We spent a June afternoon at Kings Beach State Recreation Area and had a pleasant time. The beach itself was full of families swimming, floating, sunbathing, etc. The sand was excruciatingly hot, however, so if you have swim shoes, I recommend wearing them. We ran everywhere we went so as not to burn our feet! If it was painful for us, I can't imagine how it must have felt for the tender feet of the kiddos there. One toddler next to us screeched in pain and refused to move off of his family's towel. On the other extreme, the water in Lake Tahoe was quite cold, but we were able to get accustomed to it once we took the plunge.

There are public restrooms nearby, but they were not in the cleanest condition. The facilities themselves were modern, they just looked like they hadn't been cleaned since that morning. But, at least they were there at all.

We parked in the parking lot next to the beach and paid $4.00 for about 3 hours. I believe there is a maximum charge of $9.00 per day, which is quite reasonable. You can also attempt to snag a free space on the nearby street and walk to the beach from your car.

FYI: There are other smaller, less crowded beaches in the area with picnic tables, etc. They are marked with park district signs.