California · Hiking · Desolation Wilderness · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Susie Lateral Trail

Susie Lateral TrailPhoto: Rick McCharles, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.0 mi
round trip
106 ft
climb
7,812 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Susie Lateral Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Susie Lateral Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Susie Lateral Trail is a 1-mile, out-and-back hike in California's Desolation Wilderness, within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It's an easy route, with a one-way gain of about 106 feet, and the land is managed by the Forest Service. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Dagget Pass weather station show July highs around 75°F with lows near 49°F and only about one or two wet days a month. That station sits roughly 480 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run a bit cooler. The Half Moon Lake Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Pacific Crest Trail passes about 0.6 miles off. Climbers can head to the Desolation Wilderness Bouldering area, about 1.4 miles away, and Bayview Campground offers camping about 4.3 miles from the trail.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Stanford Sierra Camp

    Campground

    Campground · 2.6 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Beacon Bar & Grill

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 6 mi
  • If it rains

    Baldwin Home

    Museum

    On your way back · 5 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Susie Lateral Trail

    Best months: May–October. 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

      36° / 23°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 23°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 26°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      48° / 29°

      5 wet

    5. May

      56° / 35°

      4 wet

    6. Jun

      66° / 42°

      2 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 49°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 49°

      1 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 44°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 36°

      3 wet

    11. Nov

      43° / 28°

      5 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 23°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dagget Pass, NV, 13.9 mi away at 7,334 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Half Moon Lake TrailPhoto: Rick McCharles, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Half Moon Lake Trail

Next door

3.00-mile out-and-back hike to Half Moon Lake in California with 771 ft gain.

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

Pacific Crest Trail

Next door

9.1-mile out-and-back trail in California with 3,761 ft gain/loss and 9,372 ft max elevation.

Grass Lake TrailPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Grass Lake Trail

~2 min drive

1.80-mile out-and-back hike to Grass Lake in California with 341 ft of elevation gain.

Floating Island / Mount Tallac TrailPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Floating Island / Mount Tallac Trail

~3 min drive

1.28-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,020 ft elevation gain

Tamarack Lake TrailPhoto: bsterling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tamarack Lake Trail

~4 min drive

5.64-mile out-and-back hike to Tamarack Lake in California.

Aloha DesolationPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Aloha Desolation

~2 min drive

2.60-mile out-and-back trail in California with 304 ft elevation gain.

Lake of the WoodsPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake of the Woods

~4 min drive

4.86-mile out-and-back trail at Lake of the Woods in California with 273 ft of elevation gain.

Floating Island TrailPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Floating Island Trail

~5 min drive

9.40-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,508 ft elevation gain.

Margery TrailPhoto: Phreakdigital (talk · contribs), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Margery Trail

~3 min drive

1.00-mile out-and-back trail in California with 129 ft gain.

Cathedral TrailPhoto: bsterling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cathedral Trail

~4 min drive

2.40-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,465 ft of elevation gain.