12

General Creek Loop at Sugar Pine Point

Walk in the footsteps (or ski tracks) of Olympic biathletes as you follow peaceful General Creek into Sugar Pine Point State Park’s wooded backcountry.

Start: At the day-use trailhead in the campground amphitheater parking lot

Distance: 4.7-mile lollipop

Hiking time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail surface: Dirt forest roads; paved road

Best seasons: Spring, summer, fall

Other trail users: Mountain bikers, trail runners

Trailhead amenities: Parking at the trailhead. Restrooms, information, and water are available in the campground.

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Fees and permits: A day-use fee is charged.

Schedule: The Sugar Pine Point State Park trail system is open year-round from sunrise to sunset daily. Entrance station hours vary; in summer it is open from about 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Maps: USGS Homewood CA and Meeks Bay CA; map in the Sugar Pine Point State Park brochure available at the campground entrance station and online

Trail contact: Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, PO Box 266, Tahoma, CA 96142-0266; (530) 525-7982; www.parks.ca.gov

Finding the trailhead: From the Y junction of US 50 and CA 89 in South Lake Tahoe, follow CA 89 north for 17.5 miles to the signed entrance for Sugar Pine Point State Park. From the Y junction of CA 89 and CA 28 in Tahoe City, follow CA 89 south for 9.2 miles to the campground entrance on the right (west). Go left (south), behind the entrance station, to parking for the campground amphitheater. This is the day-use trailhead; the trailhead can also be accessed from the campground. GPS: N39 03.38' / W120 07.287'

The Hike

The biathlon has to be one of the most challenging—and bizarre—sporting events ever conceived. Cross-country skiing (an exhausting sport even when you are not racing) is paired with marksmanship; top speed on skis and greatest accuracy with a rifle determine the winner.

The General Creek Loop follows part of the route biathletes used in the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Games, offering hikers a chance to gain a new appreciation (or sense of astonishment) for the sport. Interpretive signs near the trailhead describe the Nordic trail system established for the games. But the sign near the second bridge crossing General Creek, more than 2 miles into the woods, is a real eye-opener. The pictures say it all: Skiers sprawled belly-down in the snow with the rifles they’ve carried on their backs aimed at targets across the white meadow. Stand where they lay and imagine . . .

The hike begins with a tour of the Sugar Pine Point campground. The most direct route to the trailhead proper is to follow the main campground road to the westernmost campground loop; the signed trail begins between campsites 76 and 125. Other trails, including a nature trail, are shown on the campground map. Some loop through the woods and eventually intersect the trail up General Creek.

A verdant undergrowth thrives below the pines along General Creek.

The dirt road that serves as the General Creek trail leads away from the campground through an open woodland. Pass a side trail that breaks left (south) back into the campground, following the roadway to the start of the loop. At the junction, go left (south) to the first General Creek crossing. A bridge spans the waterway; on the south side go right (west) on the gently climbing track.

Follow the creek westward for a meditative mile through the quiet forest, passing a burned area where the undergrowth has come back thick and lush. Bend north past the biathlon sign (“a contest of contrast”) to the second General Creek crossing. On the north side of the bridge, the singletrack Lily Pond Trail heads left (west). Stay right on the broad General Creek Loop, which follows the north side of the creek back toward the campground. The route again passes through an old burn, where wildflowers, thimbleberries, and ferns flourish in spring and early summer.

Pass an unmarked junction with a dirt road on the descent to the end of the loop portion of the lollipop, staying right (east). The route drops to the junction near the creek crossing; from this point retrace your steps to the campground trailhead, then through the camp to the day-use parking lot and trail’s end.

Sugar pines, among the most massive of the pines, produce the enormous cones that litter the woodland floor. The cones can be more than a foot long.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start in the amphitheater parking lot, passing behind the closed gate on the paved roadway. Ski trail and nature trail signs mark a convergence of paved paths. Stay right on the paved trail to the main camp road, then go left (west) on the camp road.

0.9Arrive at the signed General Creek trailhead, between campsites 76 and 125. Head down the wide graded dirt road into the woods.

1.0Pass a trail that leads left (south) into the campground. Stay straight on the main trail.

1.4At the trail junction (the start of the loop) go left (south). Cross the bridge over the creek. At the trail intersection on the south bank, turn right (west).

2.4Pass the biathlon sign and cross the creek via the bridge. The Lily Pond Trail heads left (west) on the north side of the bridge; stay right (east) on the General Creek trail.

3.1At the unsigned junction with a dirt road, stay right (east).

3.4Close the loop. Retrace your steps to the campground trailhead.

4.7Arrive back at the amphitheater parking area.

Hike Information

Local information: Information about businesses, restaurants, and activities in north Lake Tahoe, including Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Brockway, Homewood, and other North and West Shore towns, can be found at www.gotahoenorth.com. The phone number for the clearinghouse is (888) 434-1262. The Tahoe City Visitors Information Center is at 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA 96145; (530) 581-6900.

For the scoop on lodging, restaurants, and activities in South Lake Tahoe, look to the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is located at 169 US 50, 3rd Floor, Stateline, NV 89449; call (775) 588-1728; visit www.tahoechamber.org.

Local events/attractions: Cross-country skiing is popular at the park in winter, with about 20 miles of groomed trails winding through Sugar Pine Point Park’s backcountry. Contact the park for more information by calling (530) 525-7982. A map is available at www.parks.ca.gov/pages/510/files/EdZSugarPinePtSkiTrailMapWinter2011.pdf.

Restaurants: Jake’s on the Lake, 780 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA 96145; (530) 583-0188; www.jakestahoe.com. This lakeside restaurant and bar features delicious fresh entrees and appetizers, including ahi tuna poke rolls and excellent burgers.

Camping: Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park offers camping during the summer months. The park’s 123 sites are equipped with metal bear boxes, where all food should be stored. Some sites are suitable for RVs, but they cannot exceed 32 feet in length. Campers have access to all park facilities. A fee is charged. For more information call (530) 525-7982 in the summer;
(530) 525-3345 year-round. You can make online reservations through the Sugar Pine Point State Park website at www.parks.ca.gov; the link will take you to the park’s ReserveAmerica (www.reserveamerica.com) page.

General Creek was the site of the Olympic biathlon in 1960.

The Bounty of Sugar Pine Point State Park

While Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park encompasses the cabin of one of the first settlers (“General” William Phipps) on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion is the park’s most famous unnatural attraction. Built by a businessman from San Francisco, the impressive 11,000-square-foot residence, known by the rather humble name of Pine Lodge, accommodated the guests of I. W. Hellman and his daughter, Florence Hellman Ehrman, throughout the early part of the twentieth century. Tours of the house are offered daily from Memorial Day weekend through Sept 30. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., from mid-June through Labor Day, with a reduced tour schedule in early June and in Sept.
Call (530) 525-7232 for tour times.

The park covers about 2,000 acres, stretches more than 3 miles west from Lake Tahoe’s shoreline into the Desolation Wilderness, and boasts 7,000 feet of lakefront beach. Swimming, fishing, boating, camping, and in winter, cross-country skiing, are all available. Aside from the General Creek route, hikers can also explore the Lakefront Interpretive Trail, the Ron Beaudry Trail, the Dolder Nature Trail, and the trail to Lily Pond. A few of the trails wind through the Edwin L. Z’berg National Preserve, named for the California state assemblyman who championed preservation and restoration efforts, and whose name was added to the park in 2003.

The park’s brochure, along with a brochure describing the Olympic biathlon course that led into the General Creek drainage, is available on the Sugar Pine Point web page at www.parks.ca.gov.