Length – 50mm
Exposure – 20th sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 100
Date – Oct 2nd
Time – 6:28pm

Best Time of Day to Shoot

Bonsai Rock can be visited all during the day, but it is best photographed at SUNSET to DUSK. In addition to the sun setting as a backdrop to your shot, the waves from the lake normally settle down and are still around this time.

Best Time of Year

I have only visited Bonsai Rock during summer and fall, but have seen some very nice images during the winter. The sun sets in the northwest in the summer months and southwest in the summer months.

The depth of the lake can make or break this shot. When the water level is low, there are several nice boulders surrounding the Bonsai Rock that help to add dimension to the shot. If the water is up the rock looks more isolated.

The images was taken on October 2nd

Lens(es) Needed

There are many compositions that you can choose for the Bonsai Rock - I would bring lenses ranging from 16-75mm. The above shot was taken at 50mm.

Birds-Eye View From Google Earth Pro

Permits

There are not permits required for visiting Bonsai Rock.

Direction of the Shot

As mentioned, the view, perspective, size of the bolder and silhouette of the tree will change based on your movement around the cove. However, most of the time you will be shooting west to southwest @ 200° - 270°.

Equipment Needed

You will most likely be shooting a long exposure (to level out the water), so you will need a sturdy tripod and ND filters to achieve a 1-10 second exposure. You will also want to bring a polarizing filter to reduce or eliminate the glare from the setting sun on the water.

I would also consider bringing some bug spray as you will be standing next to the water at and after sunset.

Number of Other Photographers to Expect

The Bonsai Rock cove is a stunning place to visit and photograph at sunset. On most evenings in the tourist season, there will most likely be 5-10 other photographers there. I would strongly suggest getting there an hour or so before sunset to find your composition and perspective.

In addition to the photographers on the shore waiting for sunset, there is a chance swimmers and other adventures will be enjoying this peaceful time too. Unfortunately, swimmers will find sitting on the rock is the best place to take in the sunset.

Weather

Current Weather

There are many reasons Lake Tahoe is an attractive place to go - and weather is one of them. At 6,000 ft, the summer months are mild and winters are great for skiing.

Cell Service

I use Verizon and cell service around the lake and along the shore can be spotty.

Overnight Camping Options

There is no shortage of lodging around Lake Tahoe so I will not list hotels in this summary. There is also many (over 20) overnight camping locations around the lake. However, most are on the south, southwest and west sides of the lake (which is a long drive to Bonsai Rock). The closest campsites are Nevada Beach Campground, City of Lake Tahoe Campground and the Tahoe Valley Campground.

Nearby camping and lodging

Camping - click on the campground below for directions

Nevada Beach Campground (18 miles)
City of Lake Tahoe Campground (21 miles)
Tahoe Valley Campground (25 miles)

Nearby Restaurants

Lake Tahoe is a great place to visit with plenty of places to eat and relax while waiting for sunset. The two closest communities to Bonsai Rock are Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe (Incline Village is MUCH closer).

Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review

Mofo’s Pizza & Pasta
(775) 831-4999
868 Tahoe Blvd Ste 23, Incline Village, NV

Brewforia Beer Market
(775) 298-7660
800 Tahoe Blvd Ste 2, Incline Village, NV