The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) is a 170-mile (274 km) long-distance hiking trail that forms a loop around the

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...

Basin in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

and ranges of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

.Hauserman, Tim ''The Tahoe Rim Trail'' The trail ranges in

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

from 6,223 feet (1,897 m) at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet (3,151 m) at Relay Peak in Nevada. About 50 miles (80 km) of trail above the lake's west shore are also part of the national

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

. Additionally, 96 Miles of the trail along the east and south sides of the Lake Tahoe basin are designated as a National Recreation Trail.

Background

The idea of a crest trail around Lake Tahoe was first proposed in 1978 by Glenn Hampton, a recreation officer of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) of the U.S. Forest Service. The trail was completed in September 2001, almost entirely through volunteer effort. The trail currently exists mostly on land managed by the LTBMU and Lake Tahoe–Nevada State Park, with shorter segments in the Tahoe National Forest and the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest. The main hiking season is usually from July through September, though lingering

snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

patches may sometimes be found into August of high snow years. The trail is open year-round, but is not marked for winter use. The climate is typical of the Sierra Nevada, with severe storms during the winter and almost no precipitation falling in the summer.

Mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...

s are permitted on roughly half the trail, and the entire trail is open to

equestrians Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, other than a short segment in the north, and skiers. Motorized recreation is prohibited along its entire length. Hikers must obtain permits before entering the very popular Desolation Wilderness area southwest of the lake. The trail also passes through the Mount Rose Wilderness and the Granite Chief Wilderness. A section of the trail also passes through or near the Freel Roadless Area.TRT Association's trail segment description and map

References

External links

Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Tahoe Rim Trail
- Walking 4 Fun

Tahoe Rim Trail (east side) GPX track
{{Authority control Hiking trails in Nevada National Recreation Trails in California Long-distance trails in the United States Lake Tahoe Sierra Nevada (United States) Protected areas of Carson City, Nevada Protected areas of Douglas County, Nevada Protected areas of El Dorado County, California Protected areas of Placer County, California Protected areas of Washoe County, Nevada Eldorado National Forest Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest Tahoe National Forest 1981 establishments in California 1981 establishments in Nevada