From easy to challenging, North Lake Tahoe offers hikes for everyone and their canine friends
By Chaco Mohler from North Lake Tahoe Visitors Guide Summer/Fall 2017
For full Visitor’s Guide, click here.
SHORT AND FUN: TAHOE CITY WATERFRONT
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Mile or less (one way)
Start Elevation: 6,225 feet
Climb: A few feet
Season: Spring through fall
Parking: Anywhere in Tahoe City
Highlight: Something for everyone
Dogs: On leash
This paved trail meanders along the lakeshore and riverside, passing Common’s Beach and its playground, Tahoe City Marina, as well as plentiful benches and photo opportunities. A number of cafés and restaurants, adjacent to the trail, tempt you to sip or sup. Make a return trip via the wide
sidewalks along Tahoe City’s main boulevard, and the temptation to slow or pause increases multifold. An excellent starting point or destination for the walk is William B. Layton Park at the Tahoe City Dam, with its Gatekeeper Museum and numerous trailside information plaques. To lengthen your stroll, keep on the paved path as it heads north along the Truckee River, ending in Squaw Valley some 6 miles later.
FAMILY DISCOVERY: SUGAR PINE POINT NATURE TRAILS
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Mile or less (one way)
Start Elevation: 6,300 feet
Climb: Minimal
Season: Spring through October
Parking: Sugar Pine Point State Park (fee) or limited roadside parking
Highlight: A paved trail ends at a historic mansion and scenic beach
Dogs: On leash
This short network of paved trails inside Sugar Pine Point State Park is ideal for family exploration. Three different interpretive trails wind through a forest of
tall, widely spaced trees or along the park’s shoreline. Climb a grassy hill up to the lovely HellmanEhrmann Mansion or visit its historic boathouse. Nearby, a small creek mouth cuts through a sandy beach, and picnic benches dot the pebbly shoreline to the south.
DOG-GONE WORKOUT: MEEKS CREEK TRAIL
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Distance: 6.6 miles (round trip)
Start Elevation: 6,225 feet
Climb: 1,175 feet
Season: Mid-July through October
Park: Meeks Bay roadside
Highlight: Lots of water!
Dogs: Well-behaved or leashed
The start of the Tahoe Yosemite Trail begins in a wide, watery meadow with multiple creeks and ponds before climbing up to Desolation Wilderness’ mountain lakes. Lovely Lake Genevieve is the first at 3 miles in, with five more small lakes lining the next 4 miles of trail. If you and pooch need more, climb a
mile up to Phipps Lake or 2 miles to Phipps Peak’s 9,234-foot summit. Since this trail enters wilderness, you’ll need to fill out a day-permit slip at the trailhead. Hopefully by the time you return, Fido will have had enough swimming; Meeks Bay Resort has a wide sandy beach and lovely shallow waters, but
dogs aren’t allowed.
WATER FALLS: SHIRLEY CANYON
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 2.3 miles (one way)
Elevation: 6,200 feet
Climb: 2,000 feet
Season: July through October
Start: Behind Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Highlight: Numerous falls and cascades, high-country microclimates
Dogs: Allowed
Shirley Creek creates a magical landscape of falling, tumbling water as it travels down its steep canyon from the Sierra Crest. People and dogs maneuver a sometimes narrow trail that climbs precipitously up and over boulders. You’ll want to stop to catch your breath at many of the lovely waterfalls, which cascade into deep, cold granite pools (where the brave or the furry can cool off). Young or elderly hikers might need a hand at a few points on the climb, but the path is well-worn and largely friendly to all generations. Make it all the way up to Squaw Valley Ski Resort’s High Camp lodge and you can spare your knees by taking a free aerial tram ride back down to the base.
TOP OF THE WORLD: TAHOE RIM TRAIL
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2 miles to 10 miles (one way)
Start Elevation: 8,600 feet
Climb: 300 feet
Season: August through October
Park: Paved or dirt lot at south end of Tahoe Meadows
Highlight: Breathtaking views without a breathtaking climb
Dogs: Allowed
The Tahoe Rim Trail is rated one of the best walks in the country by outdoor and travel media every year. There are a number of spots where day-hikers can
conveniently access the ridge-top route, but one of the easiest is in Tahoe Meadows off Nevada State Route 431. Departing from this northern point, the Rim Trail heads south to some of Tahoe’s most spectacular views. There are a number of spots with views of scenic ridges that can serve as impromptu destinations for out-and-back hikes. Or head one-way all the way to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and descend a sandy road to Incline Village. Mountain bikers are only allowed along this entire route on even-numbered calendar days.
PACIFIC CRESTING: DONNER SUMMIT
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Distance: 2.8 miles to 14.2 miles (one way)
Start Elevation: 7,031 feet
Climb: 1,200 feet
Season: Mid-summer until snowfall
Park: Donner Pass, Old Highway 40
Highlight: Walk in the footsteps of the pioneers
Dogs: Well-behaved or leashed
One of the most accessible sections of the famous Pacific Crest Trail is south of Donner Summit near Truckee. Head south from one of many parking spots and you’ll soon be climbing up a wooded ridge toward Mount Judah, then to Mount Lincoln or beyond to peaks stretching toward Tahoe. Take a comfortable out-and-back hike or go “peak bagging” all day to Squaw Valley. Near the hike’s start are the first Intercontinental Railroad tunnels, chiseled through solid granite by Chinese laborers in the 1860s, now abandoned and ripe for exploration (take a flashlight and a friend).
OTHER GREAT HIKES
Eagle Rock: Easy. A short scramble up a lakeside volcanic “plug” to sublime views.
Stateline Lookout: Easy. Drive up behind the casinos for a short stroll to a scenic viewpoint
Page Meadows: Easy. Drive through a residential neighborhood to a short trail into meadows.
Rubicon Trail: Moderate. A thrilling journey above the cliff-lined shore from D.L. Bliss to Emerald Bay state parks.
Eagle Falls Trail: Moderate. A sometimes very busy but rewarding climb up to a taste of High Sierra beauty.
Brockway to Mount Baldy: Moderate. An easily accessed, entertaining section of the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Flume Trail: Moderate to strenuous. This famous mountain-bike route also makes for a stunning hike.
Stanford Rock Loop: Strenuous. Make the steep climb up out of the forest to stunning lake views.
Mt. Rose: Strenuous. Summit one the region’s highest peaks, a 2,078-foot climb and 10-mile round-trip.