About this spot
Emerald Bay State Park, on Lake Tahoe's southwest shore, has two named cliff-jumping pools along Eagle Creek above the bay, reached via the roughly 1-mile trail down to Vikingsholm or by boat into the bay itself. The lower pool is easy and family-friendly; the upper pool, reached by a rock scramble, has the tallest jumps, generally 10-25 feet, into clear, very cold snowmelt water. Granite shoreline near the Vikingsholm beach and boat anchorage also draws jumpers. Open roughly May through September; jumping is tolerated rather than official, and cold-water shock is the hazard that matters most, contributing to Tahoe drownings most summers. Wet granite and summer crowds add risk, so scout pool depth before committing to a jump.
Safety first. Cliff jumping is inherently dangerous and can cause serious injury or death. Conditions — water depth, submerged hazards, and access — change constantly. CliffScout is community-sourced reference information, not a guarantee a spot is safe. Always assess the conditions yourself before jumping, and never jump where you're unsure. You assume all risk.