Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. Mike White
low brick pillars, a few rock enclosures, and a metal army box holding the summit register. A short walk to the southern lip of the summit area reveals the shimmering surface of White Rock Lake, a mere 1.25 miles southwest of Mount Lola.
White Rock Lake from Mount Lola
To reach White Rock Lake, weave your way down the trail on the southwest ridge of the volcanic mountain amid low-growing shrubs, scattered wildflowers, and a few stunted pines farther down the ridge. After a couple of switchbacks, you make a descending traverse across the head of a canyon, through scattered western white pines, mountain hemlocks, and firs. Briefly descend the cleft of a seasonal drainage until the trail merges with a steep, rocky old road that leads you down to a junction east of the lake. The left-hand branch leads across the seasonal inlet to pleasant campsites along the stream bank. Veer to the right and follow the road past a large meadow to the east shore of White Rock Lake,
Start at trailhead
Summit of Mount Lola
White Rock Lake
TRAIL 2 NORTH TAHOE
Sagehen Creek
TRAIL USE
Hike, Run, Bike, Horses, Dogs Allowed, Child Friendly
LENGTH
5.0 miles, 2 hours
VERTICAL FEET
±225
DIFFICULTY
– 1 2 3 4 5 +
TRAIL TYPE
Out-and-back
SURFACE TYPE
Dirt
FEATURES
Canyon
Stream
Autumn Colors
Wildflowers
Birds
Wildlife
Photo Opportunity
FACILITIES
None
Wildflower season reaches a dramatic crescendo in early summer along Sagehen Creek, where a short, easy trail provides access for young and old alike. Those who hike all the way to the end of the trail will have the bonus of a nice view of Stampede Reservoir.
Best Time
June is the best time to view the extensive fields of wildflowers along the creek and to see Stampede Reservoir without a bathtub ring. Mid-October is when aspens and shrubs are ablaze with fall colors.
Finding the Trail
From I-80 near the town of Truckee, travel north on CA 89 for 6.8 miles to a dirt parking area on the right, just past a highway bridge over Sagehen Creek.
Logistics
Though the trailhead is unmarked, the start of the well-worn trail is easy to locate.
Trail Description
Eastern Sierra meadows along Sagehen Creek
The short, easy trail along Sagehen Creek provides access to one of the finest wildflower displays in the greater Tahoe area.
Eventually, the trail veers to the northeast and moves a little farther away from the creek. You stroll through a forest of mostly lodgepole pines, where, in early summer, a bounty of mule-ears carpets the slopes with a stunning display of yellow that stretches for quite a distance. Careful observation of the hillside above reveals that this area has seen past logging and at least one forest fire. Two miles from the trailhead you traverse a grassy clearing, cross a small rivulet, and emerge into a broad meadow filled with sagebrush and grasses that borders the southeast arm of Stampede Reservoir. The trail follows a raised finger of ground above the sometimes-boggy meadow to a small copse of pines, where an old timber beam provides a way across the main channel of Sagehen Creek. The trail continues alongside the creek for a short distance before disappearing for good in the meadowland. Rimmed by pine-dotted hills, the sapphire blue waters of Stampede Reservoir stretch out in front of you.
Start at trailhead
Stampede Reservoir
TRAIL 3 NORTH TAHOE