Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. Mike White
of sunshine for any day from June through August. However, unlike the desert Southwest, mild summer temperatures rarely exceed 80°F. With the moderating influences of both the lake’s 193-square-mile surface area and the dense forests surrounding the lake, nighttime temperatures stay mild during the summer months as well, with lows ranging from the high 30s in June to the low 40s in July and August. Precipitation during the summer is generally light at lake level, with averages of 0.69 inch for June, 0.26 inch for July, and 0.31 inch for August. Most of that falls during thunderstorms, which can be intense at higher elevations in the mountains. Unlike the Rocky Mountains, the Tahoe Sierra may experience summers of little or no thunderstorms, or a run of days when they’re fairly frequent. Hikers should always be prepared for an afternoon cloudburst and to beat a hasty retreat from higher elevations when lightning is threatening.
Warm, dry weather often lingers through the waning days of summer and occasionally through the end of September and into October. The Tahoe area is usually blessed during autumn, when temperatures are cooler but still pleasant enough for hiking. In October, when fall color adorns the meadows and stream canyons of the Tahoe Basin, the average high temperature is 57ºF and, though the average monthly precipitation climbs to 1.9 inches, there is still an 84% chance of having a sunny day. Usually in November a Pacific storm brings the first significant snowfall to the mountains, encouraging hikers to trade in their boots for skis or snowshoes.
Because Lake Tahoe is such a popular summer destination, many of the trails are heavily used during the height of the tourist season. Weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day can be particularly crowded, especially on the southwest side of the lake. When contemplating a trip for June, July, or August, plan on hiking during the week. If a weekday adventure is out of the question, try to arrive early on the weekends to secure a parking spot and to beat the hordes up the trail. Desolation Wilderness has long been one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States, resulting in quotas and fees for overnight users. Though the number of day hikers is not limited, trailhead registration is required for entry into the wilderness. While Lake Tahoe can be a bit of a human zoo during the summer at some localities, a good percentage of the backcountry sees light to moderate use.
Fall provides some of the finest trail experiences of the year. After Labor Day weekend the Tahoe area sees a diminishing number of tourists, a trend that continues as the days progress, until ski season begins. With good weather the norm and fewer people competing for space on the trail, hikers can experience the grandeur of the Tahoe backcountry in uncrowded fashion.
Trail Selection
Several criteria were used to arrange this assortment of Tahoe’s 50 best trails. Only the premier hikes, runs, and rides were included, based on beautiful scenery, ease of access, quality of trail, and diversity of experience. Some of the trails selected are highly popular, while others may see infrequent use. Anyone fortunate enough to complete all the trips in this guide would have a comprehensive appreciation for the natural beauty of one of the West’s most scenic recreational havens.
About 70% of the trails included in this guide are classified as out-and-back trips, requiring you to retrace your steps back to a trailhead. The remaining percentage is roughly distributed between point-to-point, loop, and partial-loop trips.
Echo Lakes (Trail 34)
Key Features
Top Trails books contain information about features for each trail. Though primarily a mountainous region, the Lake Tahoe Basin has such outstanding diversity that it offers at least a little of each feature, including sandy beaches. Lakes, streams, and waterfalls occur in abundance, as do high summits with spectacular vistas and rugged canyons. A plethora of verdant meadows are graced with scenic wildflower displays, and numerous aspen groves provide plenty of autumn color. All these features combine to make Lake Tahoe and the surrounding topography a photographer’s paradise. About the only feature that suffers in the Lake Tahoe region is solitude, due in some part to the abundance of these other attributes.
Multiple Uses
All the trails in this guide are suitable for hiking, with the exception of the Flume Trail (Trail 46). Even though hikers are permitted to use it, the Flume Trail is so popular with mountain bikers that hikers should yield their rights to the two-wheeled crowd. Though all the trails are equally legal for runners, some have been determined impractical for such use.
Lake Tahoe has become one of the West’s premier meccas for mountain bikers. Mountain biking is not permitted on the Pacific Crest Trail or in the wilderness areas around Lake Tahoe, which currently include Mount Rose, Granite Chief, Desolation, and Mokelumne Wildernesses. If two proposed wilderness areas become reality, this ban may extend to areas around Castle Peak and Meiss Meadows. Other trails—though they may be administratively classified as multiuse trails—have been excluded from prospective use by mountain bikes because of unsuitable terrain or conditions.
Equestrians will find plenty of trails within the Lake Tahoe Basin to ride. A handful of trails have been restricted from equestrian use by governmental agencies, primarily for environmental concerns or a high probability of conflict between horses and humans. Others are not recommended for horses because of unsuitable terrain.
Trail Safety
Elevations in the Lake Tahoe Basin vary from 6,229 feet at lake level to 10,881 feet at the summit of Freel Peak. Though these elevations are not considered extreme by mountaineering standards, people living near sea level who recreate at the higher elevations may experience symptoms of altitude sickness. These include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, memory loss, and loss of mental acuity. Untreated, altitude sickness can lead to acute mountain sickness, which is more serious and requires immediate medical attention.
To avoid altitude sickness, acclimatize slowly, drink plenty of fluids, and eat a diet high in carbohydrates prior to your trip. A rapid descent generally alleviates any symptoms if they develop. A severe case of altitude sickness is unlikely, though not impossible, at elevations around the lake.
Less atmosphere to filter the sun’s rays at higher altitudes increases the risks of exposure to the sun. Wear an appropriate sunblock on exposed areas, and reapply as necessary. Sunglasses will protect the eyes, which is especially important in areas where the sun reflects off snowfields or the granite bedrock that is prevalent on the west side of the basin.
Dehydration is another potential hazard while recreating in the backcountry of Lake Tahoe. Carry and drink plenty of fluids while on the trail. Any water gathered from streams or lakes should be filtered or treated. Some of the trails in the Tahoe area, particularly in the Carson Range, have long, waterless stretches, so plan on packing extra water in those areas.
Though the weather in the mountains around Lake Tahoe is predictably fair, conditions can change rapidly at any time. Be sure to pack appropriate clothing to endure any change in the weather. Even if the day is fair, temperatures can be radically different at lake level than at the summit of a windswept peak like Mount Tallac or Freel Peak. Dousing thunderstorms can leave the ill prepared wet, cold, and potentially hypothermic; snowfall has occurred at Lake Tahoe during every month of the year.
Mosquitoes can be a major irritant for recreationists during midsummer, when long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and mosquito netting are good apparel choices. Application and reapplication of an insect repellent with plenty of DEET should keep the winged pests at bay. Clothing manufacturers have developed lines of pants, shirts, scarves, and hats that have insect repellent infused into the fabrics, and products are also available to wash this protection into your clothes at home. Such measures are a good deterrent against ticks as well, though they are generally much less of a nuisance. There is a remote possibility, however, that a tick could infect you with Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Inspect your body for bites at least once a day and check your clothes for any unwanted travelers. If you are bitten by a tick, firmly grasp the pest with a pair of tweezers