California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Tahoe Rim Trail

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.2 mi
round trip
40 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Tahoe Rim Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

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

The Tahoe Rim Trail is a short mountain biking route in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits about 0.16 miles from the trailhead and covers a low-elevation stretch of trail. The route is an out-and-back, about 0.32 miles long, with a one-way climb of 40 feet from a low point at 7,707 feet to a high of 7,757 feet. It's rated easy. 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. Winter brings highs near 40°F and frequent snow days. Watson Lake Trail, a hike, starts about 0.2 miles away, and Watson Lake Road, a mountain biking route, is about 0.3 miles off. Crawford Boulder and Silver Creek-Truckee campground are both about 3.6 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 0.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    The Outpost

    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 Tahoe Rim 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, 4.2 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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

0.39-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Tahoe Rim Trail in California.

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

Tahoe Rim Trail

Next door

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

Tahoe Rim TrailPhoto: Jonathan Cook-Fisher, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

20.44-mile point-to-point trail at Picnic Rock with 2,732 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 (Watson Lake)Photo: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake)

~1 min drive

0.57-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Tahoe Rim Trail with 76 ft gain

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

Tahoe Rim Trail

~1 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

~2 min drive

0.29-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

Next door

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

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

Tahoe Rim Trail

~3 min drive

0.49-mile easy singletrack out-and-back on Tahoe Rim Trail in California.

RIDE

Cedar Flat Trail

~2 min drive

0.24-mile moderate singletrack in California with 58 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors