CA 89 TRIPS

Trips in this section start from five trailheads (from north to south): the Powderhorn Trailhead into Granite Chief Wilderness, Lake Tahoe’s Meeks Bay Trailhead into Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe’s Bayview Trailhead, the Big Meadow Trailhead into Meiss Country, and the Armstrong Pass Trailhead to Star Lake and Freel Peak.

Although set within the popular Tahoe Basin, Granite Chief Wilderness is extremely lightly used in comparison to other areas around the lake, particularly the ever-popular Desolation Wilderness. Instead of permits and quotas, backpackers will experience deep forests, rushing streams, seasonal wildflowers, excellent views, and fewer people.

Above the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, Desolation Wilderness encompasses 63,690 acres of federally protected backcountry. The terrain resembles a miniature High Sierra, albeit at a lower elevation, with deep blue lakes, craggy summits, and granite peaks and basins showing extensive signs of glaciation from the last ice age. (The Meeks Bay Trailhead also features the beginning of the unofficial Tahoe-Yosemite Trail [TYT], which stretches almost 186 miles from Lake Tahoe’s Meeks Bay to Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows and traverses some of the northern Sierra’s loveliest territory. A fine complement to the John Muir Trail [JMT], the TYT is even more of an adventure.)

South of Lake Tahoe, bounded on the east by CA 89, and in between US 50 and CA 88 lies Meiss Country, an area of deep forests, scenic lakes, and expansive meadows that saw far fewer visitors before the construction of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Despite this increased popularity, the area still affords backpackers a reasonable dose of serenity along with the stunning scenery.

Farther south still, the Freel Peak area offers a chance to climb to the top of the Tahoe Basin’s highest summit and enjoy the shore of one of its highest lakes.

Trailheads: Powderhorn

Meeks Bay

Bayview

Big Meadow

Armstrong Pass