So you want to climb a mountain!  Maybe it’s your first time and you’ve never done it before, maybe you’ve climbed lots of mountains before and have caught the itch.  Either way, awesome!  Climbing mountains is great, and if you find yourself in California, perhaps the best place to climb mountains is Lake Tahoe.

While the mountains around Lake Tahoe are not the highest in California by a long shot, the peaks here are big enough to be impressive, but accessible enough to be doable for most fit hikers.  If you’re an experienced mountaineer, this list may look a bit mundane, but for the average hikers and the beginners, these peaks are all fantastic!

Ranging from the far northern reaches of what could be called “Tahoe” up by I-80 all the way down south of South Lake, we compiled a list of the best summit hikes you can find.  Did we miss a good one?  Perhaps, but the peaks on this list are pretty darn good!  

We ranked them in order of best route to least best route (none are bad, some are just not as great), and in addition, identified the one great thing about each peak!  Some of these mountains are prominent, famous, peaks visible from dozens of miles away.  Some are hardly noticeable, just bumps on a ridgeline.  Some are vertical granite behemoths.  Some are forested humps.

Each of these routes does something really well, and we can appreciate each for what it provides!  All of the trails on this list are at least moderate hikes.  These are not easy.  You will definitely sweat on all of these, and if you are not in very good shape, you may not be able to do them all.  For people in good to great shape, these are some of the best summit hikes you’ll find in the Tahoe area!

We hope this list helps get you on a mountain summit!

1.) The Mt Rose-Mt Houghton-Relay Peak Loop: Best for a huge day

For an easy day hike, stop at Galena Falls!

If you’re looking for a monster hike that will have you out on trail for most of a day, this is the one!  Connecting a trio of 10,000 foot peaks on the north shore of the lake, this loop is a beast!  First you’ll pass Galena Falls on your way to the summit of Mt Rose, the Tahoe Basin’s third highest summit!

From Rose, you’ll descend back towards Galena Falls, and then begin the ascent towards Mt Houghton.  From Houghton, Relay is an easy ridgewalk away!  None of these peaks on their own are necessarily all that incredible (Mt Rose is a pretty cool mountain though) but when combined, this route is fantastic!  There is only one other route around Tahoe with higher peaks than this!

You’ll hit 3 of Tahoe’s 6 highest peaks on this loop, so for high elevation, big mountains, and some fun ridgewalking, this is a great one!

2.) Mt Tallac: Best views

Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!

If you’ve ever been to South Lake Tahoe and looked west, you’ve seen Mt Tallac.  Probably the most prominent peak in South Lake, Tallac has some of the best views you’ll find anywhere around here, and really just anywhere!

Tallac is not one of the region’s highest peaks, and at about 9,700 feet, it’s a full 1,000 feet shorter than the highest peaks in the area.  However, Tallac rises dramatically, especially on its easily seen eastern face making this a famous and dramatic peak!  A well marked trail leads up to the summit block, and the summit block has a great little scramble to the summit proper!  

For big time views and a well known peak, Tallac is the answer!

3.) Pyramid Peak: Best looking peak 

Tahoe is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!

When you picture a mountain in your head, what comes to mind is usually something with a pyramid shape, sharp edges, and big drops.  Well, Pyramid Peak got its name for a reason!

It’s not nearly as dramatic as the Matterhorn or anything like that, but Pyramid Peak is probably the most handsome mountain in the region.  It rises dramatically above the surrounding terrain.  The mountain is seemingly forged from sheets of white granite.  And its summit has the distinct pyramid shape that the world’s great peaks are known for!

A word of warning: don’t underestimate this mountain.  It’s not quite 10,000 feet, but of all the mountains on this list I have climbed, this was probably the single hardest.  You’ll climb over 4,000 feet in less than 4 miles from trailhead to summit.  The summit block is nearly 400 feet of car sized boulders.  If all that sounds fun, then give this one a shot!

4.) The Freel-Jobs Sister-Jobs Peak Loop: Best for bagging big peaks

Freel Peak, Jobs Sister, and Jobs Peak are 3 of the 4 highest mountains in the Tahoe Basin (Mt Rose being the other) and you can and should summit all three in a day.  If you want to summit big peaks, this is the route for you.

This loop will first take you to the summit of Freel Peak, then over to Jobs Sister, down a nightmarish descent then across a ridge to Jobs Peak, and then finally back down to the trailhead.  By the numbers, this is a much easier loop than the Rose-Houghton-Relay route, but I was far more exhausted after this one!

The trail is abysmal loose sand for nearly the entire route above 10,000 feet, and working that hard for that long at very high elevations in full sun is brutal!  Wear your best shoes and bring a blister kit, but if you want to climb the highest you have to come here!

5.) Incline Peak, Rose Knob, Rose Knob Peak, Rifle Peak, and Mt Baldy: Best for climb a bunch of mountains at once

Near the north shore below Mt Rose, this route will take you to 5 summits.  Yes, I said 5 summits!  There are very few trails anywhere that will get you to 5 independent mountain summits on a manageable day hike, but here you go!

None of these 5 peaks is all that impressive on its own which is why this isn’t closer to the top of this list.  The highest of these peaks is not even 9,500 feet, and while their height would be impressive in other settings, here they aren’t all that impressive.  I’m sure this is a great hike, but if you want to climb big mountains, I think there are more memorable choices.

6.) Benson Hut and Tinker Knob: Best long ridgewalk  

Heading south from near I-80 outside Truckee, this trail takes you along the PCT across a ridgeline to the summit of Tinker Knob.  Tinker Knob might seem like a strange name, but it is in fact a mountain!

