California · Mountain biking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Watson Creek Trail

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

Is Watson Creek Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

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

Watson Creek Trail 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 covers about 1.3 miles, with a low point of 6,621 feet and a high of 6,865 feet, giving it a one-way elevation gain of 229 feet. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and the nearest town is Tahoe City, about 4.4 miles away. 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 635 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run a little cooler. Shivagiri Extension is just 0.2 miles away, and Watson Creek Road is about half a mile off. For climbing, Crawford Boulder is 1.1 miles away, and the Lake Tahoe - North Shore fishing area is about 5 miles out.

Around this trail

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

    Watson Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 2.1 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 Watson Creek 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, 4.4 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 600 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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~2 min drive

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

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors