On a rainy weekend in Tahoe, we still got out on the trails, which in hindsight knowing it would proceed to rain nearly the whole weekend maybe wasn’t the best thing to do! Lake Tahoe hiking is usually under clear blue skies, but on this instance, it was gray, windy, and drizzly! Even though the conditions weren’t perfect, we still had a good time being out on the trail!
Miles/Elevation:
9.6 miles
1,414 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 from its namesake lake.
At almost 900,000 acres, Tahoe National Forest contains miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, off roading 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!
The trailhead does not have parking fees.
Getting To The Trailhead:
The trailhead for the Tahoe City Rim Trail Loop is across the street from the Fairway Community Center in Tahoe City California. From the north, exit I-80 onto highway 89 and follow it south to Tahoe City. At the traffic circle in Tahoe City, turn left through the traffic circle onto highway 28. Take a quick left onto Fairway Drive and follow it about a quarter mile to the parking lot at the community center.
From the south, follow highway 89 to Tahoe City. Continue onto highway 28, and then Fairway to the parking lot. From the west, follow highway 28 to Tahoe City and then turn onto Fairway.
The Tahoe City Rim Trail Loop:
The Tahoe Rim Trail:
From the parking lot, cross the road and immediately begin hiking up the initial slope. While this first climb is not overly steep by just about any measure, it’s a bit of a climb. You’ll gain a bit over 300 vertical feet in the first half mile, but after that the trail is very moderate. You will not encounter any sections even this steep over the course of the rest of the hike!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
After a bit over a half mile, you’ll reach the first of 2 back to back intersections with fire roads. In both cases, continue straight through the intersections to stay on the singletrack Tahoe Rim Trail.
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
Throughout the first mile, you’ll have occasional broken looks at the lake through the trees, but after about a mile, you’ll get your first panoramic views of the day. You will emerge on the top of a cliff looking over the Truckee River. From this vantage, you will be able to see numerous peaks across the water, as well as over the lake itself!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
You will in essence be following this cliff above the Truckee River for the next 3 miles, and then reemerging on it later, so you’ll have lots of similar views! The trail up here continues to be excellent, and allows for making very good time. Despite the poor conditions, the views over the valley were still nice, and I imagine this stretch would be awesome in good weather!
The High Meadows to Cold Creek hike is a great moderate option in Tahoe!
At the 3.6 mile mark, the trail takes a sharp rightward turn and heads away from the cliff edge deeper into the forest. Once this happens, you have about a mile and a half until the highpoint of the hike!
For a brutally long day, complete a triple summit day of Freel Peak, Jobs Sister, and Jobs Peak!
The hike through the woods towards the highpoint is very moderate and never gets steep. Over a mile and a half, you’ll only gain around 400 vertical feet, and those 400 feet are very well spread out. Eventually, the trail will become very rocky which signals your return to the cliff edge!
The hike to Lake Genevieve and Crag Lake is a long but gentle Tahoe area hike!
When you break through the trees and emerge back at the dropoff, you’ll be greeted by the best view of the day! There is a lookout point here that has awesome views directly across the river to the mountains beyond, and it seems like you can see everything! To the south, Tahoe shines brightly, and to the north the Sierra fade into the distance!
From the lookout point, the highpoint is just feet away, and once there you will encounter what I think is technically a mountain, but I’m not really sure. It’s marked as a mountain on my map, but it really doesn’t look like one!
The “summit” of Cinder Cone lies just a 100 feet or so from the trail. It’s a 30 or so foot high pile of rocks, and we figured why not summit it! We didn’t really gain anything new at the summit, but technically maybe we climbed a mountain!
For the most iconic Tahoe hike, you have to check out the Rubicon Trail!
Follow the Rim Trail for another half a mile on a slight downhill grade, and you’ll quickly arrive at an intersection. This half mile took a little longer than we anticipated due to some leftover snowfields, but upon arriving at the intersection, take a right to continue onto the Powerline Trail.
The Powerline Trail:
The Powerline Trail is the next leg on this loop, and honestly it was incredibly underwhelming. The views thus far had been consistently really good, but from here on out there would basically be none to speak of.
The trail follows a buried power line which you will frequently be seeing signs for just off the trail, and it is nothing more than a walk in the woods. The grade is gentle though, so at least it goes by quickly.
You’ll eventually come to an intersection with a road. Continue straight through the road and stay on the trail. At the next intersection, take a right to continue on the Ocelot Trail.
The Ocelot Trail:
By this point, evidence of mountain bikes will be all over, and I’m pretty sure that this area is more known as a mountain bike park than a hiking area. That’s fine, but it does mean that hiking isn’t really the point.
The Ocelot is more of the same as the Powerline Trail, walking through the woods. It’s fine and it goes by quickly, but there really isn’t anything notable to mention. You’ll eventually intersect the fire road again, and once you see it, continue on the road!
Mt Watson Access Road:
This road is the Mt Watson Access Road and you’ll be following it back down to the trailhead. There again isn’t that much to say about it. The grade isn’t anything too crazy, the views are non-existent, and it goes by quickly.
You’ll see some evidence of logging on the road, and there were signs that indicated you could see logging trucks here though we didn’t encounter any. Soon, you’ll be passing by houses as you rejoin paved roads. Once you’re back on the pavement, the trailhead is just around the corner and you’re done!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 7/10
I’m giving this trail a 7/10, but it had a couple of things going against it the day we did it. For one, the weather was terrible. Overcast, drizzle, and fog isn’t quite ideal hiking weather, and spirits would have been higher and views would have been better with clearer weather. Additionally, the second half of this loop is totally forgettable. I would 100% make this an out and back to the viewpoints near Cinder Cone.
If you hiked this trail as an out and back to Cinder Cone, it would be a very pleasant 8/10. You would have consistently good views, the trail is really nice, and it’s not even a difficult hike. As we did it, it wasn’t great. The better version would be a solid hike though!
Pros:
- Nice views
- Excellent trail quality
Cons:
- Second half of loop is very underwhelming
- No real final destination
- Mountain bike trails
Alternative Hikes:
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 is pretty high in elevation, so snow will linger up here later than the nearby lower elevation areas. Most years, expect to still be encountering snow well into May, with conditions becoming reliably snow free in June, 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, and even then could make for a nice snowshoe hike or cross country ski outing! I would personally recommend this hike between June and September, and the broader Tahoe area anytime between June and October.
Links For Further Reading:
Tahoe City Rim Trail Loop – California | AllTrails
A Guide to the Tahoe City Rim Trail Loop | 10Adventures
CJ
February 20, 2024Wow, the Tahoe City Rim Trail Loop sounds like an amazing hike! The views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains must be absolutely breathtaking. Can’t wait to experience it myself!