Lake Tahoe Hikes & Horseback Rides
Maximizing Trails Around North America's Second Highest Alpine Lake
To get the most from Tahoe hikes and horseback rides you need to know where to find the best trails.This article tells you where to find maps, stables and get other info.
It has been said that the Lake Tahoe Basin has so many trails to follow that it would take a lifetime – or at least many months of constant hiking -- to get to know them all. The hundreds of miles of pathways range from easy to strenuous, with elevations from lake level to more than 10,000 feet. Great get-away-from-it-all hikes include the Marlette Lake and Hobart Loops, Fallen Leaf and Angora Lakes.
Riding High at North Lake Tahoe
Horseback riding adds dozens of other dimensions to Lake Tahoe enjoyment, with miles of trails to neighboring peaks, lakes and meadows. Each stable has several guided rides of varying duration. Where you go will depend upon which stable you choose. At Squaw Valley Stables (1525 Squaw Valley Rd., 916/583-7433) the one and two hour rides make loops of the meadow. The half day ride goes deep into the ski area to a ridge overlooking the lake.
Tahoe Donner Stables (off I-80, 916/587-9470) specializes in half-day rides that go up a ridge overlooking Lake Tahoe and then down the other side into Euer Valley. The creek-side route back to the stables is a big plus on this ride. Another horse rental operation at the north side of the lake, Northstar-at-Tahoe, features all-day rides to Reservoir Lake as well as one- and two-hour rides through the meadows.
South Shore Stables
At the south end of the lake, the two-hour ride at Zephyr Cove Stables (702/588-5644) goes through the Boren's Lake area up the ridge and over the mountain to McFall Creek, while the half-day ride from Cascade Stables (South Lake Tahoe, 916/541-2055) goes around Cascade Lake and the all day ride goes to Desolation Valley. Stateline Stables (Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe; 916/541-0962) specializes in horses for children, and riders go up a ridge that overlooks the lake. Camp Richardson's Corral on Emerald Bay Road (916/541-3133) north of South Lake Tahoe offers four-hour rides to Floating Island Lake, which is on a ridge above Fallen Leaf Lake to the west of Tahoe. Rates at the various stables are approximately $14 an hour.
One of the few operations that allows horse rentals without a guide is Sunset Ranch on Highway 50 at Stateline (916/541- 9001). You must, however, ride within the confines of the ranch's 210-acre meadow. It is possible to arrange for all-day and longer rides at most of the stables if you do so in advance.
Trips at the Top
For the ultimate hikers’ or horseback riders’ high, follow the entire 175-mile Tahoe Rim Trail along the ridge tops encircling the lake. When making a multi-day trip, it’s possible to engage suppliers to leave provisions at various drop-off points. Wherever you go, it’s important to be continually aware of conditions since weather changes occur frequently in the Sierra. Also, be sure to bring along water and dress in layers so that whatever the weather, you’ll be prepared. It’s important, too, to let your family/friends know your destination as well as approximate time when you will return.
The Recreation Map of Lake Tahoe,” a detailed topographic vinyl map, including the Rim Trail as well as other hiking, biking and horse trails in the area is available online at www.tahoerimtrial.com. About three dozen Lake Tahoe Basin Trails (along with the length, degree of difficulty and elevation of each) as well as a dozen “popular short hikes” are listed at www.tahoesbest.com/Hiking.html. Another good site is www.tahoevacationguide.com/Activities/hiking, which categorizes hikes according to region, with separate listings of wildflower and ski resort hikes. For a listing of area stables, consult www.tahoevacationguide.com/Activities/ridingstables.html.
