Tamarack Connection
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 7.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,002 ft
- climb
- 7,040 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Tamarack Connection 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.
Tamarack Connection is a 7-mile out-and-back hike in the Yuba River Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The trail gains about 1,000 feet, from roughly 6,025 feet at its low point to about 7,040 feet at the high point, and it is rated hard. The route is on natural surface, and bikes are allowed. It stays open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable season. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station at Sagehen Creek run to a high of 80°F and a low of 37°F. That station sits about 700 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The Sierra Buttes lie just 0.1 mile away, and the Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail is about half a mile off. For camping, Packsaddle and Berger campgrounds are both within about a mile and a quarter.
Local outfitters
- Alpenglow Expeditions36 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Tamarack Connection
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.
Jan
40° / 15°
Feb
41° / 15°
Mar
48° / 19°
Apr
53° / 22°
May
62° / 28°
Jun
72° / 32°
Jul
80° / 37°
Aug
79° / 35°
Sep
73° / 31°
Oct
61° / 24°
Nov
49° / 20°
Dec
39° / 14°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sagehen Creek, CA, 25.4 mi away at 6,337 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
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