Home » The Ultimate Lake Tahoe Summer Guide: 12 Things to Do for the Perfect Summer at Lake Tahoe Show
Please double check what's open before your trip and follow all local vax & mask guidelines to keep yourself and others safe! Also, ads are how we pay our bills and keep our blog free for you to enjoy. We also use affiliate links; if you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Crystal-clear aquamarine water. Sandy beaches. Towering pine trees. Snow-capped mountains. Welcome to Lake Tahoe, California: the most stunning alpine lake in the country, all year round! Although many folks think of Lake Tahoe as a world-famous ski destination, summer at Lake Tahoe in the summer is completely different – and full of its own charm and outdoor beauty. And ghosts. Lots of ghosts. Ringed by white-sand beaches and trails crisscrossing through sequoia and pine forests and along sheer granite cliffs, the best way to experience Lake Tahoe in the summer is outside: on a trail, on a boat, or on a beach. Our travel guide to summer in Lake Tahoe has everything you need to know to plan your trip, and all the best Lake Tahoe summer activities!
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Psst Looking for more California tips?Sign up and we’ll send you travel tips for our favorite spots in California! We also have a Podcast episode all about Tahoe! Towering pine trees, ancient granite cliffs, crystal clear water, cannibalistic pioneers… wait, what? Strap on your snow goggles and come along as we cover the macabre past and enchanting present of this alpine paradise with more ghosts than you can shake a ski pole at. Listen above or just click here to launch your Podcast app! Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss new episodes. In the summer, Lake Tahoe’s clear, snowmelt-fed waters are warmed by the sun. But heads up: it still gets very cold at night and in the deepest waters of the lake! You are still in the mountains at a high elevation, after all.Is Lake Tahoe cold or warm in summer?Lake Tahoe is very much warm in the summer! Summer begins in June at Lake Tahoe, when the snow in the Sierra Nevada has melted. In June, July, and August, Lake Tahoe temperatures hover around the mid-70s. Perfect for a summer vacation! Lake Tahoe is also known for its sunshine — 300 days’ worth each year! So even though you’re in the mountains, you can expect the warmth of sunshine most days – this might be why Lake Tahoe tends to feel fairly warm even in the dead of winter. That said, you are still in the mountains and Lake Tahoe is still an alpine lake: lows during the night can dip into the 40s, so be sure to pack warm clothes, and warm sleeping bags if you plan to camp (we recommend down – more details in this post). Remember also that you may be higher in elevation than you’re used to — Lake Tahoe sits above 6,000 feet. In that thin mountain air, the sun’s rays are more direct, so sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses are essential. Is it true that Lake Tahoe is like … super haunted?Let me start by saying: YES. Yes it is. Lake Tahoe is suuuper haunted. Which, personally, we love. Our favorite ghosts in Lake Tahoe are the forlorn members of the Donner Party and the hilarious Captain “Them’s My Toes” Dick – both of whose gruesome stories are told in their respective sections below. In North Lake Tahoe, there’s a hotel — the Tahoe Biltmore — that’s home to a ghost named Mary, who was an Aspen Cabaret showgirl at the hotel. The Biltmore describes her ghost as wearing a 60s style mini skirt and having no facial features, which is definitely skating the fine line of fabulous/terrifying. You may have heard that there were bodies buried in the Lake Tahoe. Rumor had it that mobsters used to dispose of bodies in the lake, because it’s so deep and cold that the bodies remain in perfect condition, frozen at the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately, it’s not actually true. A team of divers thoroughly explored the lake and didn’t find actual bodies. And unfortunately, neither did they find signs of Tahoe Tessie — Tahoe’s version of the Loch Ness Monster, which has been sighted many times since the 1970s. Witnesses say that Tessie slithers like a snake and is about twenty feet long, living far beneath the lake underneath Cave Rock. So be careful while you’re swimming… Is it safe to swim in Lake Tahoe?Yes, it’s totally safe to swim in Lake Tahoe – with one big caveat (and no, I don’t mean Tahoe Tessie, the lake monster who probably doesn’t exist): the water in Lake Tahoe is cold, particularly away from shore where the water is deep. I mean, see all those snowcapped mountains? Tahoe is a high-elevation alpine lake filled with snowmelt! That said: close to shore, where the water is shallow and the sun is able to warm the water, you can swim comfortably! I mean, it’s not like … the Caribbean, or anything, but I’m a major cold-water weenie and even I can swim in Lake Tahoe. On a hot day. Around noon. But if you’re