TRUCKEE RIVER LEGACY TRAIL- access from Downtown Truckee
Trail Type: 3.5 miles paved hiker/bike trail. Trail expanding in length to Glenshire.
Difficulty: Technical Challenge (for bicycles): Easy.
Physical Challenge: Easy
Open to: all non-motorized uses.
Water for Dogs: year-round.
Directions to Trailhead: From Downtown, head South on Brockway Road; cross the tracks and head East on East River Street. Ride about a mile to the end of the pavement, turn Right and cross the bike/ ped. bridge.
Turn Left onto the trail and begin. The trail winds along the Truckee River where it dead-ends just past Riverside Park. If you are on a mountain bike, you can continue on a dirt trail all the way to Glenshire. If not, you can double back to the park, head south across it and on to Joeger Way, to Hwy. 267, cross the highway at the light, onto Brockway road, where you can pick up a bike path on the north side of the road down about a block. Cruise this back towards town, by way of the regional park and the close your loop back at the foot bridge.
Description: The Truckee River Legacy Trail is a trail being built in phases that, when complete, will offer a route from Donner Memorial State Park to Glenshire, along the Truckee River. When completed, it will be paved in its entirety, (with sections having a dirt path adjacent,) but while under construction, sections will be dirt. Popular with dog walkers and people out for a stroll. Note: Road cyclists: please keep your speed down!
COMMEMORATIVE EMIGRANT TRAIL- North of Truckee 5 miles
Open to: all non-motorized uses.
Water for dogs: Generally before June the seasonal creeks are still flowing, and Alder Creek is a year-round stream.
Trail Type: A mix of beautiful alpine single-track, and fire roads
Difficulty: Technical Challenge ( for bicycles): Some parts are moderate, others are very difficult.
Physical challenge: strenuous
Directions to Trailhead: From Downtown, proceed northeast on Donner Pass Road. At the roundabout with SR 89N, merge onto SR 89N. Proceed 4.5 miles to the US Forest Service facility called Donner Camp picnic area on the right side of the road.
Note 1: the section from Donner Camp to Prosser Creek is often one of the last parts of the trail to dry in the spring. If it is still wet and snowy here, proceed north on SR 89 N another 2.5 miles to the pullout at the Prosser Creek Bridge.
Note 2: Later in the year, the trail can be accessed from many pull outs on Alder Creek Drive, which the trail parallels for 3 miles (access by making a Left from Hwy 89 onto Alder Creek Drive after leaving downtown Truckee.) However, in the spring, the Alder Creek crossings may be impassable.
Description: This very popular trail offers rolling, not-rocky, wide single-track through high desert scenery. The trail winds through sagebrush, seasonally wet meadows, and Jeffrey Pine forests. The total trail length, from the Tahoe Donner Campground to Stampede Reservoir is over 15 miles, but, as it is an out-and-back, go as far as you want to go! Popular for early season hiking, early season wildflower and deer viewing, running, and mountain biking. Can be hot in mid-summer, but there’s a nice big reservoir in which to swim (Stampede) at the end point of this trail.
HOLE IN THE GROUND
- Donner Summit
Open to: all non-motorized uses.
Water for dogs: Not guaranteed and only in three seasonal creeks. In the early season (July) water is usually a safe bet.
Trail Type: 9 miles of single-track bliss, 1.5 miles of fireroad.
Difficulty: Technical Challenge (for bicycles): difficult to very difficult.
Physical Challenge: strenuous for bikes, very strenuous for hikers, due to length, altitude and lack of bailout options
Directions to Trailhead: From Downtown head west on I-80 for 10 miles to the exit marked Boreal Ridge Road/Castle Peak. Turn Right onto Castle Valley Road and park at the end of the pavement. Proceed on Castle Valley Road for 1.5 miles and the trailhead will be on the left. It is a bit obscure and is tucked away in a grove of big Red Firs. If you end up at the junction of Castle Valley Road and the PCT, you went a mile too far.
The trailhead at the Soda Springs end of the trail is accessed at the Soda Springs/Norden exit of I80. Turn right at the off ramp and park on either side of the road by the fire station. Respect the No Parking signs.
Note: To do a loop that makes sense. Park at the Soda Springs area, ride east on old Hwy. 40 to Snow Lab road. Go left down road to Boreal parking lot, go under freeway, and up Castle Valley Rd. and on with the ride. This way you get a bit of a warm-up before the big climb and end back at your car.
Description: This ride is a yearly must-do for the Tahoe mountain biker. The trail’s technical challenge combined with the alpine beauty and numerous lakes make it one of the more popular trails in California.
SAWTOOTH TRAIL- Close Proximity to Truckee off Brockway Road
Open to: all non motorized uses.
Water for dogs: No.
Trail Type: Nine miles of rocky, fun Single-track
Difficulty: Technical challenge (bicycles): Moderate to Difficult.
