Wow wow wow!! This is a must stop point if you like waterfalls, creeks, rock formations, mountains…read moreand scrambling. Brought my kids 5 & 8 and they can do most of it. Views are incredible. We went to the waterfall (10 mins on the trail) and bridge and then to the vista point. Wanted to do more but the 5 y/o got tired. You can scramble this whole mountain!

The hike was just the right amount of challenging to really appreciate the top and sit and look…read moreover the lake. It took us about 4 hours round trip. Nice clean trail, no bikers. It was great. Would do it again.

Looking for a stunning and beautiful water fall without the leg work? Bridal Veil Falls in Pollock…read morePines California is the place where you can do that. On your way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, you can just drive right up to the falls from Highway 50, going eastbound. What makes this very convenient is that this is also a large pull out space that you can park to make it really easy to just get right out of your car and take a closer look. This waterfall is 80 feet tall and makes for a nice stop to stretch your legs and enjoy the cool air. When my husband I went, we stopped by this waterfall towards the end of March. The waterfall is not gushing with water but the flow is enough to nice and have that nice flowing sound that relaxes you. This part of the Eldorado National Forest is free to drive through and visit but there is a fee if you wish to visit the Bridal Veil Group Campsite and Picnic Area that is nearby. Definitely worth a visit and something to look out for if you plan on driving to Lake Tahoe from Sacramento.

Amazing nice quick stop on highway 50 heading to Lake Tahoe got some great pictures it's a quick…read morestop so be prepared.

September 19 through September 21, 2023. Came up for a…read morecouple day fishing trip with good friend. Campsites are both reserve and first come first serve. We showed up as first come first serve and we're lucky to get a beautiful spot right on the lake. They have nice deep fire rings, picnic tables and bear lockers. We didn't see any sign of bears. The sites are $27 a night and you can buy wood for six dollars a bundle or two bundles for $10. There is a 14 day limit on first come first serve sites. This time around, the road to Upper Blue Lake was open, so we headed up there to check it out. There are a couple campgrounds up there that have nice sites and include bathroom facilities. We ran into a couple of backpackers who convinced us to take the "short" hike to Granite Lake to do some fishing. We grabbed our fishing poles and gear and headed out thinking that short would be a quarter mile or so. The hike actually turned out to be 2 1/2 miles with about a 700 foot elevation gain. If we had known the distance, we probably would not have done the hike, but once there, we got a couple of very nice rainbow trout. We did not have any cell phone coverage in our camp, but at the 9100 foot elevation of Granite Lake we did have some pretty good cell coverage.

This was definitely not on my plan to check out, but the universe let us here and we decided to do…read morethe .6 miles to the top where we were greeted with the most stunning and beautiful view. The rangers working at the start of the hike were extremely kind and knowledgeable. I enjoyed learning about the two hikes and what to expect from each. I am a newbie so the hike I went on was so challenging. I found myself huffing and puffing, taking several breaks and turning very red. Once I made it to the top, it was totally worth it and coming back down was so much easier than going up! I would do it again and I highly recommend you do this too!

I'm sure the trails are beautiful, but the bathrooms were SO HORRENDOUS that we could not continue…read moreand we had to drive somewhere else entirely! Almost threw up when I entered the bathroom.

Brought kayaks and enjoyed a beach day. Such a beautiful hidden gem!! The hiking looked fun and the…read morecamping looked spacious- we want to come back to explore more. $10 for a day pass, so we picked up picnic provisions from the Safeway in Tahoe City and relaxed on beach chairs while exploring the nearby coves and coastline. Beach and trails are not dog friendly, which is a bummer though.

Worst camping experience I ever had. We had lot 105. and this is the only good thing that happened…read more Restrooms are dirty with pests excrements all around - feels like they have not been cleaned since we were there 4 years ago. The shower is broken, and this is after multi-million $$ renovation. Beach parking is tiny as well as the beach. It's not big enough for such big campground. 3 rows of back-to-back tents, umbrellas and blankets. Rangers are jerks. They don't let people to unload their cars forcing them to leave without any excuse. Some kids were literally scared because they lost their parents that have been forced to leave. It was nice in 2022 it's the worst in 2026.

Frog Lake is a short, easy hike for all ages, leashed furry companions and skill levels - located…read moreat the top of Carson Pass on Highway 88 about 5 miles east of Kirkwood, California in a paved parking lot at the Carson Pass Information Center. Here is to locate them: https://enfia.org/discover/carson-pass/ Starting out alongside the information center a trailhead map shows you that Frog Lake is under 2.5 miles out & back. We found this trailhead to be well trafficked with many other outdoor enthusiasts enjoying the Mokelumne Wilderness Area also - either going to Frog Lake or one of the many other Points of Interest: Winnemucca Lake, Woods Lake, Elephants Back...even came across overnight campers - you will enjoy this wooded, granite/boulder lined trail that leads to mountain views with a lake to sit by for a picnic. Wildflowers, wildlife, tons of birds with stunning views plus being in the wilderness/forest among the beautiful trees this hike you will truly enjoy!! So what are you waiting for...grab your hiking buddy, get out and #moveyourbody and enjoy the great outdoors!!

Saw this hike on a list of easy hikes around Tahoe. Promised wildlife, wildflowers, and a nice…read moreendpoint. Obviously, wildflowers are seasonal. But the wildlife were lacking, and the lake was pretty lame. At least there were some tadpoles. It is easy, but there's only shade for half of the 2 mile roundtrip hike. And there's not much beauty along the way. You're better off with the hikes closer to Tahoe.

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.

I recently took my family to Frog Lake, a 2 mile round trip hike just inside Mokelumne Wilderness…read more The trail had wildflowers, mountain vistas, an alpine lake, a valley overlook! Oh my! :) As an added bonus we encountered a snow field large enough to sled which members of my group tried. However for late July I think this is a rare find. There was one very small stream cross that required a hop. And in this area there quite a few mosquitoes. The trail isn't entirely flat as there are a few areas that require stepping up/down. Otherwise the trail is relatively easy. We hit the trail around 9:30 AM and returned around noon when it was getting warm. We saw many leashed dogs on the trail which was cool. The trail head is on the south side of highway 88 at Carson Pass. There is a parking lot there with a small visitor center and pit toilets. The day fee is $5/vehicle. Here is link to the Google map (I used a URL shortener since it was hideously long): http://goo.gl/lmwHb Happy hiking & don't forget your camera!

July 3, 2025. 13.7 miles. Started at Meiss trailhead on Carson pass heading toward Echo Summit. The…read moreapproach up to the saddle of Meiss meadow is a good little warm-up. Along the entire trail there are millions of wildflowers! In some spots, the Mules Ear is 4 feet tall and there are Lupine and other wildflowers intermingled with it. Saw so many butterflies as well. The creeks are running well and the breeze that we had helped keep any bugs away. There were only a couple patches of snow left, they will probably be gone in a few weeks. Coming out of Bryan Meadow the steady grade will remind you that you have logged a few miles already. The descent for the last couple miles is rocky and steep. I definitely recommend having hiking poles to help save your knees. Overall, it was a beautiful hike with fantastic views of the valleys and Lake Tahoe.

It's technically a trailhead and a Sno-Park, but leave your sleds and snowmobiles behind for this…read moreone. The biggest draw is that the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is steps away. Many miles of scenic trail are beyond this trailhead! Located a minute down the road from the other Sno-Park/trailhead (Carson Pass), this is a much bigger parking lot and would be my first choice between the two. There are also two well-maintained vault toilets here. Don't forget your day pass or season snow park pass [November 1 - May 30] because the fee station is going to be buried under snow and oh yeah they patrol and ticket. "Any vehicle parked at a SNO-Park site without a permit properly displayed is subject to an $94.50 fine." Happy Trails!