Hundreds of miles of trails surround the Lake Tahoe Basin, trails ranging from easy to strenuous, branching off into unspoiled wilderness areas. Weather conditions can change rapidly, so be prepared with proper clothing and equipment no matter how short the hike. Following is just a small sample of the variety hikes available to the outdoor enthusiast. Contact Linda Granger or call (530) 581-6927 for more details on Lake Tahoe homes for sale near the best hiking.
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Rim Trail North
This is moderate, 5 miles to Marlette Lake, 13 miles to Tunnel Creek. This forested trail provides wonderful views of the Carson Valley and glimpses of Lake Tahoe. Just before Snow Peak, the trail forks; the left fork leads you down steep switchbacks to Marlette Lake and the right fork eventually leads to Tunnel Creek.
Rim Trail South
This is moderate, 2 miles to Duane Bliss Peak, 3 miles to South Camp Peak, 4 miles to Genoa Peak, 12 miles to Kingsbury Grade. Views of Carson Valley and Like Tahoe. You can climb Duane Bliss Peak (8,685’), South Camp Peak (8,866’) or Genoa Peak (9,150’) by traversing cross-country.
Mt. Rose
This is strenuous, 6 miles. Mount Rose (10,778’), one of the highest peaks near Lake Tahoe, offers excellent views of the lake and the surrounding area. In the spring, a lush meadow at the halfway point is filled with lupine, paintbrush, and larkspur. The last two miles follow slippery switchbacks to the ridgeline. Write your name in the logbook located at the summit to show the world you made it!
Rubicon Trail
This is moderate, 5 miles, starts from D.L. Bliss State Park. Dipping up and down along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, this trail offers some of the most scenic views of the lake. Bring a swimsuit and picnic lunch and enjoy a sunny day at one of the many quiet coves along the way.
Eagle Falls
This is moderate-strenuous, l mile to Eagle Lake, 4 ½ miles to Dicks. Lower & Middle Velmas, 5 miles to Fontanillis. Leading into the heart of Desolation Wilderness, this steep trail offers majestic views of the Sierra high country. Just a 20 minute walk, Eagle Likes is a popular short hike.
Looking for a short hike out your back door? Try the moderate 3.2 mile round trip Five Lakes trail; the trailhead is just off Alpine Meadows Road. Resting atop the Sierra Nevada crest between the ski areas of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, the basin of Five Lakes sits in an easily accessible corner of the Granite Chief Wilderness. Although the trail gains 1,00 feet of elevation in about two miles, it is a fairly easy and popular hike. After reaching the five lakes, hikers can continue on down to Whisky Creek and hike up to Squaw Valley. Another option is to take the Squaw Valley cable car to high camp, hike up to Squaw Ridge and then over to Five Lakes.
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More Squaw Valley hikes:
Shirley Lake
Take the cable car to high camp and hike down to Shirley Lake and Shirley Canyon or vice versa. It’s a four miles hike, easy to moderate with some step sections.
Moonlight Hikes at Squaw Valley: Held in the summer on evenings when there is a full moon, these are free, guided hikes from high camp to Squaw Ridge. Dogs welcome (and yes, they can ride the cable car!).
Tahoe has many beautiful hiking trails, for even more information check out:
Tahoe Rim Trail Association
Completed in 2001, the Rim Trail allows you to hike the entire perimeter of Lake Tahoe! Other activities include mountain biking and horseback riding.
Trails.com
An excellent resource for hiking and biking trail maps throughout the US. The site has an easy-to-use graphic interface and provides extensive maps of the Lake Tahoe region — Just search on “Tahoe” at this site.