planning to drive out on a boat and dive into that clear blue water, you might want to be cautious. It’s best to ease your body into the water slowly to avoid shocking it, and if you’re going into the water far from shore, consider wearing a wetsuit. And always wear a life jacket on any boat – even if you’re a strong swimmer. I’d also advise only going into the water when the sun is high: if it’s early in the morning or after 7pm, don’t chance it – it will be too cold (unless polar bear plunges are your thing – I see you, people who go swimming in the San Francisco Bay every morning!). And of course, don’t mix swimming and alcohol – it’s not worth the risk! Granite boulders by the lake in North Lake Tahoe in the summer! Don’t you want to dive right in? Photo CreditNorth Lake Tahoe or South Lake Tahoe?If you’ve never visited Lake Tahoe before, you may not realize that there are two different places to visit in Lake Tahoe on the California side: North & South Lake Tahoe. Then there’s also the West Shore, in between them, and the East Shore, on the Nevada side. Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, y’all. It’s huge. So it’s easiest to divide up Lake Tahoe summer activities and landmarks by quadrant, which we’ve done throughout this post. That’s also why this post is a massive 10k words long – PHEW. The last thing we want is for you to plug something into your GPS and realize it’s on the other side of the lake! South Lake Tahoe and North Lake Tahoe are about an hour’s drive away from one another down the western side of the lake (y’all, the lake is … ABSOLUTELY enormous). In the summer, it’s an absolutely beautiful drive and the best camping and hiking can be found in between the two along the western shore, in D.L. Bliss State Park and Desolation Wilderness. North Lake TahoeStay in North Lake Tahoe if you want to be walking distance to shops and restaurants and close to excellent beaches! In North Lake Tahoe you’ll find the little towns of Kings Beach, Truckee and Tahoe City. They’re all adorable and walkable little towns, with plenty to see and do. Tahoe City is located directly on the lake, with a beautiful walking path, some small docks and beaches, and several restaurants with sweeping lakeside views. But Truckee, while located 10 minutes away from the lake, is objectively cuter and more adorable to walk around in and explore. But in the summer, the real star is sandy King’s Beach, with 1,700 feet of lakefront and warm, swimmable water! Set out a towel or snag a picnic bench and spend the whole. dayplaying in the water – this is an excellent Truckee, King’s Beach, and Tahoe City are all cute, walkable towns. And since Tahoe City is right on the lake, there are some pretty incredible VRBOs with lake views to check out! South Lake TahoeSouth Lake Tahoe, as you might guess, is on the southern end of the lake. It sits right on the Nevada border, and kind of bleeds into the casinos and bars across the state line. Heavenly Mountain Resort (Tahoe’s biggest) is in South Lake Tahoe, so there are no shortage of places to stay. South Lake Tahoe doesn’t have the cute, walkable downtown vibe that Tahoe City and Truckee have, but staying in this area has its perks: proximity to some excellent beaches, wonderful hikes near Emerald Bay, or Fallen Leaf Lake, the curiosity that is Vikingsholm, and the East Shore. Stay in South Lake Tahoe if you like a quieter, more outdoorsy stay, while still being close to shops and restaurants. The West Shore & East ShoreIt takes about an hour to drive between North & South Lake Tahoe in the summer, it’s an absolutely beautiful drive. But a well-kept secret is that some of the best beaches, camping and hiking can actually be found in between the two along the West Shore, from the stunning beachside campgrounds at Meek’s Bay and D.L. Bliss State Park to the beautiful, rugged solitude of hiking in Desolation Wilderness. You won’t find many places to shop or eat here, but you’ll be surrounded by beautiful granite cliffs, azure water, sandy beaches, and towering pine trees. What more could you need? Stay in between North & South Lake Tahoe if you’re visiting Tahoe for its scenery and wilderness. On the East Shore, across the Nevada border, you’ll find resorts and casinos interspersed with sandy beaches and granite-ringed coves. But to be totally honest, we don’t spend much time on the Nevada side! We’d love to hear your suggestions for the East Shore in the comments at the end of this post. Even the drive to Lake Tahoe is gorgeous. All of them. Photo CreditHow to Get to Lake TahoeWhether you live in San Francisco or Oakland like us, or you’re planning your trip to Lake Tahoe from afar, you have a bunch of options for getting into Lake Tahoe. For either North or South Lake Tahoe, the best and easiest way to get around is by car. If you rent a car in the Bay Area, it’s a pleasant 3.5 hour drive to either North or South Lake Tahoe (shorter if you fly & drive from Sacramento, which is about halfway in between).
