Get Outside. A…read moreworkout, views, scrambling, rock climbing, scree. This a newfound thrill. Vertical climbing up must go down. Parking lot, meter just pay with a card and the ticket pops out, pretty simple. Bathroom there too. Dogs welcome but on leash. Note there is a false summit. If you continue, the true summit is another climb.

Gorgeous wilderness area with trails for hiking and lakes for fishing. This area has a rugged…read morebeauty that isn't well-known abroad like Yosemite is, but that's a good thing. Here, you won't have to contend with large crowds. It appears that the campgrounds near the Blue Lakes were not open this season due to some damage from the record high snow from last winter. Granite Lake was quite full to the point where the ground surrounding the lake was pretty saturated with moisture. For this reason, camping there even late in September this year would be too damp. Keep this place on your radar for future, dryer years.

Got kids? This is the perfect hike for you!…read more A smooth, flat, wide, dare I say stroller appropriate, 3ish mile trail tracks along the Mexican Ditch and eventually the Carson River, offering opportunities to view nearby livestock, fish, frogs, birds, and reptiles, as well as access to fishing and wading, all as you make your way out to the dam and back. The first stretch starts at what remains of an old ranch where the barn and many buildings are still standing and open to exploration. From there follow the signs to the trail and meander your way down the ditch to a fork where you have the choice to stay high on the loop in the sunshine, make your way along the working ag fields, or head down toward the ribbon of green trees that mark the banks of the Carson River. We took to the trees to escape the sun and loved the cool breeze, birdwatching, and sounds of the rushing water as we made our way. The trail is marked by fencing on both sides, but there are several gaps that allow easy access to the river where you can fish or wade, depending on the movement of the water. At the backside of the loop you can extend your hike by following the river trail all the way up to the Mexican dam, which will make the out and back hit the 3 mile mark. We had little legs that ran out of steam so we turned back about a half mile from there and returned along the backside of the loop to our truck parked at the ranch. All in all a great find for family fun!

This is probably our favorite trail within Carson. It is about 3 1/2 miles round trip to the dam…read more It is very kid and family friendly as the trail is hard packed with only a very slight rise to the dam. It also has great scenery with the Carson river on one side and pastures on the other side when you start out that eventually are replaced by the Mexican ditch. Can catch the trail head from the Silver Saddle ranch or from the Carson River park. Both are about the same distance from the dam. We prefer the Carson River trail head as it has a nice parking lot with a few picnic tables, and walks along the river when you start. Please know my pics are during the record setting winter we have had in 16/17, and so the river is really flowing strong! The river has overflowed its banks a few times this year so the trail does have parts that are a little washed out or muddy right now but nothing too bad. Usually there is not this much water flowing this fast over the dam which is great to see!

Quads burning like never before, I took off my hat as I inhaled the undeniably clean, fresh air at…read morejust under 10,000 feet. Looking down at the other mountain peaks made me realize that if I had ever used the word "breathtaking" to describe anything else before, I was surely mistaken. Just a few ways to describe the view and the feeling of accomplishment after hiking Horsetail Falls and scaling Pyramid Peak = awe-inspiring, hair-raising, heart-stopping, and overwhelmingly thrilling! Simply amazing. I just can't believe that I did it! (sigh) There are many ways to get up to Pyramid Peak and if you like, you can drive half of the way up on the backside but my favorite way is one of the hardest ways to get to the top. You have to start at the bottom and hike all the way up. You can park by Twin Bridges right off of Hwy 50 and pay a small fee for parking. You will also need a day permit unless you choose to backpack and stay overnight, in which case you'll need an overnighter permit. The first half of the hike is the Horsetail Falls trail. Depending on which variation of that trail you choose, there will be moments of a gradual climb and moments of practically rock-climbling. On a hiking scale, this trail has been rated a level 5 (very difficult) in some areas but there are definitely more moderate alternatives. Tips: - If you want to make it to the top of Horsetail Falls to proceed onto Pyramid Peak, and back to the base before sunset, you better hit the trails no later than 7-8am in the morning. - Take into strong consideration the people that you're hiking with. This will determine pace and possibly cause your group to split into two once at the top of Horsetail Falls. One group will choose to journey up to the top of Pyramid Peak (another couple of hours of hard-core hiking and climbing) and another group will stay behind to re-coop. Every time I've hiked this peak, we have split into two groups. - Wear GOOD hiking boots (that are well broken into), dress light (bring a windbreaker or trash bag for the wind & snow at the top), and bring a water bottle and water filter. - Do not hit this trail without wearing serious sunscreen and a good hat. Everyone gets burned at the top! Also, if you know that you're going to do this hike, do yourself and everyone else a favor by physically preparing for it. You are going to be hiking and climbing ALL day! The Horsetail Falls hike will take at least 3-4 hours (sometimes 5 hours depending on your group) and the Pyramid Peak stretch will be another couple of hours. Then, you have to hike back down and while it is faster, it's much harder on your knees. Regardless of the shape that you're in, this hike WILL humble you. It's not for those who wake up one morning and decide - I am going to do a killer hike today! If you do that, you will pay the price and probably not see the top of Pyramid Peak. The first time a group of us hiked Pyramid Peak was several years ago. We opted to drop-in through Echo Lake, took a boat ride across to the western side, and backpacked down towards the top of Horsetail Falls, which is also the base of Pyramid Peak. After whipping-out our sleeping bags, we crashed. Needless to say, no one had trouble falling asleep. In the morning, we ate and hit the trails! I'll never forget that first Pyramid Peak Hike. If you don't want to carry a windbreaker with you, a trash bag is a great alternative. It gets chilly towards the top of the peak (wind + snow), so you can turn the trash bag into a pullover. Quick and easy! And when you head back down from the top, the trash bag turns into a great butt cover for sliding down the snow! It's awesome! The following years, we decided to camp in the Sierra's before heading to Horsetail Falls. Since we had a big group, our goal was to hit the trail by 7ish. I've done this hike more than a handful of times but I learn something new every single time. Additionally, I discover new scenery that I didn't notice the year before. Some years, I was in decent shape and other years, I thought I was going to collapse from exhaustion. It's a crazy hike but also, wonderfully rewarding! As my military Dad often said to me when I was growing-up - No pain, no gain! It builds character! It'll put hair on your chest! Uhhhh, I can do without that last one!

Very Beautiful and worth it, I went here with a group of…read morefriend around May and this has a very breathtaking view of waterfalls, the hike was not difficult, about 7 miles up and down wear long pant, and good hiking shoes, some part is very slippery choose a nice sunny day, it is so worth it to enjoy a day away from the city with beautiful scene and fresh air

6/26/25 Big Meadow trailhead serves as an entrance to the…read moreTahoe Rim Trail, with access to popular day hikes to Scotts Lake, Round Lake and Dardanelles Lake. When approaching the sign for the trailhead, the entrance comes quickly and not real visible, so slow down or you'll miss it. Also, you will have to cross the road to continue. At the trailhead, there is a paved parking lot and bathrooms available, as well as a map of the area. Our hike today was to Dardanelles Lake for the day. The wild flowers are blooming all throughout the trail and the mosquitos are out, so prepare accordingly. I love this hike in the Summer and the lake is absolutely beautiful! Hands down a 5/5 hike.

Powerline Alternate Loop trail is lit! it's nice to have alltrails app helping you follow the…read moretrail although when there is minimum of snow on the ground it's not that hard to do by yourself. Definitely bring the app, or some app if you are coming up after a good snowfall. also best not to park on saddle as they have signs reading "no parking anytime". Park on the street that is perpendicular and you're still within a few dozen yard yards of the trailhead Follow the link below for more information on the experience there. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/morning-hike-at-powerline-alternate-loop-30a1bc5?sh=athonia&utm_campaign=memory&unfurl=false&showMemory=true

Like thousands of other trails around Lake Tahoe, the Powerline Trail is super fun, scenic,…read morechallenging, and exhilarating! My husband and I come to Tahoe regularly and during our most recent visit, we brought our mountain bikes to go explore some new trails in the fall season (well new to us, these trails have been around for a long time!). I'd say I'm a novice mountain biker (I'm more into running, hiking, stand up paddling, and road biking when in Tahoe) while my husband is more intermediate level. Regardless of our varying levels of experience, we both had a blast! We connected to the Powerline Trail from Pioneer Trail and exited via the High Meadow Trailhead then looped back through some other trails and backstreets to get back to our cabin. Roughly 11.2 miles of fun and we can't wait to do it again! Definitely add this trail to your list for your mountain biking, trail running, or hiking adventures!

Moraine trail is inside the fallen leaf campground. We visited in spring and while the camp is…read moreclosed we could still hike the trail. We were literally the only people there for a mile and it was extremely peaceful. We only met a few people on the trail and some very friendly dogs. The beach reflects the sky and the snow capped mountains ans is so quiet except for the snow melting and the line comes dropping. A must see place if you need to get away from the city to unwind. There is no major vista point at the end of the trail but the route is along the lake and there is also a small bridge over a dam on the way which was cool.

A hidden gem: marsh to lake trail…read more This stunning, nearly two-mile trail winds through marshland and leads to a serene lakeside escape. Tucked within a quiet residential neighborhood, the pin I've shared marks the closest entrance to the lake itself. However, you can also access the trail from various street-end points throughout the area, each one guiding you into the heart of the marsh. The path is peaceful, scenic, and surprisingly under-the-radar, known mostly to only nearby residents. It's a haven for birdwatching, gentle hikes, and quiet moments by the water. Once part of a vast 1,600 acre wetland, this area suffered heavy loss due to 20th century development. Thankfully the city has stepped in to protect what remains, halting further destruction by those seeking lakefront property. Parking is free and generally easy to find along surrounding streets, but do check signage to avoid towing or trespassing on private property. Open sunrise to sunset. Your furry family members are welcome and you should stay for sunset. The light here transforms the landscape into something truly magical. *Yelp moved my pin to the wrong location so if you follow their pin you'll end up nowhere near the marsh. Use address 569 Lily Ave, S Lake Tahoe on Google Maps to get you to the right place.

Worth the detour [Genoa NV]…read more We took a little day trip to visit the historic town of Genoa in Nevada. Genoa is just 25 minutes over Kingsbury Grade from South Lake Tahoe and about an hour south of Reno. We took the Kingsbury Grade on SR 207, a road that offers beautiful panoramas of the Sierra Nevada mountains but was pretty steep with a few sharp curves. It is actually listed in the dangerousroads.org website. The early trail over the pass was more of a footpath than a road. Now imagine those emigrants with their oxen, horses and mules taking this route as they forged ahead to the foot of the trail... When we reached the historic town of Genoa we parked our car and began exploring. It's a small town so easy walk: Flutter & Buzz Cafe - had brunch here Sierra Chef - had gelato here Genoa Bar & Saloon Genoa Courthouse Museum Dancing Deer - purchased a few souvenirs Mormon Station State Historic Park - self guided tour I wasn't expecting much in this charming little pocket-sized town.. I mean, Main Street is only but a few blocks but there was enough history and charm in this little community. Genoa started as a trading post called Mormon Station... founded in 1851 as the first permanent settlement in Nevada. Review #3738

Yes stop here, how many times do you drive this road and never take the turn off? I am guilty of…read morethis but I am glad I stopped this time.. look for the sign and about 4 miles off the highway.. you can have lunch or stop and eat your lunch at the park.. back in the 1800 this was a trading area even the pony express when thru here.. half of the town was in fire so it's a replica but part of the town is original even a few original houses you can go into.. the park has station regarding the history you can go into the court house and original items they preserved this town it's beautiful a walk back in time and everyone here is friendly. Stop in and take a walk back in t