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1 Introduction to the Tahoe Area and the Tahoe Rim Trail

Then it seemed to me the Sierra should not be called the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years spent in the heart of it, rejoicing and wondering, bathing in its glorious floods of light, seeing the sunbursts of morning among the icy peaks, the noonday radiance on the trees and rocks and snow, the flush of the alpenglow, and a thousand dashing waterfalls with their marvelous abundance of irised spray, it still seems to be above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen.

—John Muir, 1912

Welcome to the Tahoe Rim Trail! This book quickly and easily provides you what you need to know to enjoy your time on this incredibly beautiful route. Having lived at Lake Tahoe most of my life, I’ve spent countless hours on area trails. While I am not a biologist, a geologist, a naturalist, or an -ist of any kind, I have learned enough about Tahoe plants, animals, and mountains to deepen my interest when I am in the woods. I’d like to help make your outdoor experience just as fun and fascinating.

An enormous, deep blue, subalpine lake surrounded by lofty, snowcapped peaks. Lush, green forests, dark volcanic peaks, stark granite faces, and hundreds of small, jewel-like lakes adorning the wilderness areas above this special lake. Does a place like that deserve a loop trail? Absolutely! Lake Tahoe might be the best place in the world to build a loop trail. In fact, it is quite remarkable that the trail was completed as recently as September 2001. The now 170-mile Tahoe Rim Trail (or TRT, as it is sometimes abbreviated here) circles one of the world’s most beautiful lakes and winds through two states, several wilderness areas, national forest and state park lands, and an incredible diversity of geology, flora, and fauna. The trail accesses both the Sierra Nevada and its Carson Range spur, each with a unique personality. It winds through aspen meadows, skirts high mountain peaks, and runs for miles along ridgetops with stunning views. You can walk for miles under a forested canopy or saunter through meadows. You can venture above treeline for long stretches. That the trail is a big loop, a circle, may be its best feature. Wherever you set off, as the days and weeks go by, you can follow the circle back to where you began. Across the big, blue expanse of the lake, you can pick out where you were a week ago, and where you will be again in another week. Much of the multiuse Tahoe Rim Trail was constructed for the pleasure of hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, using modern trail-building techniques, with the goal of keeping the grade below an average of 10 percent.

Geographic Setting

Lake Tahoe is the largest subalpine lake in North America. At 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, it is a beautiful expanse of deep, blue water. What makes it so intensely blue? Its depth. At its deepest point Lake Tahoe plunges to 1645 feet with an average depth of approximately 900 feet. With its huge surface area, that’s a lot of water. Tahoe is blue also because it is so clear and clean. Its clarity is primarily because the basin around it is fairly small and the water is very cold and the soils and vegetation have prevented nutrients from entering the lake where they would increase algae growth.

Since the 1960s and 1970s there has been dramatic population growth and increased development in the Tahoe area, which has had a negative effect on the lake. An increase in algae growth has reduced Tahoe’s legendary clarity. A substantial investment of energy and money is now underway to protect the lake. For more information on how you can help, contact the League to Save Lake Tahoe at (530) 541-5388 or the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency at (775) 588-4547. Call or write your congressional representative and senator to ask for their support for cleaning up and protecting this lake and its surroundings. Also consult the handy list “Ways to Save Lake Tahoe” in Appendix D.

Trail History

During the 1970s when Glenn Hampton was a recreation officer for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the U.S. Forest Service, he first had the idea of completing a trail with volunteer labor around the rim of Lake Tahoe. He forged a partnership between the Forest Service, the Nevada State Parks, and a newly created, nonprofit volunteer organization called the Tahoe Rim Trail Fund. The purpose of the partnership was to plan, construct, and maintain a Tahoe Rim Trail. Since 1984 more than 120 miles of trail have been built or improved around the lake. The Tahoe Rim Trail also uses the existing Pacific Crest Trail in the section that overlaps from Meiss Meadows to Twin Peaks.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Fund (now known as the Tahoe Rim Trail Association) is administered by a volunteer board of directors and has a small professional staff. The trail has been built partially by professional crews hired by the Forest Service or Nevada State Parks and partially by volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours. For many it has been a labor of love. Construction of the trail began in July 1984 from Grass Lake, on the north side of Highway 89 near Luther Pass, toward Kingsbury Grade. In 1985 two additional construction projects began at Spooner Summit and Tahoe City. In 2001 the last section of the trail was completed, between Rose Knob Peak and Mount Baldy.