Flying into Lake TahoeIt is only possible to fly close to Lake Tahoe: the closest airport to Lake Tahoe is Reno-Tahoe. You can fly into Reno-Tahoe directly from a few cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Once you arrive, the easiest way to get to your final destination is to rent a car from the airport. North Lake Tahoe is about an hour away from the airport by car. If you are flying in and don’t want to rent a car, you can take the North Tahoe Express shuttle from Reno-Tahoe to the town of Truckee, which is considered the “gateway” to the north side of the lake. From there, you can take transit to your final destination. Although the Reno-Tahoe airport is much closer to North Lake Tahoe, it’s still doable to get to South Lake! You can fly into Reno and rent a car: it’s about an hour a half drive. Or, you can book a ride on the South Tahoe Airporter for $60 round trip. Getting to Lake Tahoe by TransitPublic transit in the area is limited – here’s a complete rundown – and activities tend to be fairly far apart. But if you’re staying in a walkable area, or rent a bike to get around, it is doable!
Where to Stay in Lake TahoeThe quintessential place to stay in Lake Tahoe is in a cabin, a rugged outdoorsy lodge, or sleeping underneath the stars at a campsite! You’ll find plenty of all three options in Lake Tahoe. If you want a less rustic trip, renting a cabin is a good call. But it’s cheapest to split the cost with a group! Most cabin rentals in Tahoe are fully equipped for large groups. We typically find cabins to rent a place on VRBO, but you should be aware that new laws have recently gone into effect regarding short-term cabin rentals, and many of them will be banned in the next few years as a result of large groups of millennials descending on Lake Tahoe every weekend and doing things like cooking large meals together and enjoying hot tubs after midnight (… yes, those were some of the main complaints). For now, you can still rent law-abiding rentals on VRBO, but you might find funky things like fees and minimum night requirements. For this reason, we recommend booking directly through VRBO or Turnkey, both of which have fewer fees and more flexible cancellation policies than Airbnb – also, we’re not fans of Airbnb’s unethical track record and lax security. In any case, know that there is a little bit of tension between locals and visitors, and be mindful not to exacerbate the situation by being loud or rude. Here are our top picks for lodges & cabins in Lake Tahoe:
Camping in Lake TahoeThere are several campgrounds in Lake Tahoe that are only open in the summer, and this is where we tend to gravitate! Lake Tahoe is such an incredible outdoor destination that it just makes sense to sleep underneath the stars. Some campsites, like our favorite at D.L. Bliss, book out early – so you’ll want to reserve a spot well in advance. We also highly recommend RV camping in Lake Tahoe! You don’t need to buy an RV, you can rent one from an RV owner using RVShare. There are tons of available RVs near Lake Tahoe and Sacramento – take a look. Here are our favorite places to camp in Lake Tahoe:
Camping Tip: Before you pack up your tent we do have a word of warning: Lake Tahoe gets COLD at night. You’ll want a down sleeping bag that’s rated down to 40F, and a warm sleeping mat between you and the ground (or a hammock with an underquilt). We’ve got all the details you need for gear in our guide to car camping essentials. Or, just sleep bundled up in a nice, warm RV! Take. a look at what’s available on RVShare. Things to do in Lake Tahoe: Summer ActivitiesThe beaches in Lake Tahoe range from hidden coves studded with smooth granite boulders, like Hidden Cove or Chimney Beach, to wide, sandy beaches with plenty of room for picnicking, like Baldwin Beach or Kings Beach.Relax on the BeachRelax on the beach…in the mountains? That’s right — you don’t need to be on the coast to enjoy some of California’s most amazing beaches. In fact, we Northern California coast-dwellers who want to go swimming or enjoy a sunny beach without freezing come to Lake Tahoe. (Yes, really. Our beaches are foggy and cold, our water is freezing, and Lake Tahoe has truly wonderful beaches.) Lake Tahoe has 72 miles of shoreline, meaning lots of opportunities for great beaches. And yes, they are wonderfully warm and sandy! Spending a day at the beach should top your Lake Tahoe summer activities checklist! There are plenty of great beaches to choose from, located all over the lake in both California and Nevada – browse them all on this site! Many Lake Tahoe beaches are easy to access by car with a parking lot, but some of the most pristine beaches can only be accessed by hiking, like Secret Cove and Chimney Beach. Read on for some of our favorites: North Lake Tahoe Beaches
