California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Water Tank Road

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

Is Water Tank Road open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Water Tank Road, 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.

Water Tank Road is a short, easy mountain biking route in Burton Creek State Park, California, within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The land is managed by State Park and Recreation, and the route sits about half a mile from the park's boundaries. The ride is an out-and-back of about 1.1 miles, with a one-way climb of roughly 130 feet from a low point of about 6,532 feet to a high of about 6,666 feet. That makes it a quick, low-effort outing for a short stretch of time on the trail network. 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 around 40°F and regular snow days from December through February. Several other routes lie close by. The Decommisioned State Park Road is about 0.1 mile away, and the Jackpine/Old State Park Road Connector is about 0.3 mile away. Twin Crags, a climbing area, is about 1.8 miles off, and William Kent Campground is about 3.3 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Lake Forest Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.0 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Thai Kitchen

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rains

    Snow Sports Museum

    Museum

    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 Water Tank Road

    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, 1.2 mi away at 6,230 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors