Please recommend best day hike Lake Tahoe (camping, safe)

[itinérant]

Okay. I'm going to post this here for three main reasons:

1. I already asked this question weeks ago on the California forum and got zero responses
2. I would like to go Wednesday (sorry for the short-term notice)
3. I got some really, really helpful suggestions when I asked for information on trails in the Bay area

***

So, I would like to go on a day hike at Lake Tahoe. Looking for a trail that takes you to the lake so I can take some pictures. 5-6 miles out and back sounds like a reasonable distance. Would consider a little shorter or longer for a nicer trail. Want something that is wild and has a good mix of mountains, flora and, ultimately, Lake Tahoe.

It must be a day hike. I will not be camping. Also, I need to be able to walk up in good tennis shoes. I would have to pack extremely light (i.e., water and snacks).

Thanks for the tips, and prompt responses are appreciated!

P.S. The weather is supposed to be nice on Wednesday.

[BurnInTheMil]

Echo Lakes Trail is a decent hike ( I think around 5 miles out & bike ) and has some pretty scenery. I hiked it last year and it was definitely worth it.

Tamarak Lake is also a great trail & hike. It’s a little longer ( around 7ish miles) but again is worth it

[Hemlock140]

My favorite is the Skunk Harbor trail, highway 28 on the east side in Nevada. There is a small parking area about halfway between Secret Harbor and the junction with Highway 50. It's not long, about 1.5 miles and steep at times but goes past an old mining railroad track and ends up at the lake, where there is access to the water. You have to backtrack, no loop, but in
spring there are wildflowers.

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/...k-harbor-trail

Another we like has great lake views but goes way up above it, so not near the water. It's the Stateline Lookout Trail that begins behind the Tahoe Biltmore at stateline on the north shore. It's another short one, less than a mile but steep.

Stateline Lookout Trail: an easy hike with spectacular views of North Lake Tahoe - CalEXPLORnia

You could easily do both in half a day.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by itinérant

Okay. I'm going to post this here for three main reasons:

1. I already asked this question weeks ago on the California forum and got zero responses
2. I would like to go Wednesday (sorry for the short-term notice)
3. I got some really, really helpful suggestions when I asked for information on trails in the Bay area

***

So, I would like to go on a day hike at Lake Tahoe. Looking for a trail that takes you to the lake so I can take some pictures. 5-6 miles out and back sounds like a reasonable distance. Would consider a little shorter or longer for a nicer trail. Want something that is wild and has a good mix of mountains, flora and, ultimately, Lake Tahoe.

It must be a day hike. I will not be camping. Also, I need to be able to walk up in good tennis shoes. I would have to pack extremely light (i.e., water and snacks).

Thanks for the tips, and prompt responses are appreciated!

P.S. The weather is supposed to be nice on Wednesday.

If you haven't gone for your hike yet, I'd also suggest the Rubicon Trail: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/c.../rubicon-trail

It can be a bit crowded on a summer weekend day, but it's the off season now and you'd be going on a weekday. It has wonderful scenery, follows the lake along its route, and it's an out-and-back (so you can turn around whenever you've gone far enough.


There are many other good hikes that can be done from the Emerald Bay area, as well. Some lead into the Desolation wilderness, but that's a different kind of experience (and takes you away from the lake).

Other areas have great trails, too - but this would be a good area to start.

[itinérant]

Thanks for these tips. No, I haven't gone yet. I'll decide on something soon though. Hope I can beat the snow.

[04kL4nD]

Ellis Peak trail is my favorite, but probably too tough in the winter (it's hard enough in the summer...)

[itinérant]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Ellis Peak trail is my favorite, but probably too tough in the winter (it's hard enough in the summer...)

Do you think it is already snowy/icy up there?