South Lake Tahoe Beaches
Beaches on the West Shore
Beaches on the East Shore
Dog-Friendly Travel Tip: Most of the larger public beaches in Tahoe don’t allow dogs or have strict leash rules, but there are a few dog-friendly beaches in Lake Tahoe: the Bijou Dog Park (South Lake), Coon Street Beach (King’s Beach, in North Lake), Kiva Beach (South Lake, right off Highway 89), and Nevada Beach. Leash laws are strictly enforced, so always look for signage! Left: Lake Fontanillis, one of the many stunning alpine lakes in Desolation Wilderness.Hit the TrailsHiking is one of the best ways to experience Lake Tahoe in the summer. Being situated in the middle of the Sierra Nevada mountains, you’ve got endless vistas of mountains, alpine lakes, towering pines, and other things that make you ooh and ahh. Don’t go to Tahoe in the summer without hitting a trail! Several of our favorite Northern California hikes are in Lake Tahoe. Here are some of our favorites:
There are TONS more amazing hikes in Lake Tahoe – this is only a tiny selection. For more ideas, check out Tahoe Trails Guide, a local blog with a comprehensive list of Tahoe hiking guides! Play in that Stunning WaterYou can’t look at Lake Tahoe without the urge to head out on the water. The water is so blue, so inviting, and so refreshing on a hot summer day. Luckily, there are also a ton of boat outfitters all around the lake where you can rent something for a couple of hours or the whole day! The quintessential Lake Tahoe experience is to rent a boat and spend the day zipping around the lake. Here are a few options:
While powerboats are quite pricey to rent — unless you’re traveling with a group — you can rent kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards for a much more reasonable price. Besides, when you propel your own boat, you experience a little more of that mountain serenity!,
Stuff your FaceI’m gonna just be super honest with you: nobody goes to Lake Tahoe for the food. It’s not known for food and there’s nothing particularly special about the food there. But if you want a break from camp food or just need a burger after a big hike (we’ve all been there), here’s what we can recommend: South Lake Tahoe
North Lake Tahoe
West Shore
Drink a Post-Adventure BeerBig mountain hikes aren’t really complete until the post-adventure beer. Luckily, Tahoe has plenty of both. Whether you’re in North or South Lake Tahoe, there are plenty of places to grab an after-hike beer. Most have great beer gardens to enjoy a little more of that Sierra sun. Whether you’re looking for a fruity sour or bitter IPA, there’s no shortage of pints at these Lake Tahoe breweries: North Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe
For even more details on breweries in South Lake Tahoe, check out this post by our friend Kara from Whimsy Soul that thoroughly ranks Tahoe breweries based on beer and ~vibes. Vikingsholm is a Norwegian-style castle on the shores of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe. And it’s got kind of a wild backstory… Photo CreditVisit a Norwegian Castle & a Haunted IslandIn the 1860s, along the shores of Emerald Bay, a stagecoach magnate and early-day transportation king named Ben Holiday built the first resort in Lake Tahoe (in hindsight, his name may have sealed the fate of Lake Tahoe). Over 60 years later in 1928, a fabulously wealthy woman named Mrs. Josephine Knight purchased the land in order to build the vacation home of her dreams: Vikingsholm – a spectacular Norwegian-esque “castle” that looks like something directly out of a fairytale. I, too, was inspired to become a fabulously wealthy woman living in a Norwegian castle after watching Frozen. The landscape of Tahoe reminded her of the fjords of Scandinavia, where she’d traveled many times before. So she built a Norwegian castle to match! Because if you can’t build miniature versions of the fabulous castles you saw on your European travels, what’s the point of being ridiculously rich in California in the 1920s? Am I right, William Randolph Hearst? Mrs. Knight didn’t stop there, though: she also built a tea house on Fannette Island, located in Emerald Bay. Her guests had to travel to her private island by rowboat to attend her fabulous tea parties, top which I say, this woman is a vibe and I want to be her when I grow up. Unfortunately, the tea house has since been vandalized, and it’s not much to see anymore. But wait: there’s more. Before Mrs. Knight built her fancy tea house on Fannette Island, it was home to Captain Dick “Them’s My Toes” Barter, who looked after Ben Holiday’s fabulous resort while it sat empty during the freezing cold Tahoe winters. Captain Dick lived on the island alone, but would row the 16 miles up to Tahoe City to drink whiskey in the saloon with other hardy locals. One night, while rowing home from the bar, a storm hit and capsized his boat, throwing him into the freezing cold waters. It is said that he lashed himself to the side of the boat and kept rowing, shouting “Richard Barter never surrenders!”