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September 26, 2025
My Journey to Vikingsholm – South Tahoe’s Hidden Beauty
When I booked my recent girls trip to Lake Tahoe, I was anticipating what our journey would be like. Having a very unscripted plan, we set out to meet each other there and played it by ear, something I am finding I enjoy doing more and more these days, since I am in planning mode most every day. What would we see and do?
Our loose plans found us on our way to discovering Lora Knight’s Vikingsholm Castle. Our initial thought was to air up the huge paddle boards in the parking lot and trek down hill to use to go over to Fannette Island. We quickly realized this wasn’t the best idea, especially since you can rent kayaks down at the water. A credit card is much easier to carry than a paddle board!
The hike down and back up is no joke! Vikingsholm is only accessible by a 1-mile trail from the parking lot down to Emerald Bay. It’s steep going back up, so wear good shoes, pace yourself, and bring water.
Parking fills up fast but we arrived pretty early and we were able to find a spot, albeit, we went on a down weekend too. The Emerald Bay lot is small and one of Tahoe’s busiest, so arriving early, before 9 AM in summer. I don’t recommend going later in the afternoon because it’s such a lovely area, you will want to spend as much time there as possible!
We were very lucky because we were able to book in on a guided interior tour of the castle. You can admire Vikingsholm from outside year-round, but guided interior tours are only offered in summer. They reveal fascinating details about the Scandinavian architecture and the woman who built it, Lora Knight. If you can plan around doing a tour, it will be the icing on the cake.
There are picnic tables along the shore, and nothing beats eating lunch with Emerald Bay’s turquoise waters, and Fannette Island in view. We sat in the shade and enjoyed our snackish lunch (while the blue birds nearly attacked us). Just remember: pack out all trash to keep the area pristine.
Fannette Island is Tahoe’s only natural island. After lunch, we rented kayaks and ventured across to explore the little island. The water was the most beautiful, clear Emerald green water I seriously have ever seen, making the reason why they named it Emerald Bay, make perfect sense. We parked our kayaks and took a little hike to the top, where we found the remainder of a tiny stone “tea house” Knight built for entertaining her many friends and family.
If you are considering visiting Tahoe, you most definitely should! Time your trip with the seasons. Summer means tours, wildflowers, and busy crowds. Fall brings golden aspens and fewer people. In winter, snow makes the trail treacherous (and Vikingsholm itself is closed), but the views of Emerald Bay are unforgettable year-round.
Our loose plans found us on our way to discovering Lora Knight’s Vikingsholm Castle. Our initial thought was to air up the huge paddle boards in the parking lot and trek down hill to use to go over to Fannette Island. We quickly realized this wasn’t the best idea, especially since you can rent kayaks down at the water. A credit card is much easier to carry than a paddle board!
The hike down and back up is no joke! Vikingsholm is only accessible by a 1-mile trail from the parking lot down to Emerald Bay. It’s steep going back up, so wear good shoes, pace yourself, and bring water.
Parking fills up fast but we arrived pretty early and we were able to find a spot, albeit, we went on a down weekend too. The Emerald Bay lot is small and one of Tahoe’s busiest, so arriving early, before 9 AM in summer. I don’t recommend going later in the afternoon because it’s such a lovely area, you will want to spend as much time there as possible!
We were very lucky because we were able to book in on a guided interior tour of the castle. You can admire Vikingsholm from outside year-round, but guided interior tours are only offered in summer. They reveal fascinating details about the Scandinavian architecture and the woman who built it, Lora Knight. If you can plan around doing a tour, it will be the icing on the cake.
There are picnic tables along the shore, and nothing beats eating lunch with Emerald Bay’s turquoise waters, and Fannette Island in view. We sat in the shade and enjoyed our snackish lunch (while the blue birds nearly attacked us). Just remember: pack out all trash to keep the area pristine.
Fannette Island is Tahoe’s only natural island. After lunch, we rented kayaks and ventured across to explore the little island. The water was the most beautiful, clear Emerald green water I seriously have ever seen, making the reason why they named it Emerald Bay, make perfect sense. We parked our kayaks and took a little hike to the top, where we found the remainder of a tiny stone “tea house” Knight built for entertaining her many friends and family.
If you are considering visiting Tahoe, you most definitely should! Time your trip with the seasons. Summer means tours, wildflowers, and busy crowds. Fall brings golden aspens and fewer people. In winter, snow makes the trail treacherous (and Vikingsholm itself is closed), but the views of Emerald Bay are unforgettable year-round.
