California · Hiking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Windmiller

1.6 mi
round trip
46 ft
climb
7,010 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Windmiller open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Eldorado National Forest.

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

Windmiller is a short, easy out-and-back hike in California's Eldorado National Forest, within the Pacific Ranger District. The trail is 1.6 miles long, with a low point of 6,956 feet and a high of 7,010 feet, so the climb is a gentle 46 feet of elevation gain. The route is on natural surface, and horses are allowed, which makes it a good option for riders as well as hikers. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at South Lake Tahoe show July and August highs around 80°F with only about two wet days a month, while winter highs sit near 43°F with lows in the teens. Wrights Meadow and Bloodsucker are both about 0.1 mile away, and Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground is about 0.2 mile off. For climbing, Black Beauty Wall is roughly 1.6 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip

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–Sep

    Best time to visit Windmiller

    Best months: May–September. 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

      43° / 18°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      43° / 19°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      48° / 24°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      53° / 28°

      8 wet

    5. May

      62° / 33°

      7 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 38°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      80° / 43°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 41°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 35°

      3 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 29°

      5 wet

    11. Nov

      51° / 23°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 18°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA, 13.5 mi away at 6,314 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.

    Closures we've recorded since August 2026

    • Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide

      Eldorado National Forest · Order dated September 22, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Nov 2, 2026 · Forest Service

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Lyons Creek TrailPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lyons Creek Trail

~4 min drive

9.88-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,014 ft elevation gain.

Pony Express TrailPhoto: mlinksva, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Pony Express Trail

~8 min drive

11.72-mile out-and-back trail in California with 4,447 ft elevation gain.

Clyde LakePhoto: jayarmstrong, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Clyde Lake

~8 min drive

Clyde Lake is a 1.00-mile out-and-back trail in California with 26 feet of elevation gain.

Pyramid Peak TrailPhoto: Peter, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pyramid Peak Trail

~10 min drive

6.08-mile out-and-back trail in California with 3,831 ft elevation gain and loss.

STRAWBERRY RIDGE LOOPPhoto: Hugh Nelson, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

STRAWBERRY RIDGE LOOP

~10 min drive

4.94-mile out-and-back out-and-back in California with 2,195 ft elevation gain

Mcconnell Lake LoopPhoto: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mcconnell Lake Loop

~10 min drive

14-mile out-and-back out-and-back around Mcconnell Lake in California.

Lake No. 3Photo: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lake No. 3

~9 min drive

1.00-mile out-and-back trail to Lake No. 3 in California

Climber's Descent TrailPhoto: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Climber's Descent Trail

~11 min drive

1.06-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,107 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Rockbound

~3 min drive

12.80-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,880 ft elevation gain.

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

Aloha Desolation

~10 min drive

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