Lace Up, Grab Your Pack, and Hit the Trail at Lake Tahoe! Covering the region surrounding the 22-mile-long lake, author Jordan Summers guides hikers along 40 of the region’s best trails―all located within 25 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline. Trekkers can easily find the perfect hike with the complete trail descriptions for 27 day hikes and 13 overnight destinations. An accurate map, directions to the trailhead with coordinates for GPS use, and an elevation profile of each trail prepare hikers with the full picture of the route ahead. Generally intended for outdoors people of all ages and abilities, Five-Star Trails: Lake Tahoe describes great hikes from the Desolation, Mt. Rose, Granite Chief, and Mokelumne Wilderness areas, as well as along sections of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Jordan Summers has had more fun sleeping on rock, snow, and dirt than any one person should be allowed. From his home near Sacramento, Jordan spends most weekends ranging along the Sierra north and south of Lake Tahoe. Mount Rose Scenery: 5 stars Trail Condition: 4 stars Children: 2 stars Difficulty: 4 stars Solitude: 3 stars GPS Trailhead Coordinates: N39° 18.768' W119° 53.849' Distance & Configuration: 10.2-mile out-and-back Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Outstanding Features: Pleasant trail through pine forest, plus a waterfall beneath Mount Houghton. A well-defined trail leads to the summit for a 360-degree view all the way from Stampede Reservoir in the west to the Carson Range in the east, with Lake Tahoe laid out for 22 blue miles below you to the south. Elevation: 8,904' at trailhead Access: Year-round Maps: Lake Tahoe Basin (Trails Illustrated 803) Facilities: Pit toilet Comments: Carry water. Contacts: Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District, 775-882-2766, www.fs.usda.gov/htnf Overview This trail is straightforward and pleasant to walk the entire way. You’ll use a ridge at the foot of Mount Houghton to gain 200 feet in the first 0.5 mile before crossing that ridge to traverse for the next 2 miles with no elevation gain. You’ll have great views of Lake Tahoe initially before your destination begins to dominate the vista. The final 2.5 miles to the summit are interrupted only by a few switchbacks up the more than 1,700 feet to the top of this old volcano. Route Details No one is certain about the origin of Mount Rose’s name―even whether it came from a man or a woman. But we do know that Church Peak, the twin summit on this ridge, honors Dr. James Church of the University of Nevada, who established the first high-altitude meteorological observatory here and developed the modern science of snow survey, which is used today. At 10,776 feet, Mount Rose is the highest point around Lake Tahoe’s Nevada side. Walk past the pit toilets to the trailhead, which is situated immediately behind them at the kiosk. Less than 100 feet past the trailhead is the hikers-only trailhead for the Tahoe Rim Trail, which leads to the Mount Rose Summit Trail. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association supplies trail maps at the kiosk, where hikers can also read up on preferred wilderness practices. Head uphill with a sharp turn at the kiosk, and immediately take in the views to the south and west, where Lake Tahoe comes into view. In exactly 0.5 mile, the trail will level out. Conveniently enough, you’ll find a tight formation of boulders shaded by pine, perfect for putting on the sunscreen that you forgot to apply in the parking lot. The broad, sandy, well-marked trail stays level, or nearly so, meandering across a lightly treed, south-facing slope for the next 2 miles as you traverse to the northwest of Tamarack Lake. You may cross a couple of runoff streams as you get sneak peeks of Mount Rose at about 1.25 miles along, and in another 0.5 mile, you have a clear view of your destination as you walk along a steep slope. Just before the trail’s 2.5-mile midpoint, the Tahoe Rim Trail veers to the west toward Relay Peak. At the next fork in the trail, momentarily leave your route on the path to your left, which leads over to a rocky cascade and an opportunity to refill your water. Don’t miss this cool photo opportunity. Continue on your route to the right and cross the stream on boulders placed there for you, then on through this marshy area along the rock-and-gravel causeway. The trail continues north beneath a power line, next to a large meadow with beautiful views down the canyon to the east. Just after you crash through the willows and lupine at the next stream, you’ll pass another junction where the Tahoe Rim Trail diverges from our route and heads to Relay Peak. From this intersection, climb across one of Mount Houghton’s eastern flanks, and then begin ascending the crease between it and Mount Rose. Climb these tree-covered slopes, then cross to the north side of the ravine and resume hiking up the rock-filled ditch to a saddle 400 feet above. Just as you reach the saddle, yo