California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Watson Creek Road

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

Is Watson Creek Road open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Watson Creek 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.

Watson Creek Road is a short, easy mountain biking route in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. The climb is an out-and-back of about 0.7 miles, with a low point of 7,398 feet and a high of 7,472 feet, a gain of about 70 feet one way. 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 1,200 feet below the route, so temperatures on the road run cooler. Watson Creek Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Tahoe Rim Trail is about 0.4 mile off. Crawford Boulder, a climbing area, is about 1.7 miles away, and Silver Creek Campground is about 4.3 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 0.8 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Summit Smokehouse

    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 Watson Creek 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, 4.4 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors