There's something so special about hiking in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area. Maybe it's the tall…read moreTahoe Pines or the secluded beaches. Or maybe it's the views of the rocky coastline or rampant wildlife. Maybe it's the breathtaking trailheads and the smell of fresh pine that hits your nose. Whatever it is; I just love it. The Whale Beach Trail offers all of those lovable Tahoe accents that I love. I found this trail through the AllTrails app (Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach) and it was the perfect way to check out several secluded beaches along the way. The Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach Trail loop is a short 3 miles long, but it's a great way to hike down the beaches and relax along the way. You can take the shorter version of this trail which is just the Whale Beach Trail and it's about 1.5 miles long. I started at the parking lot above Chimney Beach. If you plan on starting here for the loop trail, get here before 8 am. Otherwise, parking will be full and you'll have to find a spot down the road. The trail starts off pretty easy along a single track sanded path through the beautiful pine woods. The trail begins to widen and open up to some wonderful views of the lake and gorgeous secluded beaches down below. The trail passes by several beach coves (Secret Cove, Secret Harbor {aka Boater's Beach}, Creek Beach, and Whale Beach) and ends at Whale Beach. Not a ton of elevation gain, but the ups and down of the path will give you a nice workout. Pair that with climbing to and from the beaches and you've got yourself a nice little moderate hike with plenty of exploration opportunities. Most people seem to use parts of these trails solely to get down to the beach. Because of this, the trail is relativity calm which leaves you with many opportunities to have the trail to yourself. It's mostly shaded with a few open spots to allow the sun to peek through. There are several restrooms along the trail and also near the beaches. Saw several birds and lizards all throughout the trail. It's super peaceful and gorgeous. A trail that I would come back to simply because it allows access to so many different beautiful beaches. Whale Beach itself is lovely and secluded with the clearest water and super soft sand. However, Sand Harbor Beach is by far the most beautiful of all the beach coves along this trail. It's also not nearly as crowded as Secret Cove which is a total relief. This was easily one of the most memorable Tahoe hikes that's I've done simply because the views are unparalleled. Such an amazing trail that you should check out sometime.

Our family LOVED this trail! Parking was a little rough. We ended up facing south on SR-28 on the…read moreside of the road. There are stairs down, so you should try to find those. (Not that they are much better than the rocks down, but they're something. ) We zig-zagged down the trail taking the farthest-most route to Whale Beach. There were other turn-offs that would have taken us to Secret Cove/ Boaters Beach/ etc, but we kept straight. I wouldn't say the trail is super-well marked, though. It helps to know where you're going (we used the All Trails map). We took our puppy, and she was off-leash most of the time. There were other dogs at the beach, so they had fun playing. We were excited to see parta potties as we got closer, too! (No wash stations, so BYOHS). The climb back is ... a workout. We we're able to take one path down, and another loop back - not that you can quite tell from the map picture as apparently my watch wasn't actually tracking the whole time. But, still fun! All of the kids (3, 7, 8, and 9) made it there and back without having to be carried. We have hiked before, but I wouldn't say we're expert level. So, it's doable!

We went here and walked around the lake with our lovable lab. It was a beautiful area. The trail…read morewas flat but I suggest hiking boots this time of year as there was some icy snow in spots. The bathrooms were available at the trailhead and were well maintained.

We had an amazing hike around Spooner Lake back in June. It's an easy walk with just a few…read moremosquitos around. Peaceful and filled with bird sounds, not many people when we were there on a weekday. Bring your binoculars to check out the many birds and woodland creatures around. Definitely wear good walking shoes and bring some water. This trail is a short drive from where the casinos are and well worth the time to get away from the people and hustle bustle that can sometimes be found in Lake Tahoe around state line.

Tahoe baby! This…read moreshould be on your radar truly! The best of all things to get away from Vegas. Do you need to think and actually get away! Let's get some rest and down time . We are going to Tahoe. The drive is half the fun! The "actually," real trees. As we drove the trees were along all sides of us. Then we make it to the best of it all the water. The water is so clear! Wow sit back and just relax! It's the best of all things here in Vegas !

We landed in Reno, rented an suv and took the scenic route to South Lake Tahoe…read more As we head up the windy mountains, there was still snow. Many overlooks to pull over to grab a quick photo. But when you pass Incline Village, there's a lot to pull into at Memorial Point right before Sand Harbor. Parking here is enforced at 20 minutes. Gives you enough time to walk down the stairs to the path to take photos near the rocks. Restrooms are available in the cabin-like building. There's also a paved trail on both sides. Perfect area to explore and take a break.

Somewhat challenging but doable for beginners and great destination to mark the middle of the tour…read more Bring swim suits and food! Excellent place to hang out

Beautiful moderate difficulty hike with stacked stones to indicate the way. It was a great day hike…read morefor two young inexperienced hikers. We saw couples and families of all ages enjoying the scenery along the way. The lake itself is beautiful, but we didn't explore too much around it's banks. We found a nice little area to have lunch before heading back.

Independence Lake is a beautiful glacier-cut lake located less than an hour's drive from Truckee…read more Here, you can borrow one of the small fleet of kayaks and fishing boats ~after first filling out a registration waiver~. No outside watercraft are allowed! This is to protect and preserve the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that are native to this habitat. Outside watercraft are risky because they may unknowingly transport foreign mollusks that are detrimental to the health of the trout living there. If fishing waders are used, there is a wader scrubbing/washing station located at the registration area. There are Nature Conservancy staff people on site if you have further questions. I found them informative and helpful. The loaner kayaks are located to the left side of the lake. The ones on the right side are for staff members. Every other week, ~only~ the kayaks are allowed out. Call to check the calendar schedule to avoid disappointment if you want to use one of the motorized boats. They require a motorized boater's card {available online at https://www.boat-ed.com/california/) There are single person and tandem person sit-on-top kayaks available. after 8AM Thursdays through Sundays. Loaner PFDs are also available in standard sizes. I recommend getting there early morning after opening while the water is calm. I was told that later in the day, the wind can pick up. This makes paddling a kayak to get backk across a lot more difficult. You may fish using barbless hooks. Only artificial lures are permitted. All trout caught must be released. Kokanee salmon are an invasive species here. Fishermen are allowed to keep those. Limit 5 per day, or 10 per trip, total. No live bait. There is no overnight camping on the Conservancy's grounds. There are campgrounds at nearby Webber Lake and Lake of the Woods.

Independence Lake Preserve is an amazing place to enjoy the high Sierras. The best part is the free…read morekayaks that are available to anyone who signs a waiver. How cool and inclusive is that? You get to Independence Lake Preserve from highway 80 by heading north on 89 and then turning L at the "Little Truckee Summit OHV/Snowmobile" area, which is on a road labeled "07." It's the turn you'd take if you wanted to go to the Mt. Lola trailhead or Webber Lake Campground, which are also nearby. You'll need an offroad capable vehicle to make it over a water crossing and two miles of rocky road. There are lots of signs that explain that no watercraft are allowed, because Independence Lake is one of the two places in the world with a wild, self-sustaining lake population of Lahontan cutthroat trout. That's why they care so much about not letting folks put their own watercraft on the lake: they might unintentionally introduce invasive species. When we pulled up (with a canoe on our Jeep: we didn't know the rules beforehand), a ranger came out to verbally explain things to us and to let us know about the free kayaks to use. I was pleasantly surprised that there were not a lot of bugs out in July 2022. The last time we were in this area, which was maybe July three years ago, there were so, so, so many bugs. We came armed with bug spray but didn't need it! There are hiking trails around the preserve as well. The lake is large and beautiful, and the view of Mt. Lola is spectacular.

Amazing hike in the West side of Lake Tahoe. It isn't a hard climb/elevation wise but it does…read moreclimb over 1200 ft. Where I think it is more challenging is in the length...it is an out and back narrow but well carved out trail that is almost 10 miles in length. So roughly 5 miles each way, via the same route. This is not a loop. And at the top of the trail lies two high Alpine Lakes, Lake Crag and Lake Genevieve. And right above those is Tahoe's Desolation Wilderness along with Mt. Tallac, one of Tahoe's picturesque summits. This hike at sunrise on a weekday took me about 5 hours total. Almost 3 hours on the way up due to the elevation climb and more picture taking/exploring. The way down because it is much easier and not as much pic taking easily took a 1/2 hour less. The first 1/2 hour of the trail is fairly flat and wide. Then it'll start to climb gradually there on out for the next couple of hours. The trail will narrow and go through a roller coaster of terrain. Mostly rocky climbs where granite steps will almost mimic stairs. There will also be some fallen logs that now block the trail, so you will have to hop those. After about an hour up, you will finally meet a rushing stream that starts from those lakes at the top and carves it's way down from the winters snow melt. Most times you'll just hear it from the distance which is actually very relaxing. Several times you will be right next to it, witnessing the stream drop in elevation via many tiny falls. There will even be one junction where you will have to cross this stream by hopping over large rocks set in a path to cross. You will have to balance from rock to rock so a walking stick/pole will come in handy if you're not too confident. But even if you do fall into the stream, it isn't really a huge deal as you'll only be in shin deep water that won't really carry you. I saw physically fit dogs just barrel through this water as they weren't interested in staying dry, like humans are. Lol Once you get to the top, the terrain widens and you'll be able to see more in a 360 view again. The first lake is a slightly smaller lake. The second lake is almost double the length and has a mini falls feeding into the first lake. The day I went was so ideal, perfectly still. The reflection off the lake was like a mirror. The deep blue from the sky and the majestic peak of Mt. Tallac was an image that made the 3 hour climb so worth it. I just sat out there for almost 40 minutes, ate a nice snack and drained one of my water bottles, absorbing all that peacefullness and epic views. On my way up I didn't see anybody because I started so early, like 6:30 am. On my way down, like closer to 10 am, I ran into over 2 dozen bodies heading up at different times. So this is a pretty popular hike as I gathered. On weekends I could see double to triple the amount of hikers trying to endure yet absorb this gem. I can't wait to do this again, but now more as a guide for some of my friends or family. Now that I know exactly the difficulty level, I'll also now know who I can invite.

Fortunately, I missed most of the OHV traffic…read more the view from the top is very nice. Like so many of the trails around Lake Tahoe, there are no directional signs along the trail. But with GPS and a trail map, that's not a problem. Without a GPS and able to trail map, there are plenty of places along this Trail for you to make a wrong turn. That said, the trail itself is a one-lane road all the way to the top. By one lane road I mean it's generally wide enough for a narrow vehicle. But at least 75% of it would be like driving on the surface of Mars. I saw OHV tracks all the way to the base of the summit. I hiked this Trail alone, starting at around 1330 in October 2020. I made it back by around 1630. This trail is rated as hard, I suppose because of the Rocky and Boulder terrain.

4 stars for the scenery and the workout; minus one if there are dirt bikers!…read more If you're looking for a 3-4 hour scenic high Sierra hike with steep (not mountain goat!) climbs, and don't mind sharing the trail with an occasional mountain bike or dirt bike, you might want to check out the Ellis Peak Trail, accessed via Barker Pass Road. It's a good summer or fall hike and it's dog-friendly. Be sure to add in drive time to the trailhead - about 30 minutes from Tahoe City and about 20 minutes from Homewood. You'll find the trail listed online or you can pick up a free map at Sugar Pine Point SP entrance. At the trailhead, the sign reads 5 miles to Ellis Peak. Using MapMyRun, we measured it at 3.5 (7 miles round trip). Starting out, you'll be eating dust for the first mile as you grind out the first of three steep climbs to the peak. Don't get discouraged! At the top of this hill, you'll be rewarded with sweeping vistas as you hike gradually uphill across decomposing granite. Next, you'll drop steeply for a mile through forest, eventually crossing a trail to go straight up the hill. This second steep climb gets you to a ridge where you'll see a trail heading to the peak. It's a brief glute-burner for your final climb to the top, where ya can plant your flag, eat lunch and enjoy the 360º views. Save some energy for the way back, where you still have one short climb and a mile-long dusty climb to go. Expect a mountain bike or two; hopefully you won't encounter any dirt bikers as they'll raise plumes of dust. Directions: From Highway 89 in Homewood, drive 2 miles north on 89 to Tahoe Pines. Turn left on Barker Pass Road (road sign is poorly placed, 100 ft. west of 89) and bear left at the fork (3.7 miles). Continue uphill for approx. 4.7 miles, winding up the side of the mountain where you'll encounter sharp switchbacks shortly before the paved road ends. Park anywhere; the trailhead is just up the hill on your left. For you navsat hikers, the Ellis Peak lat/long is - http://bit.ly/Z5KXsr The roundup: Distance: 7 miles Time: 3-4 hours plus time at the top Difficulty: Strenuous, with steep hills in loose footing. Highlights: Awesome views of Lake Tahoe, rim views, downhill return. Sucks: Dirt bikers use the trail. And, it's a 30 minute drive from Tahoe City! Water: Two liters. Dogs: Allowed!

Super pretty hike with a couple different trails some very easy and others with pretty decent…read moreelevation changes

Spring is here! Discovered this close-in trail for quick midday hike. A few trails at this…read morelocation to choose from. Small paved parking lot allows for off street parking. Trail head has bathroom facilities, clear trail signage. Be aware that some trails do not allow dogs while some allow them on leash. Did a quick family friendly hike to the Kings Canyon Waterfall (.3 miles) and then the North King's Loop (1.8 miles). Waterfall hike is short and a well-groomed trail makes for a great family friendly stroll for all ages. Falls are really flowing right now with a lot of shade trees. North King's Loop. 1.8 miles loop with about a 450' elevation gain for about .9 miles. Trails are well-groomed (kudos to City of Carson and volunteers). For most of the loop, the trail is narrow to a shoulder width with a hill on one side and a slope off on the other. My hike is late March, early spring, so still signs of snow and ice hazards on parts of the shade sections of the trail. Overall, a great hike in the City of Carson.