Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park offers some of America's most captivating scenery and inviting outdoor recreational experiences for visitors to enjoy year-round.

Attractions include Sand Harbor, three miles south of Incline Village on State Route 28, home of the annual Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, three sandy beaches and facilities for dining, boat-launching and picnicking; Memorial Point and Hidden Beach, between Incline Village and Sand Harbor, which offer spectacular views of the cobalt and turquoise blue lake, snow-capped mountains and majestic pines; Spooner Lake, a picnic, fishing, hiking and trail bike rental spot at the intersection of State Route 28 and U.S. Highway 50 that also offers cross-country skiing and backcountry cabin rentals; Cave Rock, a beautiful shore area with beach and boat ramp named for the adjoining Native American site; and Van Sickle Trail Head at Stateline.

The park offers spectacular close-up views of Lake Tahoe and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range that encircles the deep blue waters as well as inland mountain and National Forest views of the Sierra Nevada.

The park encompasses 15,000 acres, of which about 14,000 acres offer backcountry hiking and biking trails. Park elevation ranges from 6,200 to 8,900 feet and includes three miles of shoreline.

Tall pine trees stand in abundance along the shore and in the backcountry, along with other mountain vegetation. Wildlife includes mule deer, bear, coyote, chipmunk and other small animals; birds and waterfowl including merganser, mallard, osprey, bald eagle, chickadee, northern goshawk, warbler, thrush and nuthatch, white-headed woodpecker, blue grouse and more.

State Route 28, which winds along the shore through the park, can be busy, especially on sunny summer weekend days and during special events, but by urban standards, traffic would be considered light. There are many visitors, but the park is basically rural and offers plenty of places to get away from it all, on trails and at private spots along the beaches and rocky coves that line the shore.

Hiking, picnicking, bird-watching, swimming, photography, artistic painting, outdoor theater, sightseeing, boating and just walking or sitting on a bench in the sunshine, which occurs most days.

Year-round

Fees: Sand Harbor: $12 per vehicle April 15-Oct. 15; $7 per vehicle Oct. 16-April 14; NV residents $2 discount .