California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

OTB Trail

1.7 mi
round trip
620 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is marginal · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 14 h ago

Is OTB Trail 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.

OTB Trail is a mountain biking route in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, about 3.3 miles from the community of Carnelian Heights. The Forest Service manages the land. The trail is an out-and-back of about 3.4 miles, with a one-way climb of roughly 620 feet from a low point of about 7,050 feet to a high of about 7,679 feet. It's rated moderate. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tahoe City show July highs around 78°F with lows near 46°F and only about one wet day in the month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Tahoe Rim Trail and Watson Peak Road both start within half a mile. Silver Creek Campground and the Light Deprivation Buttress climbing area are each about 2.2 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.4 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    River Ranch

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 3 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 OTB 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

      40° / 21°

      11 wet · 7 snow

    2. Feb

      40° / 21°

      10 wet · 7 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 24°

      10 wet · 7 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 28°

      8 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      59° / 34°

      7 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      69° / 40°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 46°

      1 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 45°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 41°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 33°

      4 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      48° / 26°

      7 wet · 3 snow

    12. Dec

      40° / 21°

      10 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tahoe City, CA, 3.7 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

Next door

0.37-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Tahoe Rim Trail, California.

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.22-mile out-and-back singletrack in California with 121 ft elevation gain.

RIDE

Big Chief Trail (Upper)

~2 min drive

1.17-mile out-and-back singletrack in California rated Difficult / Black Diamond.

Tahoe Rim Trail (Painted Rock North)Photo: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail (Painted Rock North)

~1 min drive

1.13-mile out-and-back singletrack on Tahoe Rim Trail, 328 ft gain, easy / green circle

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.16-mile out-and-back singletrack in California with 97 ft of elevation gain.

Tahoe Rim Trail (Painted Rock South)Photo: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail (Painted Rock South)

~2 min drive

0.17-mile easy singletrack on Tahoe Rim Trail in California

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.83-mile out-and-back singletrack on Tahoe Rim Trail, California.

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.16-mile out-and-back singletrack on Tahoe Rim Trail, California.

RIDE

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

~2 min drive

2.71-mile out-and-back singletrack with 522 ft gain in California.

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.29-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Tahoe Rim Trail, California.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors