The namesake of an entire wilderness area, Granite Chief is one of the highest and most visible peaks of the Granite Chief Wilderness, and the northern Lake Tahoe Basin.
At just over 9,000 feet, Granite Chief isn’t the biggest mountain, but with a trailhead elevation of only about 6,200 feet, a journey to the top is a tough day! Starting from the Palisades Tahoe resort in Olympic Valley, this hike will take you to the highest reaches of the ski area, and to the summit at the wilderness’s edge!
Miles/Elevation:
With Tram Down
7.6 miles
3,028 feet vertical gain
Without Tram Down
11.6 miles
3,150 feet vertical gain
About Tahoe National Forest:
The setting for this hike is Tahoe National Forest. One of the many national forests in the Sierra Nevada, Tahoe National Forest receives far fewer visitors than the much more famous national parks, and even though it shares its name with the stunning Lake Tahoe, much of the forest is miles and miles north and west from its namesake lake.
At almost 900,000 acres, Tahoe National Forest contains miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, 4 wheel drive roads, beautiful highways, and high mountain peaks. If you’re looking for a quiet and secluded backpacking trip, you can find it here. If you’re looking for an off road Jeep adventure you can find that here too!
Getting To The Trailhead:
The trailhead to access Granite Chief is located near Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley. .
From Reno, take I-80 heading west until you reach the exit for highway 89. Follow 89 south up the Truckee River towards Lake Tahoe until you reach the turn to Olympic Valley. From anywhere near the south shore of Tahoe, follow highway 89 north until you reach Olympic Valley. From the east shore, follow either highway 50 or 28 until you reach 89.
Once in Olympic Valley, find a parking spot near either the Olympic Village Event Center or the Palisades Tahoe Village. There is free parking at the village and the Alpine Lodge Base Area. From wherever you park, you may need to follow the road a little ways to the beginning of the actual trail. It’s useful to have Alltrails or another GPS map open while finding the trail!
Tips:
- Check the tram schedule/calendar to ensure you can catch a ride down.
The Granite Chief Trail:
The Granite Chief Trail To The PCT:
From wherever you park, follow Chamonix Place to the back of the Olympic Village Inn to reach the trail. There are a couple of obscure use trails that leave the road which take you to the trail itself.
Once on the main Granite Chief Trail, you’ll have about 3 miles to cover before reaching the PCT. To start, the trail is fairly mellow as it slowly ascends up and away from Olympic Valley.
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Over the course of the first 2 miles though you will gain about 1,000 vertical feet. This isn’t an especially steep climb, but the incline of roughly 500 feet per mile is certainly noticeable!
Tahoe is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
As you climb, the views overlooking the valley will continue to open up, and really it doesn’t take too long to get some really nice looks back down. You’ll be in the forest for the first couple of miles so the views are not constant, but when you get them they are nice! On the far side of the valley, the peaks aren’t massive, but there are some pretty huge vertical walls!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
About halfway to the PCT, the trail enters more open, though rockier, terrain and kicks up. The incline increases and you’ll be faced with rough stone stairs which require some big steps to get up. While it does get more difficult, the views also become consistent looking back over the valley in this more open terrain!
Check out the Stevens Trail in the foothills below Tahoe for great spring hiking!
You will then reach a large open rocky ramp. Rather than continuing straight on this ramp (which feels right because the peaks are all in front of you at this point) veer right. You will never really be climbing straight up the middle of the valley. Instead, the trail sticks to the right (northern) edge.
The hike to Fordyce Falls near Spaulding Lake is another good hike in the Sierra foothills!
Above the ramp, the trail reenters thick forest and begins the final ascent towards the PCT. The trail in this alpine forest is initially pretty flat, but it will quickly begin climbing in earnest. As you near the PCT, the gradient remains relentless, and on the final approach to the intersection, you will be forced to navigate a steep series of switchbacks. Finally, after about 3.5 miles of hiking and nearly 2,000 feet of climbing, you will reach the Pacific Crest Trail!
On The PCT:
The High Meadows to Cold Creek hike is a great moderate option in Tahoe!
Once on the PCT, I’d recommend taking a little breather if you haven’t yet because the climbing isn’t over! The first half mile on the PCT is actually pretty flat. Following a mild climb to start, you’ll actually have a bit of descending to do. After the descent, you will pass an open meadow right below the summit of Granite Chief!
For the most iconic Tahoe hike, you have to check out the Rubicon Trail!
Beyond that open meadow, the final climb begins. You’ll have a series of switchbacks to navigate which will force you up another 220 feet or so. After another brief descent, you will hit another set of switchbacks with about 300 feet of climbing. Atop this set of switchbacks, you’ll begin the climb up towards the summit!
The Summit Push:
At the top of the switchbacks, you will see an open incline leading up to your right. At the top of this incline is a chairlift. Begin up this incline to access the summit!
Check out the Martis Peak Trail for a moderate Tahoe summit hike!
