Category
- Moderate but for experienced hikers due to confusing trails
View
Rating - 8 out of 10
Distance
- Approximately 4 miles round trip (As always on any hike of
distance, bring extra food, water, and clothes!)
Elevation
Gain - 950 feet
Highest
Point - 7249
Overlooked
by the hiking guidebooks, Tahoe Mountain provides fantastic
360-degree views of surrounding, loftier mountains, along with
sweeping vistas of Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake. Tahoe Mountain's
views are more spectacular than those of many “famous” hikes.
Lake Tahoe with sailboat and Mt. Rose in the far distance |
The
reason few people pay much attention to Tahoe Mountain is that it is
a modest little bump just west of South Lake Tahoe, and its trails
are somewhat disorganized and confusing. Because it doesn't look like
much, people don't think to climb it. And if you like to tell others
about your grand Tahoe hiking accomplishments, it doesn't sound very
impressive to regale people with your amazing hike up Tahoe Mountain.
But it is hard to find a more accessible hike that will give you such
a choice of gorgeous lunch spots. (Bring a picnic in your pack!)
Tahoe
Mountain can be accessed from many locations from Fallen Leaf Road to
Camp Richardson to the Gardner Mountain/high school area. But the
best, clearest, and easiest access is from Lake Tahoe Blvd. where it
intersects with Sawmill Road.
Go
to Google Maps and plug in “Sawmill Road and Lake Tahoe Blvd.,
South Lake Tahoe.” After the map loads, click on “Satellite”
view in the upper right corner. Zoom in and you will get a clear
picture of the trail from the highway up to Tahoe Mountain.
Google map with Fallen Leaf Lake on the left. The red teardrop is the beginning of the hike, and Tahoe Mountain summit is near the top. |
The
parking area is directly across from where Sawmill Road comes to Lake
Tahoe Blvd.
The parking area is on the divided portion of Lake Tahoe Blvd. right across from where Sawmill Road intersects from the left. |
There
is a Trailhead sign with a somewhat confusing map, but combined with
your Google map printout, it should be clear.
The
main thing to remember is that the trail from the trailhead sign
takes to you to a broader trail where you turn right. Then watch for
a left turn onto another trail, and take that.
You
are now heading up the mountain on a gentle, winding path. Here and
there you will come across intersecting trails. At each juncture,
take the fork that goes up. Occasionally, a “Y” intersection will
have just one trail that goes up, and two or more trails that go
down. This is easy to navigate on your route up, but confusing on
your route back down! (TIP: you can use your phone to take pictures
of the intersections as you go up and then consult them coming back
down.)
Trail rising up through the Angora Fire area |
The
trail leads you through the Angora Fire burn from 7 years ago, and it
is fascinating to see how the landscape is returning. Although the fire was a terrible tragedy, the burn area
is now starkly beautiful and provides the advantages of great vistas that
were once hidden by the thick forest.
Eventually,
you will come to the first of two humps that make up the Tahoe
Mountain summit with a long saddle connecting them. In some sections,
the trail is broad and open as it goes past the tower that supports
the red navigation light for aircraft. There is also a tacky-looking
shed that houses a radio transmitter.
But
you won't notice these as the amazing views unfold.
Be
sure to walk the entire saddle over to the second, higher bump that
is the true peak of Tahoe Mountain where the views are best of all.
As
you pause and look around, you'll enjoy large views south back to Christmas Valley
with 10,059-foot Steven's Peak at its end. Behind and to its right is
10,381-foot Round Top in the Mokelumne Wilderness near Carson Pass,
18 miles distant.
Christmas Valley with Steven's Peak to the rear on the left, Round Top in the distance in the center. Just out of sight behind the ridge to the right is Kirkwood Ski Resort |
To the south-southwest and closer, you can see some runs of Sierra At Tahoe up beyond Echo Summit.
Ski Runs at Sierra At Tahoe, just past Echo Summit |
The winding trail provides great views |
To
the southeast is Freel Peak (Tahoe's highest mountain at 10,881').
Directly to the east, you look over South Lake Tahoe and 10,067-foot Heavenly resort beyond.
The ski runs of Heavenly to the left Freel Peak is to the right. The Angora Fire, tragic as it was, created open vistas. |
As
we hiked on April 18th, the snow was completely gone off Tahoe
Mountain, but the ski runs of Heavenly still had lots of snow.
To
the north is a “wow” view of Lake Tahoe stretching all the way to
Mt. Rose, 10,778 feet high and thirty miles distant. It is easy to imagine where Reno lies just beyond and over 6000 feet below Mt. Rose.
Tahoe's East Shore in the distance |
Below is the Tahoe Keys, a residential area crisscrossed with canals |
To
the northwest are enticing points of the big lake's West Shore, Eagle
Point by the entrance to Emerald Bay and beyond it, Rubicon Point,
which is the top of one of the world's tallest underwater cliffs.
Tahoe's West Shore |
To
the west lies the incomparable Fallen Leaf Lake, site of multiple
Hollywood movies like Kevin Costner's and Whitney Houston's The
Bodyguard. Fallen Leaf Lake is towered over by Mt. Tallac, Tahoe's
most famous mountain rising directly from Fallen Leaf's shore to 9735
feet.
Fallen Leaf Lake with Mt. Tallac |
Completing
our 360-degree view is the Glen Alpine valley to the southwest.
Glen Alpine Valley is to the left, stretching up to Lake Aloha at 8116 feet of elevation |
The
snow fields reach from Stanford Camp at the end of Fallen Leaf Lake,
up the valley and over Cracked Crag to the Lake Aloha Basin and
Pyramid Peak, a picturesque, pointy peak just 17 feet shy of 10,000
feet. As you walk north along the ridge of Tahoe Mountain, Pyramid
Peak disappears behind Mt. Tallac.
Pyramid Peak poking out behind Cathedral Peak, which is actually the shoulder of Mt. Tallac. Magical Fallen Leaf Lake is below. |
Find
a nice log to sit on or lean against to have lunch. It will become
one of the most memorable lunch spots you'll ever have!
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