California · Hiking

Ridge Loop

6.1 mi
round trip
1,892 ft
climb
7,827 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is RIDGE LOOP open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Tahoe National Forest.

  • Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts

    Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest

As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Ridge Loop is a hard out-and-back hike in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Sierraville Ranger District. The route is about 12 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,892 feet, and it starts and ends at roughly 7,500 feet. The high point reaches about 7,827 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 5.6 miles in, where the grade reaches 18 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Sagehen Creek weather station, about 16 miles away, show July highs near 80°F with lows around 37°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The hike takes about five hours. Rim Loop is about 1.6 miles away, and Yuba Pass campground is about 3.3 miles off. For paddling, Haypress Creek is about 2.4 miles away, and Pass Creek is about 4.7 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit RIDGE LOOP

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      40° / 15°

    2. Feb

      41° / 15°

    3. Mar

      48° / 19°

    4. Apr

      53° / 22°

    5. May

      62° / 28°

    6. Jun

      72° / 32°

    7. Jul

      80° / 37°

    8. Aug

      79° / 35°

    9. Sep

      73° / 31°

    10. Oct

      61° / 24°

    11. Nov

      49° / 20°

    12. Dec

      39° / 14°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sagehen Creek, CA, 16.4 mi away at 6,337 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Haypress Creek TrailPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Haypress Creek Trail

~8 min drive

1.36-mile out-and-back trail in California with 426 ft elevation gain.

Pacific Crest TrailPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pacific Crest Trail

~8 min drive

16.74-mile out-and-back trail in California with 4,208 ft gain/loss

PASS CREEK LOOPPhoto: M. Rhodes Photography, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

PASS CREEK LOOP

~8 min drive

15.32-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,399 ft elevation gain

Wild Plum LoopPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wild Plum Loop

~10 min drive

1.5-mile out-and-back trail in California with 305 ft elevation gain.

Pacific Crest TrailPhoto: M. Rhodes Photography, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Pacific Crest Trail

~8 min drive

5.08-mile out-and-back trail on the Pacific Crest Trail in California with 1,898 ft gain/loss.

BALD RIDGE LOOPPhoto: Matthew Rhodes, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

BALD RIDGE LOOP

~8 min drive

28.9-mile out-and-back out-and-back in California with 4,778 ft elevation gain

Tamarack ConnectionPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tamarack Connection

~16 min drive

7.00-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,323 ft elevation gain.

Wild Plum Loop TrailPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wild Plum Loop Trail

~10 min drive

1.98-mile out-and-back trail in California with 696 ft elevation gain/loss.

Hilda Mine TrailPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hilda Mine Trail

~9 min drive

2.94-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,954 ft gain/loss

Pacific Crest TrailPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pacific Crest Trail

~11 min drive

24.34-mile out-and-back trail in California with 6,022 ft elevation gain/loss