All Hiking & Biking

Viewing 1 to 26 of All Hiking & Biking venues

Castle Peak

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Mileage: 5.3 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Use level: Heavy
Topographic Map: Norden
Access: Take the Boreal/Castle Peak exit of I-80. Park where the road turns to dirt.

      


Coldstream Canyon

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage: Varies out and back
Difficulty: Very easy Use Level: Heavy
Access: From I-80 take the Truckee Donner State Park exit, west of Truckee. Follow the paved road past the Truckee Donner Lodge for about 0.5 mile and park. Start walking on the road.

      


Commemorative Emigrant Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage: 15 miles one way 
Difficulty: Moderate Use Level: Moderate
Access: Take Hwy 89 North 2.3 miles to Country Rd. 780 (Alder Creek Trail Rd.). Turn left (west) on CR 780 and proceed 3 miles on the road. The trail starts on the south side of road CR 780 across from road CR 780-12. The trail ends at the Stampede Reservoir. To shorten this hike by 3 miles, start at Hwy 89 and the Donner Camp picnic site then head to Stampede.

      


Cyclepaths

Hiking & Biking - Bike Rentals

10095 West River St, Truckee, CA, 96161

Phone: 530-582-1890


Donner Lake Rim Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage: Currently 15 miles are complete, with 9 of them open to bicycle use. Once completed there will be a 23 mile loop.
Difficulty: Technical Challenge (for bicycles); Some parts are moderate, others are very difficult.
Physical challenge: Strenuous
Use Level: Moderate
Access:  There are currently three trailheads:
1.Tahoe Donner Trailhead parking lot off of Glacier Way.
2.Donner Summit: Hikers and equestrians can use the Pacific Crest Trail, and mountain bikers can access the trail via Castle Valley Rd.
3.Negro Canyon: I-80 at the Donner Lake Interchange. Proceed down the off ramp, and turn north onto a dirt road.

      


Five Lakes

Hiking & Biking - Lakes

Mileage: 3 miles one way
Difficulty: Moderate
Use Level: Heavy
Access: The trailhead is on the right side of Alpine Meadows Rd. close to the ski area. One of the most popular swimming holes in the area. The steep hike up a canyon next to Alpine Meadows Ski Area to a refreshing lake.

   


Glacier Meadow Loop Trail

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Mileage: 0.5 mile loop
Difficulty: Very easy
Use level: Very heavy
Access: Unattended parking is not permitted at the I-80 rest areas on Donner Summit. There is a Forest Service trailhead with restrooms and water. Take the Castle Peak/Boreal Ridge Rd. exit. On the south side there is a sign reading: Tahoe National Forest Trailhead, Donner Summit, Pacific Crest Trail. Follow the directions and turn east 0.4 mile to the trailhead. This trailhead provides access to: Pacific Crest Trail, Glacier Meadow Loop, Summit Lake (2.0 miles one way), Warren Lake (7.0 miles one way) and Sand Ridge Lake (6.0 miles one way).

   


Hole in the Ground

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Mileage: 7.8 miles one way 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.
Use Level: Moderate
Topographic Map: Norden, Independence Lake, Soda Springs
Access: Take the Castle Peak exit off I-80. Head north on the Castle Peak road approximately 1.5 miles.

      


Lakeshore Interpretive Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage: 2.5 round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Use Level: Heavy
Access: Donner Memorial State Park Trailside exhibits. The path leads to and along Donner Lake.

   


Loch Leven Lakes

Hiking & Biking - Lakes

Mileage:2 miles one way
Difficulty:Moderate
Use Level:Moderate
Access:Four lakes at the end of this Donner Summit Trail. Mileage to the first lake is two miles and one and a half miles further is High Loch Leven Lake. Plenty of swimming and a great place to picnic.

   


Lower Lola Montez Lake Trail

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Mileage: 3.0 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy Use level: Light
Topographic Map: Soda Springs
Access: Take the Soda Springs exit off I-80. On the north side of the freeway follow the paved road east past the fire station for 0.3 mile to the parking area.

   


Martis Creek Wildlife Area Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage:  4 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Use Level: Heavy
Access: Starts in Martis Valley on the way to Northstar California. Hike around the meadow, which is on the right side of the highway.

   


Martis Peak Hike

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage:  8.0
Difficulty: Moderate
Use Level: Heavy
Access: Starts just south of Brockway Summit, on Hwy 267. From Truckee, it is on the left side of the highway. Follow the main road, which is marked with orange diamond signs. To the fire look out, it will be an 8 mile hike.

   


Mt. Judah Loop

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Mileage: 4.5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate Use Level: Heavy
Access: Pacific Crest Trail south of old Hwy 40 From Hwy 40, east of Donner Ski Ranch, turn onto the road before Sugar Bowl Academy and begin the hike on the PCT heading south.

   


Northstar California

Hiking & Biking - Mountain Bike Park

Website: northstarcalifornia.com

Northstar Mountain Bike Park:
Largest mountain bike park in northern California with over 100 miles of trails. They also offer scenic lift rides to miles of hiking.


Northstar California

Hiking & Biking - Bike Rentals

100 Northstar Dr

Phone: 530-562-1010


Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

South of I-80 to Mt. Judah

Mileage: 6.0 miles one way
Difficulty: Difficult
Use Level: Heavy
Access: See Glacier Meadows Loop Trail. To reduce the hike by 3.5 miles, the PCT can be accessed off Hwy 40 across from Sugar Bowl Academy.

   


Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

Hiking & Biking - Donner Summit

Donner Summit to Squaw Valley

Mileage: 15 miles one way
Difficulty: Very difficult
Use level: Moderate
Access: You will need two cars to hike this trail. Leave one at Squaw Valley and drive the other to the Pacific Crest Trail. The trailhead is located off old Hwy 40 near Sugar Bowl Academy.

   


Paco’s Truckee Bike

Hiking & Biking - Bike Rentals

12047 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA, 96161

Phone: 530-587-5561


Sagehen Meadows

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage:  2.5 miles one way
Difficulty: Very easy
Use Level: Heavy
Access: From Truckee, head north 7.2 miles on Hwy 89 N and park on the east side near the Sage Creek Bridge. Follow the trail by the creek to Stampede Reservoir. In the spring the wildflowers are phenomenal and in the fall it is a great place to view the Kokanee salmon spawning.

   


Sawtooth Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage: 9 mile loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Use Level: Heavy
Access: From downtown Truckee, head east on Brockway Rd. Turn right on Palisades Dr., go up the hill. Turn right onto Silver Fir, then left onto Thelin. Look for Forest Service Rd. #6 on your right. Start there or drive further up the road and pick another starting point. Fabulous vistas.

      


Summit Canyon

Hiking & Biking - Lakes

Access: Heading towards the West end of Donner Lake, go past South Shore Drive and up Old Hwy 40. Make a left 400 feet past the winter closure gate into the parking area. Recently open for public use, this historic area boasts non-motorized trails that travel to adjacent USFS and State Park lands along old trade routes, through stands of Aspen, and along clear creeks, ponds and beaver habitat. For the summer of 2012, map kiosks and trail markers are planned at the future parking area along the bottom of old 40 Highway. A new parking area will be paved and maintained throughout the year, providing year-round legal parking for winter activities such as xc skiing and snowshoeing.

      


Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Website: www.tahoerimtrail.org

948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV, 89451

Phone: 775-298-0012

Mileage: 165 miles of single-track, multi-use trail winding around Lake Tahoe.
Difficulty: Physical Challenge: Easy to strenuous
Use Level: Heavy
Access: Two popular trips closest to Truckee are:
1.   Ride or hike north on the TRT to the Mt. Rose Wilderness Boundary. Spectacular views of Lake Tahoe, and wildflowers galore. A side trip to the Martis Peak lookout can offer views of Mt. Lassen, which is over 100 miles away.  Distance: Out and back 14 miles.
2.   Hike or ride south on the TRT to Watson Lake. The trail is rolling here, and travels through a mature forest.  Distance: Out and back 16 miles.

      


The BackCountry

Hiking & Biking - Bike Rentals

11400 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA, 96161

Phone: 530-582-0909


Truckee River Legacy Trail

Hiking & Biking - Truckee Area

Mileage:  3.5 miles one way, 1.5 miles paved, 2 miles dirt
Difficulty: Easy
Use Level: Moderate
Access: From Downtown, head east on Brockway Rd. Just past the Palisades Dr. stoplight, turn left into Truckee River Regional Park. The trail begins here.
Description: Popular with dog walkers and people out for a stroll.
Cyclists: Please keep your speed down. Open to all non-motorized uses.

      


Waddle Ranch Preserve Dry Lake

Hiking & Biking - Lakes

Access: Take Martis Creek Lake/Waddle Ranch Access turnoff of CA-267 in Martis Valley. Some of the area’s newest trails have been constructed within Waddle Ranch, the nearly 1,500-acre Martis Valley property owned by the Truckee Donner Land Trust. A new loop of single-track overlooking Martis Creek Lake is now complete and can be enjoyed by parking at end of Martis Creek Road and following Matt, Erika and Megan’s Trail, see new kiosk and trail signs for access.