Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. Mike White

miles, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Tahoe Meadows Nature Trails

      Four short nature trails sample some of the highlights of Tahoe Meadows, a large subalpine clearing carpeted with wildflowers and teeming with life. The wide, pleasantly graded Interpretive Loop Trail is well suited to wheelchair-bound naturalists and families with young children. The three loops in the lower meadows add forested sections to the meadow rambles.

      TRAIL 15

      Hike, Run, Bike, Dogs Allowed

      19.5 miles, Point-to-point

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Tahoe Rim Trail: Tahoe Meadows to Brockway Summit

      Several miles of this section of the Tahoe Rim Trail cross south-facing volcanic slopes at or just below the crest of an exposed ridge. Here are some of the most panoramic Lake Tahoe views available anywhere in the basin. The 19.5-mile distance, combined with a lack of access from connecting trails, ensures that you’ll have most of the trail to yourself, at least in the middle of the route.

      TRAIL 16

      Hike, Run, Horses, Bike (even days only), Dogs Allowed

      19.0 miles, Out-and-back

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Tahoe Rim Trail: Tahoe Meadows to Twin Lakes

      After an initial climb from Tahoe Meadows, this part of the Tahoe Rim Trail closely follows the crest of the Carson Range, offering fine views of Lake Tahoe to the west and the Great Basin to the east. A number of connecting roads and trails present plenty of trip alternatives, especially for mountain bikers.

      TRAIL 1 NORTH TAHOE

      Mount Lola and White Rock Lake

      TRAIL USE

      Hike, Run, Bike, Horses, Dogs Allowed

      LENGTH

      14.4 miles, 8 hours

      VERTICAL FEET

      ±2,550

      DIFFICULTY

      – 1 2 3 4 5 +

      TRAIL TYPE

      Out-and-back

      SURFACE TYPE

      Dirt

      FEATURES

      Canyon

      Mountain

      Summit

      Stream

      Shore

      Wildflowers

      Great Views

      Photo Opportunity

      Camping

      Secluded

      FACILITIES

      None

      A nearly forgotten trail north of Lake Tahoe takes hikers to a far-ranging view of the northern Sierra. Those with extra time and energy have the option of adding a 2-mile extension to picturesque White Rock Lake.

      Best Time

      The trail up the mountain is usually snow-free by mid-July, when wildflowers along Cold Stream are entering their peak.

      Finding the Trail

      Near the west end of Truckee, follow CA 89 north of I-80 for 14.5 miles to a left-hand turn onto Forest Route 07. Proceed on paved road for 1.5 miles, to a left-hand turn onto FR 07-10. Follow this gravel road to a bridge over the Little Truckee River and continue to an unsigned junction with Henness Pass Road, 0.6 mile from FR 07. Turn right and drive on Henness Pass Road for 3.1 miles to a spur road on the left, signed MT LOLA TRAIL. The trailhead parking area is a short distance up this road.

      Logistics

      Though the Mount Lola Trail is closed to all motor vehicles, a four-wheel-drive road closely parallels the trail through Cold Stream Valley. In addition, White Rock Lake is accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles via a road on the west side of the lake.

      At 9,143 feet, Mount Lola is the highest summit between the Tahoe Basin and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

      Trail Description

1 Singletrack trail leads away from the trailhead on a moderate climb through mixed forest of western white pines, lodgepole pines, and white firs. At 0.6 mile, hop across a small seasonal stream lined with a tangle of alders and young aspens and continue the climb toward the mouth of Cold Stream Canyon. Where the singletrack trail merges with an old roadbed, you head upstream high above the level of the creek. Gaps in the mixed forest allow enough sunlight for an understory of tobacco brush, pinemat manzanita, and currant. Farther up the canyon the trail eventually draws closer to Cold Stream before intersecting a well-traveled road, 2.2 miles from the trailhead.

      Walk along the road to a substantial wood bridge that spans the stream, and soon encounter a fork in the road. Take the left-hand fork and head upstream a short way to the resumption of singletrack trail on the left, which is unsigned but marked by a series of metal diamonds. Within a stone’s throw of the road to the right and the creek to the left, you continue upstream on mildly graded trail beneath mixed forest until breaking out into the open at Cold Stream Meadows. Dotted with clumps of willow and carpeted with a variety of grasses and wildflowers, the meadow lends a pastoral feel to the surroundings. A spur road near the far end of the meadow leads to a campsite in a copse of trees that’s sure to lure overnighters.

       Camping

      Just beyond the spur to the campsite, the route follows the main road briefly until singletrack trail resumes where the road bends sharply toward a crossing of Cold Stream. You proceed upstream for a while on mildly graded trail, hopping over a pair of tiny rivulets along the way. As the canyon narrows, the grade of the ascent increases and the trail draws nearer to the diminishing stream, crossing to the east bank at 3.8 miles from the trailhead.

       Stream

You climb more steeply up the canyon after the creek crossing, reaching a faint use trail after 0.25 mile that soon leads to a view of a short waterfall, where the braided stream courses through moss-covered channels and tumbles picturesquely down a slanted rock face. Beyond the fall, the trail angles away from Cold Creek and ascends into the realm of mountain hemlocks. After a prominent switchback, the trees part enough to allow a glimpse of the upper slopes of Mount Lola and, as you follow the winding trail up the northeast ridge of the peak, other landmarks spring into view, including Independence Lake to the east and Castle Peak to the south. Reaching the summit, the incredible 360-degree view is ample reward for the toil of the ascent. 2 Scores of peaks are visible from Mount Lola, including Lassen Peak, Sierra Buttes, Mount Rose, and Freel Peak. You’ll also see verdant plains such as Sierra Valley and Martis Valley, and many bodies of water, such as Stampede, Boca, and Prosser Reservoirs. An old wooden sign reading MT. LOLA, ELEV. 9143 FT. marks the top, along with