Physical challenge: Moderate
Directions to Trailhead: From Downtown, head east on Brockway Road. At the first light (Palisades Drive) turn right. Turn right again on Silver Fir, and then left on Thelin. The USFS 06 road is on the right. Turn here and proceed ¼ mile to the trailhead on the right.
Description: This trail is a winding single-track loop through a mix of high desert and Jeffrey Pine Forest. It gains and loses the same 200 feet numerous times throughout its course. Some of the standout features of this trail are the two overlooks into the Truckee River Canyon, and the available connectivity to other routes on the Mt. Watson trail network. Popular as a day hike, trail run, or mountain bike ride. Total loop is 9 miles.
TAHOE RIM TRAIL- North Shore- 20 min. South of Truckee
West of Hwy. 267 at Brockway Summit
Open to all non-motorized uses.
Water for dogs: Yes.
Trail Type: Single track, with some rocky sections.
Difficulty: moderate
Physical challenge: moderate
Directions to Trailhead:
1/ From Downtown Truckee: take Brockway Rd. At the intersection with SR 267, turn right and head up Brockway Grade past Northstar. At the summit, turn right onto the old Fiberboard Freeway.
2/ From Kings Beach (North Lake Tahoe): Turn off Hwy. 28 onto Hwy. 267 and take to top of Brockway Summit, turn left onto old Fiberboard Freeway.
NOTE: The Tahoe Rim Trail actually crosses Hwy. 267 on the south side of Brockway Summit. As this first section is a uneventful, somewhat difficult climb, a better place to start is as follows.
Once on the Fiberboard Freeway, continue driving on the paved road until you crest a summit. Just as you start to descend, the TRT comes in from your right, crosses the road, dropping off to your left. Park off the side of the road where you can.
Description: This is an out and back ride with a great turn around point at Watson Lake. A great spot for a swim/ picnic. You start with a great rolling descent, earn your fun with some switchback climbs, top out across some rocky flat terrain; a fast twisty cruise and there’s the lake. If you want to continue your adventure, you can continue along the TRT heading to Tahoe City, though you will want to drop a car or have a ride back to the start. This option adds about 2 hours to the ride.
THE FLUME TRAIL - East Shore- One Hr. Drive from Truckee
Open to: Foot and bicycle traffic.
Water for Dogs: yes, but dogs are discouraged.
Trail Type: Slightly wide, sandy single-track with excellent views of Lake Tahoe
Difficulty: Technical Challenge (for bicycles): Although only moderate, the cliff-side feel of this trail often makes the trail feel more technical.
Physical Challenge: The Flume Trail is almost flat, but requires a 100 foot climb to get to it.
Directions to Trailhead: From Downtown Truckee, turn right onto Brockway Rd. At the junction with SR 267, turn right again, and stay on SR 267 for about 12 miles. At North Lake Blvd in Kings Beach, turn left. At the CA/NV border, North Lake Blvd becomes NV SR 28. Proceed on this road. Turn left into Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and follow the signs to the trailhead.
Description: As this trail can be linked with other trails for varying experiences, routes vary. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Arrange a pick-up shuttle with the Flume Trail Bike Shop at the bottom of Tunnel Creek Road. Proceed up North Canyon Road to Marlette Lake. The Flume Trail begins on the opposite side of the Lake, by the Dam. Take the Flume Trail to its terminus at Tunnel Creek Road. Descend Tunnel Creek Road, where your shuttle awaits.
Note:Please descend with caution! Tunnel Creek Road is steep and sandy and high speed washouts leading to injury are common!
2. 23 mile loop: Proceed up North Canyon Road to Marlette Lake. The Flume Trail begins on the opposite side of the Lake, by the Dam. Take the Flume Trail to its terminus at Tunnel Creek Road. Turn right on Tunnel Creek Road, and right again on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Take The Tahoe Rim Trail to Marlette Lake, and return down North Canyon Road.
3. Do the above loop in reverse, with an out-and-back to Tahoe Meadows, on the Tahoe Rim Trail. This route adds about 12 miles to the overall distance, with a lot of climbing (and descending in return). Proceed across Tunnel Creek Road on the TRT to add this spur onto the loop. Physical difficulty increases to strenuous to very strenuous.
Note: Due to use conflicts, a not mandatory, but strongly advised guideline has been put in place: From Tahoe Meadows to Tunnel Creek Road, bicycles are discouraged from using the trail on odd numbered days. On even days, hikers that believe this guideline is law are often openly belligerent to bicyclists, so please do this ride on even-numbered days.
Serving the Tahoe - Truckee
Community Since 1985
Please email us with any questions
downtown truckee california call: 530. 582.1890 email: info@cyclepaths.com
T r u c k e e a n d N o r t h L a k e T a h o e T r a i l I n f o r m a t i o n
