California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake)

Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake)Photo: AT2663, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.6 mi
round trip
128 ft
climb
Singletrack
surface
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake) 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 (Watson Lake), 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.

Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake) is a short, easy mountain biking route in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back that starts and ends at Watson Lake, with a low point of 7,710 feet and a high of 7,856 feet. The climb is gentle, with an elevation gain of 128 feet over a 1.1-mile round trip. 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 1,600 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Tahoe Rim Trail hike lies just 0.2 miles away, and Watson Lake Road is about half a mile off. Crawford Boulder, a climbing area, is 1.5 miles away, and Silver Creek Campground is about 3.9 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Thai Kitchen

    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 Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake)

    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, 3.8 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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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)

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

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

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

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

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1.71-mile out-and-back singletrack with 358 ft gain in California

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors