From an unassuming iron gate on NV-28, an old road descends through pine and manzanita to one of the East Shore's loveliest pocket coves. The water in Skunk Harbor is absurdly clear even by Tahoe standards, and on weekday mornings you might share it with no one but a few ducks and the odd sailboat swinging at anchor.
At the beach stands the Newhall House, a handsome stone picnic lodge built in 1923 by San Francisco's Newhall family as a lakeside retreat — a wedding-gift party house from another era. The building is preserved as a historic structure; peek through the doorways, imagine the jazz-age picnics, and leave it exactly as you found it.
| Distance | ~3 miles round trip (about 1.5 mi each way) |
|---|---|
| Elevation gain | ~600 ft — all of it on the climb back out |
| Difficulty | Moderate (easy down, steady uphill return in full sun) |
| Trailhead | Green iron gate on the lake side of NV-28, a bit over 2 miles north of the US-50 junction near Spooner Summit — park in the roadside turnouts, never in front of the gate |
| Fee / permits | None |
| Dogs | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Season | Spring through fall; a fine snowshoe route in quiet winters |