Tinker Knob itself isn’t all that impressive, and where this trail really shines is its long ridgewalk.  The summit block itself isn’t all that impressive, and the total elevation of the summit is only about 8,900 feet.  This would be an awesome hike, but the summit itself may not be the best you can find.

7.) Mt Rose: Best bang for your buck

As a part of a larger loop, Mt Rose is one of the best summits Tahoe has to offer.  On its own, it’s still a really good hike.  I rank this one below peaks like Tallac and Pyramid because there isn’t a great summit block scramble.  Mt Rose feels like a big mountain, but it is a pretty simple walk up and doesn’t provide the same challenge.

8.) Dicks Peak: Best journey 

Dicks Peak is probably the number one mountain around Tahoe that I want to climb that I haven’t been able to yet!  One of the highest peaks in the Desolation Wilderness, this peak requires a big day to reach its summit.  You’re looking at over 13 miles, 4,000 feet of climbing, and a lengthy scramble up to the summit after passing some of the best country in California.  This peak may deserve a higher place on this list, but I just haven’t done it yet!  

9.) Twin Peaks: Best unique summit

Twin Peak is named that for a reason.  This summit has a very distinct pair of spires reaching up from its summit.  Before reaching the distinct summit, you’ll have a 15 mile round trip hike to get there.  With a vertical gain of roughly 3,000 feet, this is a legitimately tough hike.  If you can handle it, this would be a fun day, but you have to earn it!

10.) Ralston Peak: Best little mountain

Ralston Peak is a great little mountain.  If you don’t know where to look for it, you probably won’t even be able to find it!  Ralston is basically just a little hump in the middle of a ridgeline, and without knowledge of the peak, you likely wouldn’t even peg this one as a legitimate mountain.

However, once you make it to the summit of Ralston, this mountain really comes into form.  From the peak, you have a great birds eye view of Desolation Wilderness in all its glory!  Lake Aloha, Pyramid Peak, Mt Tallac, and all the other stunning parts of Desolation are visible from up here!  It doesn’t look like much, but this mountain delivers!

11.) Snowflower Peak: Best for solitude

Snowflower Peak is actually one of the highest mountains in the Tahoe area, but it’s little known and one of the least climbed peaks on this list.  Located in the depths of the Mt Rose Wilderness, the peak is remote, and the trailhead is a bit remote too!

In the pro column for this peak is the name.  I mean, isn’t Snowflower Peak an awesome name?!  Also in the pro column is the quiet that you’ll find here.  I certainly can’t guarantee that you’ll have this trail to yourself, but you can expect far fewer people than you’ll find climbing Mt Tallac.  

However, I haven’t climbed it myself so I can’t put Snowflower any higher.  I also don’t think this is the most scenic area around Tahoe so I would recommend something in the Desolation Wilderness or nearby Mt Rose.

12.) The Castle and Basin Peak Loop: Best off I-80

If you’re looking for a hike that is easily reached from I-80 this is the one.  The trailhead parking area is literally a few hundred feet from the interstate exit!  This loop gets you to a pair of 9,000 foot summits, but while the hiking is really good, the scenery isn’t quite as good this far north.

The highlights of this trail are the scramble to the summit of Castle Peak and the ridgewalk connecting Castle Peak and Basin Peak.  Castle has a well known class 3 scramble to reach its true summit, and if you’re not up to that there is a subsidiary summit which is easily reached just a few feet lower.  Plus, you get a really nice ridge walk connecting Castle and Basin.  If this trail was in the Desolation Wilderness and had those views, it would be higher on the list!

13.) Granite Chief: Best of the Granite Chief Wilderness

The hike to the summit of Granite Chief begins from Olympic Valley near the Palisades Tahoe ski resort and climbs nearly 3,000 feet to the summit.  The trail leading up and out of Olympic Valley is quite good, but the summit of Granite Chief itself isn’t anything that special.  

The trail approaching the summit is very steep and sandy, and there isn’t anything resembling a scramble.  This is a decent peak, but it doesn’t have the same fun aspects of mountain climbing that many of the others provide.  I also didn’t love all the ski resort infrastructure littered around!

14.) Mt Houghton and Relay Peak: Best for beginners

The loop which connects Mt Houghton and Relay Peak is a nice hike, but the two mountains themselves aren’t anything special.  Neither has much for a summit block or scramble, and the trails reaching each are just sandy walk up trails.

The highlight of this hike is the ridgewalk connecting the two peaks.  Unfortunately, this ridgewalk isn’t particularly amazing and you’ll spend lengthy parts of it in the trees and away from the actual ridge.  You do reach a pair of 10,000 foot peaks (both in the top 6 in the Tahoe Basin) on this loop so it’s not bad, but there are better options if you can handle a tougher hike.

15.) Martis Peak: Best for an easy day

While this peak is over 8,700 feet in elevation, this one feels less like a mountain than any of the others on this list.  The summit block itself is contained within a forest, and panoramic views are basically nonexistent at the peak.  For the views, head to the fire lookout just below the peak itself.

Also detracting from this peak is the fact that you can drive nearly the entire way to the summit.  Roads reach all the way to the fire lookout.  So while this peak isn’t anything special itself, it is an easy way to summit a peak.  The trail from the bottom doesn’t even climb a full 2,000 feet, so if you are intimidated by bigger peaks or aren’t in the best of shape, give Martis a try!