Treasure Mountain Loop
- 16.1 mi
- round trip
- 4,131 ft
- climb
- 7,528 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is TREASURE MOUNTAIN 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.
Treasure Mountain Loop is a long, steep out-and-back hike in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Sierraville Ranger District. The route starts at the Little Truckee Summit Trailhead and climbs to a high point of 7,528 feet, with a total elevation gain of 4,131 feet over the full round trip. The one-way distance is about 16 miles, and the trail is rated expert. The climb is most demanding around mile 8.7, where the grade reaches 15 percent. The route begins at about 6,415 feet and ends at the same elevation, so the total gain and loss are equal. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Sagehen Creek weather station, about 5.6 miles away, show July highs near 80°F and lows around 37°F. That station sits roughly 1,200 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The trip takes about 13 hours. Wheeler Loop is about a mile away, and Independence Lake Loop and Kyburz are each about 2 miles off. Upper Little Truckee campground is about 2.3 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Alpenglow Expeditions21 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit TREASURE MOUNTAIN 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.
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, 5.6 mi away at 6,337 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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
Photo: donner summit historical society, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Carpenter Valley Loop Trail
~12 min drive
0.82-mile out-and-back out-and-back in California with 120 ft elevation gain.
Photo: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Warren Lake
~14 min drive
3.8-mile out-and-back trail in California with 980 ft elevation gain.
Photo: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000
~15 min drive
46.34-mile out-and-back trail on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail in California with 7,335 ft gain/loss.
Photo: scorpio-tiger, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Warren Lake
~17 min drive
6-mile out-and-back trail with 1,123 ft gain at Warren Lake, California
Photo: donner summit historical society, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Carpenter Valley Trail
~13 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back hike in California with 404 ft elevation gain.
Photo: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Hawk's Peak
~18 min drive
2.64-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,120 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: Matthew Rhodes, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)BALD RIDGE LOOP
~17 min drive
28.9-mile out-and-back out-and-back in California with 4,778 ft elevation gain
HIKE
WHEELER LOOP
~2 min drive
10.82-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,342 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Paradise Lake
~15 min drive
2.14-mile out-and-back trail to Paradise Lake in California with 267 ft elevation gain.
Photo: donner summit historical society, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Prosser Knob Loop
~16 min drive
5.92-mile out-and-back trail in California with 804 ft elevation gain.
