South Lake Tahoe, California
Looking for the best hiking in South Lake Tahoe? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around South Lake Tahoe. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near South Lake Tahoe
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Carson City, Nevada
Marlette Lake via Chimney Beach Trailhead
4.05.96 mi / 1713 ft gainThis trail starts right off NV28 between Chimney Beach and Great Tahoe Beach. Around 30 minute drive from South Lake Tahoe and the CA/NV border, we arrived close to 10am with plenty of parking available. While it seemed the trail was heavily used by mountain bikes, we encountered zero during our ...Read more -
Alpine County, California
Hike to Round Top Peak
5.09 mi / 1821 ft gainThis hike begins at Carson Pass which is accessible from Highway 88. The trail leaves from the parking lot (parking requires a fee of $5) and is easy to follow. After about a mile, you'll pass Frog Lake on the left, which is a nice place to stop for a quick snack.Continue along the trail and stay...Read more -
Amador County, California
Hike to Thunder Mountain at Carson Pass
7 miThe trailhead begins on Rt 88 just past Kirkwood Resort or Silver Lake - depending on which way you are headed. There is plenty of parking but no other amenities. The trail begins at 7,900 ft and climbs steadily up Two Sentinels then along the ridge to Martins Point, ending at the 9,408ft summit ...Read more -
Alpine County, California
Hike Round Top Summit and Winnemucca Lake Loop
6.6 mi / 1272 ft gainThis hike begins near the Woods Lake campground. Start off by hiking towards Winnemucca Lake. You will begin your journey going through the forest beside a crystal-clear stream. Soon the trail opens up to become more open, full of all colours of wild flowers. You follow this breathtaking trail up...Read more -
Alpine County, California
Hike The Sisters in the Mokelumnee Wilderness
8 mi / 2500 ft gainThe Sisters offer a great day hike with fun scrambling and beautiful views of the Northern Sierra, Lake Tahoe, the Mokelumnee Wilderness, and the Carson River Canyon.The trail to The Sisters begins at Woods Lake (38.6855° N, 120.0095° W), at the end of Woods Lake Road off Highway 88, 1.5 miles we...Read more -
New Washoe City, Nevada
Photograph Bonsai Rock
5.0Bonsai Rock is a popular attraction for photographers as it is a unique boulder with tiny trees growing out of it, enclosed next to the shoreline. This makes it a beautiful place to enjoy a scenic sunset, as well as play with some long exposure photography.It's located on the east side of Lake Ta...Read more -
Carson City, Nevada
Kings Canyon Falls
4.00.63 mi / 233 ft gain...Living in California, I know all about waterfalls! For me personally though, no matter the shape or size of the waterfall, it has my interest. Now when it comes to Nevada, I honestly can't think of too many waterfalls off the top of my head, but when you're passing through a town that you're u...Read more -
Tahoe City, California
Purple Trail and Burton Creek Loop
3.76 mi / 492 ft gainBurton Creek State Park is a moderate hike. It is a secluded peaceful hike that offers amazing views of the lake. This is a popular spot for mountain bikers, but is also ideal for hiking. Much of the trail is through the forest and there are many maps and signs pointing out the trails. The hike ...Read more -
Kyburz, California
Hike to Bassi Falls
4.61.22 mi / 194 ft gain109' tall Bassi Falls is located in the Crystal Basin area of the El Dorado National Forest. These gorgeous falls at peak Springtime flow crash over enormous boulders and the water sheets over huge, flat slabs of granite. It is located off a rural, pot-holed dirt road (high clearance vehicles re...Read more -
Tahoe City, California
Ride Twin Peaks in Lake Tahoe's Backcountry
This trip is best done in two days with an approach day and then a descent day. Get started at the base of the Sherwood Chair on the backside of the Alpine ski area. Head up, outside of the ski area boundary toward the high ridge.Once on the ridge, you follow it south for a few miles until reachi...Read more -
Pioneer, California
Hike to Granite Lake
Take the road to Kit Carson Lodge. When the road turns to dirt, take this one-lane dirt road as far as you can go. The road terminates into a round parking area, however, as of the writing of this post, there was a large tree blocking the road about 250 ft before the end.The Trailhead is clearly ...Read more -
Pioneer, California
Camping at The Pots
4.2This fantastic camping or chilling spot has beautiful granite pools and slides of all sizes. The area consists of a river flowing over a granite slab creating pools some of which are over ten feet deep. The water cascades down the granite in small water falls. The area is located next to Silver L...Read more -
Incline Village, Nevada
Walk to the Historic Stateline Fire Lookout site
5.01.8 mi / 340 ft gainThe hike up to the Historic Stateline Fire Lookout above Lake Tahoe's Crystal Bay area is somewhat of a misnomer, as the fire lookout no longer exists. Instead, the path, which follows a paved forest road, up to the site where the tower once stood will bring hikers to a panoramic viewpoint that l...Read more -
Incline Village, Nevada
Monkey Rock
4.72.64 mi / 463 ft gainMonkey Rock is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada.Read more -
Incline Village, Nevada
Bike or Take a Stroll along the Tahoe East Shore Trail
5.02.75 mi / 300 ft gainLake Tahoe's East Shore Trail is a wide paved walking and cycling path running between Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park. Opened in 2019, the path lies completely separate from the road, sometimes hovering well above it on the mountainside, and other times running parallel to it on a bri...Read more -
Incline Village, Nevada
Quick Hike and Photo Op at Stateline
5.02 miThis quick 2-mile RT hike takes you to a lookout point above the Stateline of California and Nevada. The road to the lookout is paved so beginners can make the trek to the top in the summer; winter covers the road with snow, so snowshoes or boots are recommended. The lookout offers spectacular vi...Read more