Honorable Mentions

Tahoe Rim Trail at Tahoe City

You can follow a section of the Tahoe Rim Trail out of Tahoe City for a nice out-and-back trek of about 4 miles (or more). The first recognizable turnaround is a vista point overlooking the Truckee River valley; to get there and back again you’ll gain more than 800 feet in altitude and pass through stands of big cedar and patches of fern. The trail is marked by Tahoe Rim Trail placards and offers glimpses of Lake Tahoe through the lichen-covered trunks of the trees.

To reach this stretch of the Tahoe Rim Trail from the intersection of CA 89 and CA 28 in Tahoe City, take CA 89 west toward Truckee for 0.1 mile. Turn right on Fairway Drive, and go 0.2 mile to the parking lot at the Fairway Community Center. The trailhead is on the left side of the road, opposite the parking lot.

Pacific Crest Trail at Barker Pass

A 3-mile out-and-back hike heading north on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Barker Pass offers a sampling of the rigors and beauty of the national scenic trail. Rugged but well maintained, user-friendly but not overcrowded, the singletrack offers wonderful views of Blackwood Canyon, Lake Tahoe, and the Desolation Wilderness. It traverses a stark and exposed landscape, mellowed by the puffy pink blooms of pussy paws that cling to the inhospitable soils in season. Stands of lichen-dressed firs, a meadow thick with mule ear, and a spectacular avalanche slide path littered with deadwood lie along the first 1.5 miles of trail. Traverse a final stretch of open, barren slope to a saddle, and use a social trail to reach a plug of dark volcanic rock jutting from rose-colored earth. The plug (don’t climb as the rock is not stable) presents a grand view of Lake Tahoe and serves as a turnaround point for a half-day hike, though you can follow the PCT all the way to Washington State.

To reach the trailhead from Tahoe City, take CA 89 for 4.4 miles south to the turnoff marked for Kaspian and Blackwood Canyon. Turn right on Blackwood Canyon Road, and go 7.7 miles to the trailhead, which is on the right (east) side of the road beyond both the summit of Barker Pass and the end of the pavement.