Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. Mike White

call to search and rescue.

      Gear Depending on the remoteness and rigor of the trail, there are many additional useful items to consider: pocketknife, flashlight, fire source (waterproof matches, light, or flint), and a first-aid kit.

      Every member of your party should carry the appropriate essential items described above; groups often split up or get separated along the trail. Solo hikers should be even more disciplined about preparation and make a habit of carrying a little more gear than absolutely necessary. Traveling solo is inherently more risky. This isn’t meant to discourage solo travel, simply to emphasize the need for extra preparation.

Trail Etiquette

      The overriding rule on the trail is “Leave No Trace.” Interest in visiting natural areas continues to increase, even as the quantity of unspoiled natural areas continues to shrink. These pressures make it ever more critical that we leave no trace of our visit.

      Never Litter If you carried it in, it’s easy enough to carry it out. Leave the trail in the same, if not better, condition than you find it. Try picking up any litter you encounter and packing it out—it’s a great feeling! Pack a spare plastic bag to carry litter. Just picking up a few pieces of garbage makes a difference.

      Stay on the Trail Paths have been created, sometimes over many years, for many purposes: to protect the surrounding natural areas, to avoid dangers, and to provide the best route. Leaving the trail can cause damage that takes years to undo. Never cut switchbacks. Shortcutting rarely saves energy or time, and it takes a terrible toll on the land, trampling plant life and hastening erosion. Moreover, safety and consideration intersect on the trail. It’s hard to get truly lost if you stay on the trail.

      Share the Trail The best trails attract many visitors and you should be prepared to share the trail with others. Do your part to minimize impact. Commonly accepted trail etiquette dictates that bike riders yield to both hikers and equestrians, hikers yield to horseback riders, downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers, and everyone stays to the right. Not everyone knows these rules of the road, so let common sense and good humor be the final guide.

      Trail Etiquette

       Leave no trace. Never litter.

       Stay on the trail.

       Share the trail.

       Leave it there.

      Leave It There Destruction or removal of plants and animals or historical, prehistoric, or geological items is certainly unethical and almost always illegal.

      Getting Lost If you become lost on the trail, stay on the trail. Stop and take stock of the situation. In many cases, a few minutes of calm reflection will yield a solution. Consider all the clues available; use the sun to identify directions if you don’t have a compass. If you determine that you are indeed lost, stay put. You are more likely to encounter other people if you stay in one place.

      Cliffs in Powderhorn Canyon (Trail 20)

      CHAPTER 1

      North Tahoe

       1. Mount Lola and White Rock Lake

       2. Sagehen Creek

       3. Summit Lake, Frog Lake Overlook, and Warren Lake

       4. Castle Peak

       5. Castle Valley, Round Valley, and Andesite Peak

       6. Loch Leven Lakes

       7. Mount Judah Loop

       8. Pacific Crest Trail: Donner Pass to Squaw Valley

       9. Granite Chief

       10. Five Lakes Basin

       11. Tahoe Rim Trail: Tahoe City to Truckee River Canyon Viewpoint

       12. Mount Rose

       13. Rim to Reno Trail

       14. Tahoe Meadows Nature Trails

       15. Tahoe Rim Trail: Tahoe Meadows to Brockway Summit

       16. Tahoe Rim Trail: Tahoe Meadows to Twin Lakes

      Overleaf: Castle Peak (Trail 4)

      AREA OVERVIEW

      North Tahoe

      The north Tahoe region contains some splendid backcountry, boasting many of the area’s best trails. Whether you’re searching for expansive vistas, serene lakes, or vivid wildflower displays, you have plenty to choose from amid the diverse terrain at the north end of the lake. Access to the trailheads is straightforward, thanks primarily to the four-lane freeway of I-80, as well as the Mount Rose Highway (NV 431) and CA 89 and CA 267.

      Permits and Maps

      The north Tahoe area straddles the border between Nevada and California, and administration of the backcountry is divided between the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest; the Truckee, Sierraville, and Nevada City Ranger Districts of the Tahoe National Forest; and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The 28,000-acre Mount Rose Wilderness and the 19,050-acre Granite Chief Wilderness are the only designated wilderness areas at the north end of the lake, but the proposed Castle Peak Wilderness would add another 18,000 acres. Currently, permits are not required for either day or overnight trips.

      Maps of the north Tahoe region are available at U.S. Forest Service ranger stations in Nevada City, Grass Valley, Sierraville, Truckee, Sparks, and Carson City. The best maps for trail use are the USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles. Specific maps for the trails covered in this section are listed in Appendix 4.

      AREA MAP

      TRAIL FEATURES TABLE

      TRAIL SUMMARIES

      North Tahoe

      TRAIL 1

      Hike, Run, Bike, Horses, Dogs Allowed

      10.4 or 14.4 miles, Out-and-back

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4