Since that time, sections of the trail have been removed from roads and replaced with single-track trail, loops have been added, and much of the trail has been improved. In fact, with the addition of 20 new miles of trail in the last few years, which are included in this third edition, all of the major sections of trail that were on roads have been replaced, and several incredibly beautiful new loops have been created.

Hikers in Desolation Wilderness

In 1999 then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the White House Millennium Council designated the Tahoe Rim Trail as the Millennium Trail for the State of Nevada. The Tahoe Rim Trail is certainly worthy of this honor, which is bestowed upon only one trail in each state, and it is destined to become one of the most popular trails in the United States, taking its place beside the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and John Muir Trails.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association

The mission of the TRTA is to maintain and enhance the Tahoe Rim Trail system, practice and inspire stewardship, and promote access to the beauty of the Lake Tahoe region. Funded through contributions, memberships, fundraising, grants, and the sale of merchandise, annually the Tahoe Rim Trail Association coordinates about 1,000 volunteers to work more than 10,000 hours on the trail. Over the past 30 years, the TRTA and their government partners not only built and improved the trail, but they have also built three major trailhead facilities, and a 1.3-mile wheelchair-accessible interpretive trail. The TRTA is the prime source of information for people interested in hiking, biking, or horseback riding on the Tahoe Rim Trail.

The TRTA also administers the Tahoe Rim Trail 165 Mile Club. Those who hike, ride their horses, or bike (where allowed) the entire trail can become members of the Tahoe Rim Trail 165 Mile Club.

Even though the Tahoe Rim Trail was completed in 2001, there is still much to do in order to maintain and improve the trail. Tasks include repairing damaged sections of the trail and making changes to the trail to prevent future damage. Volunteers continue to add switchbacks, change routes, add connecting trails, and do whatever is necessary to improve the trail. The newest sections of the trail can be found near the Mt. Rose and Kingsbury Grade Trailheads.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association is key to the future of the trail and anyone can become a member. Members receive quarterly newsletters, an invitation to the annual meeting; discounts on merchandise; and the opportunity to attend TRTA-led hikes, trainings, and events—not to mention the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your part for this wonderful trail. For more information contact the Tahoe Rim Trail Association at DWR Community Non-Profit Center, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451; (775) 298-0012; info@tahoerimtrail.org. Or visit www.tahoerimtrail.org.

Regulations and Permits

The Tahoe Rim Trail travels through three wilderness areas, which are managed by national forests: Mt. Rose Wilderness, Desolation Wilderness, and Granite Chief Wilderness. Much of the rest of the trail is on national forest lands in California and Nevada. The remainder of the trail lies in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. The only areas with limitations on hiking or camping on the TRT are Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. These two include the following trail sections, described in greater detail in chapter 6.

Section 3: Mount Rose Trailhead to Spooner Summit

This section travels through Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park where camping is limited to two primitive but developed campgrounds that have picnic tables and pit toilets. A hand-operated well providing drinking water was installed at the Marlette Campground in 2010. Permits are not required here. For more information contact the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park at (775) 831-0494 or the Tahoe Rim Trail Association office at (775) 298-0012.

Section 7: Echo Summit and Echo Lakes to Barker Pass

This section travels through Desolation Wilderness. Permits that can be obtained at the trailhead are required to enter Desolation Wilderness. If you are staying overnight, you must get a camping permit at the Tahoe Basin National Forest Information Center at Taylor Creek located on Highway 89 about 0.5 mile northwest of Camp Richardson. The wilderness has been divided into zones for the issuance of permits. A limited number of camping permits are available for each zone, so you may not be able to obtain a permit for the more popular areas (which tend to be lakes close to trailheads) in the middle of the summer, particularly on weekends. For more information contact the Forest Service at: Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 or (530) 543-2600. Or visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu.