Year after year, in the sunny summer month of July, Lake Tahoe explodes with visitors. They have come to enjoy the pristine sandy beaches, cool mountain breezes and watch the 4th of July fireworks in South Lake Tahoe.

In the days leading up to the fourth, special events and celebrations take place throughout the Tahoe Basin; however, South Lake Tahoe remains the beating heart of 4th of July in Tahoe. The beautiful beaches on the south shore like Zephyr Cove, Baldwin Beach and Fallen Leaf Beach overflow with booze, beach volleyball and water sport enthusiasts.

The south shore of Lake Tahoe is the place to be if you want to party your way to the Fourth of July in Lake Tahoe. The most popular casinos and nightclubs are minutes away from the beaches and most affordable South Lake Tahoe Hotels.

Don't sit around in your home town this coming 4th of July. Head to South Lake Tahoe and rage on the beach in your sexiest swimsuit. Challenge some bros to a friendly game of beach volleyball. Or try your best at stand-up paddling, kayaking wakeboarding and more. And when the night night of July 4th hits, you will want to be in sight of the south shore because that's when all the fun starts.

The South Lake Tahoe firework show is by far the largest and most exciting of all the July 4th celebrations in Tahoe. They dub it the "Lights on the Lake" show, and it truly is spectacular. There are multiple ways for you to see the show, but you won't get a better view than from a boat:

• Tahoe Queen andM.S. Dixie II: Both of these cruisers offer great dining and viewing packages for a romantic night that ends with a bang.
• Nevada Beach State Park: The soft sand provides the perfect place to lay down a blanket and enjoy the show on a warm summer night. There are also picnic tables and barbecues, so you can make entire day of it.
• Reagan and El Dorado Beaches: These beaches are right in front of the show, but if you want to experience the fireworks from this vantage point, you have to arrive super early and claim your spot.
• Bijou Community Park: This area is the best for families with a skate park, disc golf, playground, golf course and dog park. The park is set back from the shore, so you aren't in the heat of the packed crowd making it a little easier to keep an eye on the little ones.
• Mount Tallac: This is arguably one of the best viewing points, but requires a little effort as you have to hike there; however, this bird's eye view is a once in a lifetime experience.
• By Boat: If you happen to have access to a boat, this is probably your best option as you can inch up to the launching point and watch the fireworks explode overhead.

Nothing can compare to the 4th of July South Lake Tahoe Firework extravaganza. Craning your head back to gaze upon orange and blue and pink starbursts raining sparkles and tittering out over the lake is an unforgettable experience. Feeling reverberations of explosion after implosion shocking your body into a transfixed state followed by ooo's and ahhh's completes any visit to Lake Tahoe in July.