California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Sawmill Flat

1.1 mi
round trip
282 ft
climb
Mixed
surface
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Sawmill Flat open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Sawmill Flat, 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.

Sawmill Flat is a short, easy mountain biking route in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service in California. It sits about a mile from the town of Tahoe City, and the whole trip is an out-and-back of about 2.2 miles with a one-way climb of 282 feet, from a low point of 6,862 feet to a high of 7,151 feet. 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 roughly 900 feet below the route, so temperatures on the climb run cooler. Watson Creek Trail and Watson Creek Road both start about 0.1 mile away. Crawford Boulder, a climbing area, is about 1.3 miles off, and Silver Creek Campground is about 5.1 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.6 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Gar Woods

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 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 Sawmill Flat

    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, 4.5 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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RIDE

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors