Mike White - Top Trails: Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone

Top Trails Lake Tahoe: 50 Must-Do Hikes for Everyone

3rd Edition

Copyright 2015 by Mike White

All photos, except where noted, by Mike White

Maps: Mike White and Scott McGrew

Cover design: Frances Baca Design and Scott McGrew

Text design: Frances Baca Design

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

White, Michael C., 1952-

Top trails Lake Tahoe : must-do hikes for everyone / written by Mike White. 3rd edi tion.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-89997-777-5 (paperback) ISBN 0-89997-777-4 (pbk.)

1. HikingTahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)Guidebooks. 2. TrailsTahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)Guidebooks. 3. Tahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)Guidebooks. I. Title. II. Title: Lake Tahoe.

GV199.42.T16W55 2015

796.510979438dc23

2015008840

ISBN 978-0-89997-777-5; eISBN: 978-0-89997-778-2

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Distributed by Publishers Group West

Cover photo: Eagle Falls (see ) Celso Diniz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE: Although Keen Communications/Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map and compass.

The Top Trails Series

Wilderness Press

When Wilderness Press published Sierra North in 1967, no other trail guide like it existed for the Sierra backcountry. The first print run sold out in less than two months, and its success heralded the beginning of Wilderness Press. Since we were founded almost 50 years ago, we have expanded our territories to cover California, Alaska, Hawaii, the US Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, New England, Canada, and Baja California.

Wilderness Press continues to publish comprehensive, accurate, and readable outdoor books. Hikers, backpackers, kayakers, skiers, snowshoers, climbers, cyclists, and trail runners rely on Wilderness Press for accurate outdoor adventure information.

Top Trails

In its Top Trails guides, Wilderness Press has paid special attention to organization so that you can find the perfect hike each and every time. Whether youre looking for a steep trail to test yourself on or a walk in the park, a romantic waterfall or a city view, Top Trails will lead you there.

Each Top Trails guide contains trails for everyone. The trails selected provide a sampling of the best that the region has to offer. These are the must-do hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides, with every feature of the area represented.

Every book in the Top Trails series offers:

• The Wilderness Press commitment to accuracy and reliability
• Ratings and rankings for each trail
• Distances and approximate times
• Easy-to-follow trail notes
• Map and permit information

TRAIL FEATURES TABLE

OVERVIEW MAP

Using Top Trails

Organization of Top Trails

Top Trails is designed so you can find the perfect trail and make every outing a success and a pleasure. With this guide its a snap to find the right trail, whether youre planning a major hike or just a sociable stroll with friends.

The Region

At the very front of this guide, the lists every trail covered in this guide, along with attributes for each trail.

The Lake Tahoe provides a geographic overview of the Lake Tahoe region and shows the areas covered by each chapter. A quick reading of the regional map and the trail features table gives you a quick overview of the entire region covered by the guide.

The Areas

The region covered in this book is divided into areas, with each chapter corresponding to one area in the region. Each area chapter starts with information to help you choose and enjoy a trail every time out. Use the table of contents or the regional map to identify an area of interest, and then turn to the area chapter to find the following information:

• An overview of the areas parks and trails
• An area map showing all trail locations
• A trail features table providing trail-by-trail details
• Trail summaries highlighting each trails special features

The Trails

The basic building block of the Top Trails guide is the trail entry. Each one is arranged to make finding and following the trail as simple as possible, with all pertinent information presented in this easy-to-follow format:

• A detailed trail map
• Trail descriptions covering difficulty, length, and other essential data
• A written trail description
• Trail milestones providing easy-to-follow, turn-by-turn trail directions

Some trail descriptions offer additional information:

• An elevation profile
• Trail options
• Trail highlights

In the margins of the trail entries, keep your eyes open for graphic icons that signal features mentioned in the text.

Choosing a Trail

Top Trails provides several different ways of choosing a trail, using easy-to-read tables and maps.

Location

If you know in general where you want to go, Top Trails makes it easy to find the right trail in the right place. Each chapter begins with a large-scale map showing the starting point of every trail in that area.

Features

This guide describes the top trails of the Lake Tahoe region. Each trail has been chosen because it offers one or more features that make it interesting. Using the trail descriptors, summaries, and tables, you can quickly examine all the trails to find out what features they offer, or seek a particular feature among the list of trails.