huckepack

Tahoe Rim Trail

Length

This trail
269.9 km
How
Measured on our OpenStreetMap map line (data of 5 Nov 2026): the main route
Official
About 266 km, stated length (Tahoe Rim Trail Association)

270km

Ascent · descent

This trail
7,570 m up, 7,550 m down, estimated
How
Estimated from the GEDTM30 terrain model along our OpenStreetMap line: every main stage's climbs and drops along samples 100 m apart, each counted once it reaches 10 m
Keep in mind
A 30 m terrain model: short climbs between the samples are missed

estimated: 7,570m ↑7,550m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingNatural ground: 99 %
  • Climate: Moderate in Jul–SepHeat: 27 °C by day (July)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: ≈ 16 h 45 (stage 7)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Jul–Sep; Effort: Hard

Days

This trail
8 days, one per stage of Tahoe Rim Trail Association's stage list
Why
No source suggests days for the route as listed here

8days

Per day

This trail
34 km · ≈ 950 m ↑
How
The trail's length (our measurement, 270 km) ÷ its days (8, one day per stage of Tahoe Rim Trail Association's stage list); ascent likewise
Keep in mind
Stages vary in length; see the stage table

34km· about 950 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 87%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 10%
  • Bare rock and sand: 2%
  • Farmland and villages: 0%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by No machine-readable author provided. AT2663~commonswiki assu, Dicklyon, Patrick Nouhailler's…, Frank Schulenburg, Susan Popielaski and Lasthib; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
California, Nevada
Start
Tahoe City
Finish
Tahoe City
Route type
Loop
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • Truckee station23.7 km by road · 24 min
  • Reno76 km by road · 62 min
  • Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO)83.4 km by road · 70 min
Protected areas
Desolation Wilderness; Granite Chief Wilderness; Mount Rose Wilderness; Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Managed by
Tahoe Rim Trail AssociationOfficial website (opens in a new tab)
Waymarking
Well marked compared to other long-distance trails, but with no confidence markers or mileage signs except at major trail junctions; not signed for winter use.
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
the trail's ascent (the terrain model's estimate) over the main stages' length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T2 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The association describes long ridge traverses and climbs between about 1,900 and 3,150 m (Relay Peak, 10,338 ft), long steep approaches over Dicks Pass in the Desolation Wilderness and long dry stretches on the east shore, on a built single-track trail without exposed passages. Mountain hiking on a maintained trail (T2); early in the season snow on high and north-facing slopes can hide the trail.
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club (opens in a new tab)

    estimated T2
  • Climbingestimated 27 m per km
  • Steep stretches2 % of the way
  • Natural ground99 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Jul–Sep

  • Heat · July27 °C by day
  • Cold · September3 °C at night
  • Wet days · September4 days
  • Snow · September1 day
  • Wind · July15 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 7estimated 16 h 45

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
22–27°C
Nights in season · highest point
3–6°C
Wet days a month
3–3
Daylight
12.4–14.7h
SeasonDay high and night low−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point51015Daylight9.7 h10.7 h11.8 h13.2 h14.3 h14.9 h14.7 h13.7 h12.4 h11.1 h10.0 h9.4 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January3.3 / -3.2-4.8 / -11.110.59.6319.7
February3.5 / -3.7-4.5 / -11.410.49.328.310.7
March5.3 / -2.4-2.3 / -10.210.39.63111.8
April7.9 / -0.91 / -8.48.27.329.913.2
May13.5 / 3.27 / -4.27.55.127.214.3
June20.7 / 8.414.1 / 0.841.212.114.9
July26.7 / 1419.8 / 5.52.900.714.7
August25.8 / 14.218.7 / 5.82.800.413.7
September22 / 1114.4 / 3.3315.812.4
October15.4 / 5.67.8 / -1.94.63.419.711.1
November7.9 / 0.10.5 / -7.37.572910
December3.3 / -3.2-4.6 / -11.210.710319.4

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevation
1Tahoe City Brockway Summit33.0 km980 m ↑710 m ↓1,900 → 2,160 m
2Brockway Summit Mt. Rose Summit / Tahoe Meadows32.5 km1,270 m ↑720 m ↓2,160 → 2,720 m
3Mt. Rose Summit / Tahoe Meadows Spooner Summit38.8 km660 m ↑1,190 m ↓2,720 → 2,190 m
4Spooner Summit Kingsbury South Connector30.6 km640 m ↑650 m ↓2,170 → 2,160 m
5Kingsbury South Connector Big Meadow36.9 km1,230 m ↑1,180 m ↓2,170 → 2,220 m
6Big Meadow Echo Lakes29.5 km880 m ↑820 m ↓2,210 → 2,270 m
7Echo Lakes Barker Pass52.3 km1,390 m ↑1,310 m ↓2,260 → 2,340 m
8Barker Pass Tahoe City26.4 km520 m ↑970 m ↓2,350 → 1,900 m

Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (GEDTM30, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m; climbs and drops counted once they reach 10 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
3,139m high1,896m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
15 % (9°), 77 m up over 500 m, stage 3
Steepest descent
−20 % (11°), 99 m down over 500 m, stage 6
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

15% ↑−20% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
2.4 km up, 4.2 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

6.6km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 99%, 262.8 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 0%, 0.5 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 1%, 1.3 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.

99% natural<1% gravel1% paved
2,200 m2,600 m3,000 m3,139 mStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7Stage 80 km264.6 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
GEDTM30 terrain model (OpenGeoHub, from Copernicus and other elevation data), 30 m grid, the bare ground under the trees, every 100 m along the main route
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 9% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest87%Grassland and shrubs10%Bare rock and sand2%Farmland and villages0%Stage 1Stage 2Stage 34Stage 5Stage 6Stage 780 km264.6 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Backcountry camping along the trail; in the Desolation Wilderness only with an overnight permit. Fires are generally prohibited, and since 1 January 2024 all food and other smellables must be stored in a bear-resistant canister on the whole trail.

42.5 km without a bedCamping10Huts4Hostels0Rooms0Stage 1Stage 2Stage 34Stage 5Stage 6Stage 780 km264.6 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 10 campsites, 4 huts, 0 hostels, 0 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 21.4–63.9
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
51 km without clean water, km 124–175, stages 5–6
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 3 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 10 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

51kmScarce

Any water

This trail
44.4 km without any water, km 124–168.4
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 5 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

44.4kmScarce

Shops

This trail
123.4 km without a shop, km 0.3–123.7
Counted
4 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

123.4km
Water · 44.4 km withoutPublic drinking water · 180.2 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 101.4 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 51 km withoutShops · 123.4 km withoutSupermarkets · 264.3 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 123.7 km withoutStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7Stage 80 km264.6 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official source: California State Parks, CDFW, Nevada State Parks, NDOW, USDA Forest Service LTBMU and others
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Black bear Moderate

Black bear

Moderate danger

Black bears live round Lake Tahoe and come for food left unsecured; the agencies require bear-resistant food storage, and on the trail a canister.

If you meet one

  • Store food in bear-resistant, hard-sided canisters
  • Give wildlife space, especially mothers with young
  • If a bear approaches, yell at the bear to make it leave before it gets a food reward

Don't

  • Never feed wildlife; feeding bears is illegal, intentional or not
  • Never leave food, garbage or anything scented in campsites or tents

Advice: California State Parks, CDFW, Nevada State Parks, NDOW, USDA Forest Service LTBMU and others. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.