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Rainbow Trail

The Taylor Creek Stream Profile Chamber is the main attraction along this family favorite, but the Rainbow Trail has more to recommend it, including vistas across the Taylor Creek marshlands, bowers of quaking aspen, and comprehensive interpretive signage.

Start: At the signed trailhead outside the Taylor Creek Visitor Center

Distance: 0.6-mile lollipop

Hiking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

Trail surface: Paved path

Best seasons: Spring, summer, and fall

Other trail users: None

Trailhead amenities: A large parking lot, restrooms, trashcans, water, a visitor center, and a gift shop

Canine compatibility: Dogs not permitted in the stream chamber or on Kiva Beach, but are otherwise allowed on leashes

Fees and permits: None

Schedule: The stream profile chamber is open Memorial Day to Oct 31 from 8 a.m. until a half-hour before the Taylor Creek Visitor Center closes. The visitor center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from mid-May to mid-June and during Oct. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from mid-June through Sept.

Maps: USGS Emerald Bay CA; no map is needed

Trail contact: US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Forest Supervisor’s Office, 35 College Dr., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150; (530) 543-2600; www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu

Special considerations: The trail is wheelchair accessible. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is staffed by rangers and offers information and gifts, including guidebooks.

Finding the trailhead: From the intersection of US 50 and CA 89 in South Lake Tahoe, go north on CA 89 for 3.2 miles to the signed turnoff for the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. Turn right (north) onto the visitor center road, and follow it to the parking area. The trailhead, with an arcing sign, is opposite the visitor center entrance. GPS: N38 56.133' / W120 03.243'

The Hike

If you visit the Taylor Creek Stream Profile Chamber in autumn, you can enjoy below-the-surface views of kokanee salmon, their scales lipstick-red as they prepare to spawn, doing laps in lovesick agitation. They mingle with their cousins: rainbow, brown, and Lahontan cutthroat trout, the latter species native to the deep waters of Lake Tahoe. Larger fish circle lazily in the stream scene behind the glass, while the smaller dart about, looking for food or perhaps practicing their moves to avoid becoming meals themselves.

Walkers on the Rainbow Trail pause for long stretches to take in this snapshot of life in a mountain stream. First-hand observation, coupled with the assistance of an interpretive naturalist and additional information from the accompanying interpretive display, enhance this unique hiking experience.

An interpretive arch announces the start of the Rainbow Trail.

Though the stream profile chamber is the Rainbow Trail’s main draw, this pleasant path—easy enough for a toddler to manage—sports many other attractions. The marsh surrounding Taylor Creek is no scenic slouch, resplendent with wildflowers in spring and ringing with birdcall throughout the hiking season. Quaking aspen, turning a vivid gold in fall, provide yet another visual treat. The route is lined with interpretive signs and benches, where children of all ages can dawdle and contemplate.

The paved path begins just outside the visitor center, dropping to a marsh overlook and then to the trail junction where the loop begins. Go right (following the arrow), traveling in a counterclockwise direction. Meander through the meadow and skirt the marsh on boardwalks, taking in views toward Lake Tahoe. A bridge spans Taylor Creek, then the trail forks, with one branch leading down and through the stream profile chamber and the other going around it.

After your stream study, you’ll emerge from the far side of the chamber into a stand of aspen. Pass a “pillow sensor” and rain gauge, along with the interpretive display that explains their functions. Beyond lies an alder spring, and then more of the tall grasses and wildflowers of the meadow. Once you return to the trail junction and close the loop, go right to the visitor center and parking area.

Explorer John C. Frémont is credited with being the first white man to see Pyramid Lake, where he made note in his journals of the presence of a subspecies of Lahontan cutthroat trout, the same species that is native to Lake Tahoe. Reports say Frémont encountered trout that weighed more than forty pounds, were up to 3 or 4 feet long, and of “excellent” flavor.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start on the paved path under the Rainbow Trail arch.

0.1Visit the marsh overlook, then return to the trail and drop to the start of the loop. Go right (counterclockwise) as indicated by the directional arrow.

0.3Drop through the stream profile chamber.

0.4At the Y outside the chamber, go left, past the monitoring station. Close the loop by circling back toward the visitor center.

0.6Arrive back at the trailhead.

Hike Information

Local information: 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. Or visit www.tahoesouth.com.

Local events/attractions: The Camp Richardson Resort and Marina offers a wealth of recreational and lodging opportunities near the Tallac Historic Site, Rainbow Trail, and Fallen Leaf Lake. Among the amenities are a marina, lakeside cabins and camping facilities, a restaurant, and a sports center that offers bicycle rentals in summer and snowshoe rentals in winter. For more information contact the resort at (800) 544-1801 (local 530-541-1801) or visit www.camprichardson.com/the-resort.

The scenic and educational Rainbow Trail is a family favorite and one of the most popular short routes on Lake Tahoe's south shore.

Green Tip:

Pass it down—the best way to instill good green habits in your children is to set a good example.