The actual trail ends here, but there is a clear use trail that leads all the way to the summit of Granite Chief. Instead of following this ramp all the way to the chair lift, find the fencing on the left. Look for a light use trail branching off to the left just in front of and below this fencing. It’s hard to see at first, but once you find it, follow the use trail to the summit!
For an even more brutal day, complete a triple summit day of Freel Peak, Jobs Sister, and Jobs Peak!
The use trail leading to Granite Chief’s summit is very steep and very sandy, not a great combination. At first, it’s not too bad but it will get worse, I promise! There isn’t really a ton to say about this final ascent. It’s steep, it’s sandy, it’s slippery at times. Really, it’s just a slog to finish off the climb!
The hike to Lake Genevieve and Crag Lake is a long but gentle Tahoe area hike!
The steepest climbing is at the very top, but after a difficult final 300 feet of ascending you will reach the summit of Granite Chief! The views in every direction are incredible! My favorite was looking back down to Olympic Valley nearly 3,000 feet below with Lake Tahoe in the distance! However, looking south there are a ton of impressive peaks with Squaw Peak in the foreground and Twin Peaks a bit farther out!
The views looking north and west are excellent as well, but the summits just aren’t quite as impressive! Enjoy the summit, sign the summit register, and take it all in!
Down To The Tram:
Whenever you’re ready to head down, first retrace your steps back down from the summit. This first bit of descending is very tricky, as the trail is loose, steep, and sandy! We really had to take it slow getting off the summit, and even with our very slow pace we still were slipping constantly!
Once off of Granite Chief itself, do not return the way you came; there are easier ways to get back to the valley! I guess you could do this as an out and back, but that would be a poor choice in my opinion. Either take the tram down or make this a loop hike. Either way, don’t go back the way you came!
Instead of taking a left to get back on the PCT, take a right followed by a very quick left to head towards the tram. You should be able to see the trail, but basically what you have to do is cross the open meadows between yourself and Squaw Peak. The trail here is overgrown in spots, but you should be able to see your destination and find your way!
Summit Mt Tallac, one of South Lake Tahoe’s most iconic peaks!
Across the meadows, there are four different trails you could take. Follow the leftmost trail to descend around the flank of Squaw Peak towards the tram.
We were expecting a nice and easy descent at this point to the tram, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. The trail around Squaw Peak is a mess, and at some points almost totally drops out. It’s a narrow single track that traverses the steep scree slopes near the base of the peak; sometimes the trail is fine, and sometimes it’s hard to even keep your footing!
For an easy day hike, head to Galena Falls!
In spots erosion has washed out gullies that you need to scramble into and out of. It’s rare to have a spot where both feet can be placed flat on the ground. It’s a rough trail, and even though the worst of it doesn’t last all that long, it’s frustrating after climbing 3,000 feet and then expecting an easy hike down to the tram!
The hike to the summit of Mt Rose is a great day on the north shore of Tahoe!
Before long though you’ll be through the worst of it and onto gravel roads heading towards the tram. From here, simply hop onto the tram (which should be free to take down) if it is running. If however it is not running, or you just want more hiking, you can hike all the way down from here as well.
For two summits near Lake Tahoe, hit Mt Houghton and Relay Peak on the same day!
From just above the tram, look to the left for the Shirley Canyon Trail which will take you back down to the valley if you want more hiking! It’s about 3 miles back down to the resorts below with roughly 2,000 feet of descending, so if you want more, here it is!
Anyway, whatever route you choose, you’ll eventually find yourself back in Olympic Valley having summited one of the highest peaks in the north Tahoe area!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10
The hiking on this trail is good throughout, but for me the terrain nor the trail ever reach truly great levels. There are very good views throughout, but nothing I would call world class. The trail quality is generally solid, but the approach to the summit kind of sucks, and there are other places where the trail is extremely rough and rocky.
This is a nice hike, but it’s kind of forgettable and does nothing to really stand out above any other summit hike around Tahoe. Worth doing, but there are better hikes to be found.
Pros:
- Big views
- Optional tram ride down
- Mountain summit
Cons:
- Rough and steep trail at times
- Ski resort infrastructure
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike Granite Chief:
While the Lake Tahoe area is a haven for athletes at all times of year, hiking is best done here in the warmer months. Tahoe is famous for its massive snowfall, so trails can be snowed in into the summer.
This hike reaches pretty high elevation, and snow will linger up here later than the nearby lower elevation areas. Most years, expect to still be encountering snow well into June, with conditions becoming reliably snow free in July, though you may be able to hike it without snow earlier. Snow is possible anytime during the year at high elevation, but conditions should be snow free until late September or October.
This hike can be done anytime there isn’t a ton of snow on the ground. However, I would personally recommend this hike between late June and September, and the broader Tahoe area anytime between June and October.
Links For Further Reading:
Granite Chief Trail from Olympic Valley : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost.
Granite Chief via Granite Chief Trail, PCT, and Aerial Tram | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
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