[itinérant]

Originally Posted by HockeyMac18

If you haven't gone for your hike yet, I'd also suggest the Rubicon Trail: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/c.../rubicon-trail

It can be a bit crowded on a summer weekend day, but it's the off season now and you'd be going on a weekday. It has wonderful scenery, follows the lake along its route, and it's an out-and-back (so you can turn around whenever you've gone far enough.


There are many other good hikes that can be done from the Emerald Bay area, as well. Some lead into the Desolation wilderness, but that's a different kind of experience (and takes you away from the lake).

Other areas have great trails, too - but this would be a good area to start.

That link says the trail is best used from March until September. Is it safe to hike up there right now? I don't have snowshoes or anything. Just tennis shoes.

Also, it says 12 miles out an back? Does that mean you have to hike 12 miles to get to the lake or just six?

[itinérant]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

My favorite is the Skunk Harbor trail, highway 28 on the east side in Nevada. There is a small parking area about halfway between Secret Harbor and the junction with Highway 50. It's not long, about 1.5 miles and steep at times but goes past an old mining railroad track and ends up at the lake, where there is access to the water. You have to backtrack, no loop, but in
spring there are wildflowers.

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/...k-harbor-trail

Another we like has great lake views but goes way up above it, so not near the water. It's the Stateline Lookout Trail that begins behind the Tahoe Biltmore at stateline on the north shore. It's another short one, less than a mile but steep.

Stateline Lookout Trail: an easy hike with spectacular views of North Lake Tahoe - CalEXPLORnia

You could easily do both in half a day.

This sounds like a good plan for a newbie like me. Thanks.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by itinérant

That link says the trail is best used from March until September. Is it safe to hike up there right now? I don't have snowshoes or anything. Just tennis shoes.

Also, it says 12 miles out an back? Does that mean you have to hike 12 miles to get to the lake or just six?

The Rubicon Trail is about as low as you can be in the Tahoe Basin. It very closely follows the water line.

If it's snowing at the lake Tahoe, there will be snow there. But if you can't hike the Rubicon trail because of snow, you'll likely not be able to do much hiking anywhere else in Tahoe since almost everything else will be much higher. This is one of your requirements from your first post (wanting to hike near/along the lake).


I don't really get that "best" rating mentioned. There is very rarely snow at that elevation in September (I honestly can't think of any examples of it snowing at ~6000 feet in September)...It is, in my opinion, the majority of the year. And I'd actually argue that September-October are possibly the BEST times (no crowds, clear cool weather, days getting shorter but still of reasonable length).


Snow at lake level, in most winters, is not that extreme. It is not uncommon for there to be little to no snow at lake level through a winter (depends...last winter we had a lot...a few winters before, nothing). That said, the forecast the Tahoe basin looks pretty cold coming up.

I'd keep a close eye on the various webcams in Tahoe and make your judgment on whether you want to trek up there for a hike.
http://tahoetopia.com/webcams/lake-tahoe-webcam-map
https://tahoesouth.com/lake-tahoe-web-cams/

You'd probably be fine (if it snows, it'll probably melt quickly at lake level, or not be that deep) - but I wouldn't want to convince you to do something you're not comfortable doing.


To your last point, that is the entire distance of the trail from one end to the other, and then back again to the start. Since it's an out and back, you can start from either end and just walk as far as you are comfortable. The southern end loops around Emerald Bay, and is quite scenic. There are actually a couple of trailhead options on that end. The northern end follows the main part of the lake, and is also very scenic.

But, you can really go as long as you want. Want to make it short? Walk out a half mile, or so, and turn around...making the hike a mile. And if you want to do all 6 miles out and back, you can go for that, too.

I'd characterize this trail as on the easier side (by Sierra standards) - although there is some up and down, and you are ~6000 feet up (so will take the wind out of you just from that perspective).



If you do end up making the drive out there, and there is some snow (and don't feel comfortable "hiking"), I'd take a drive around the lake and just pull over where it looks interesting. There are a lot of small trails leading out at various points around the lake (to look outs or to other interesting landmarks). A drive around the lake on its own is a really nice experience.