. He survived, but two of his toes became frostbitten. So, like a true rugged outdoorsman, he amputated them himself and saved them in a box. For the rest of his life, he took every opportunity to shock guests at the resort by taking them out during dinner parties with relish, announcing “them’s my toes!” and passing them around to horrified guests. To which I say, ALSO VERY MUCH A VIBE/GOALS. Sadly, he died mysteriously in a storm (also, probably, while rowing home drunk from the bar). His toes (and body) are still unaccounted for, and it’s said that he still haunts the island, floating around with a small box and crying THEM’S MY TOES to anyone in earshot. To soak up all the weirdness of this spot, you’ll have a bit of a schlep. Vikingsholm is tucked onto the shore of Emerald Bay, on the southwest side of the lake. You can only reach it via a 1-mile trail from the parking lot on Highway 89 (or as the halfway point of the 9-mile Rubicon Trail) or by boat, Captain Dick style. (You can only access Fanette Island, and its mysterious and haunted ruins, by boat). Bring your swimsuit and a towel and make a day of it: there’s a charming, tucked-away little beach here! You can buy tickets for tours of Vikingsholm, plus some snacks and other sundries, at the adjacent visitor center. To hear our retelling of the amazing stories of Vikingsholm, Fannette Island, toes, and Lake Tahoe’s other weird, quirky history, listen to our Lake Tahoe podcast episode!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCL0jeiAAdb/?igshid=bj7lilw6a0w2 Visit the Donner Party MemorialIf you’ve never heard of the Donner Party, buckle up – it’s a wild ride. The Donner Party was a large group of pioneers (about 80 total people, all families) who were trapped in the Sierra Nevadas in the brutal winter of 1846 after a series of unfortunate events and bad decisions. They spent a horrific winter holed up at Truckee Lake (today known as Donner Lake, because California has a dark sense of humor) and were forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. Only 46 of the original 80 survived, mainly women and children; everyone else died of starvation, sickness, extreme cold, snow blindness, or murder. That’s a massive oversimplification, though. The real story – which is well chronicled in the journals and records of the party itself, as well by the settlers who eventually rescued the survivors – is not one of gruesome, hardy frontier-people-turned cannibals, as pop culture might have you believe, but a gut-wrenching tale of families forced to make unthinkable decisions to ensure the survival of their loved ones. It started out as a perfectly ordinary group of families taking the well-trodden and relatively safe Oregon Trail, but through a series of truly awful decisions, bad advice given from unscrupulous settlers, and awful luck, it ended as one of the most horrifying stories of modern California’s earliest days. It’s not one of California’s happiest stories, but it is fascinating. I had never heard of the Donner Party before moving to California, and it GRIPPED ME in the way that only horrifying disaster/adventure stories do. If you are interested in learning the Donner story, we HIGHLY recommend reading the well-researched and well written book The Indifferent Stars Above and/or listening to the Donner Party episode from Last Podcast on the Left, which is one of our favorite podcasts for research reasons (not because they often make annoyingly off-color jokes). Once you’ve learned their tragic story, head to Donner Memorial State Park to visit the museum and memorial. Here you’ll see a tree marking the height of the snow in one of the most brutal winters in Tahoe’s history, which is truly jaw-dropping. And most gut-wrenching of all, you’ll be able to visit the actual sites where the pioneers were trapped, unable to escape the snow. A darkened granite boulder marks the sad hearth of one lean-to shack – and in the ground underneath, the gnawed bones of the doomed pioneers are still buried to this day. *cue eerie haunted music* Explore TruckeeIf you are looking to explore a bit of the local flavor of Tahoe and need a break from all the beautiful nature surrounding you (I know, gross), check out the quaint towns of Tahoe City and Truckee! Historic Truckee is worth a visit for the classic Old West architecture, the California history, and the welcoming shops and restaurants lining the streets.
Explore Tahoe CityWith a population of around 2,000, Tahoe City is quite small. But its location, wedged between beautiful Sierra peaks and Lake Tahoe itself, makes this little town a big destination.
Visit a Ski Resort (in summer!)Many of Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts stay open in the summer, and while there’s obviously no skiing going on, there are plenty of other adventures! Visiting a ski resort is one of the best ways to access the mountains ringing the lake and to see the lake from up above. In addition to being fun (and scenic) places to stay in the summer, ski resorts are usually great places for hiking, mountain biking, and sightseeing. Check out one of the many ski resorts in the Tahoe area to enjoy some of these quintessential mountain activities.
Take A Guided TourWhile there are a million things you can do yourself on your summer Tahoe trip, sometimes it’s worth touring with an expert. Lake Tahoe is brimming with adventurous tours for summer visitors — everything from a beginner’s paddleboard lesson on the lake to wine country tours nearby. Here are some great options if you’d like to sit back and leave the planning to someone else:
Take a Scenic DriveWhile you can certainly plant yourself in one area of Lake Tahoe and have plenty to do, summer is also the perfect time for scenic drives around the area (especially on routes that winter snow makes impassable). Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, so there’s a lot of shoreline to explore! Here are two epic scenic drives that will firmly cement the Sierra Nevadas in your memory forever:
What to Pack for Lake Tahoe in SummerBefore we send you off exploring, here are our absolute must-have essentials for Lake Tahoe! The two main activities you’ll want to pack carefully for are hiking and water sports. And, of course, a warm layer, like a packable down jacket or a warm fleece for after dark. Lake Tahoe Beach Essentials
One thing you don’t really need to worry about? Bug spray! Most years, there really aren’t that many biting insects at Lake Tahoe in the summer. But if you need it, you can always pick some up at a store in one of Tahoe’s many little towns. Lake Tahoe Hiking Essentials
Planning to go camping in Lake Tahoe? It’s our favorite place to camp! We’ve got a whole guide to car camping essentials to help you pack. Which Lake Tahoe summer activity are you looking forward to doing first? Are you as freakishly fascinated by the Donner Party as we are? Let us know in the comments below! Psst: Planning to explore more of California? …. As California residents we have LOTS of other posts – browse them all or just take a look at these:
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Is it better to go to Lake Tahoe in summer or winter?Is Lake Tahoe better in summer or winter? If you're coming to ski or snowboard, then winter or early spring is the best time to visit. Otherwise, summer is filled with non-stop outdoor activities and events to enjoy—along with lots of tourists. You can splash around at shallow beaches in July, August, and September.
What is Lake Tahoe like in the summer?In the summer, Lake Tahoe's clear, snowmelt-fed waters are warmed by the sun. But heads up: it still gets very cold at night and in the deepest waters of the lake! You are still in the mountains at a high elevation, after all.
When should you not go to Lake Tahoe?avoid the Summer months and holidays. On weekends, visitors and their cars - namely on Highway 89, near to Tahoe City, and on U.S. 50 near to South Lake Tahoe - congest all the main roads, facilities and beaches and other travel references (in these summer months, weekdays are better though also busy).
Is Lake Tahoe swimmable in summer?Go for a swim in the lake
Be warned, though: the lake remains quite cold, even in the summer months. You'll find it a little warmer near the shoreline (pee jokes end here), so stick to paddling if you're not used to swimming in the big wide open.
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