Tahoe Rim Trail
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Good conditions for a Tahoe Rim Trail trip this weekend. Snowpack is present at elevation (37" average) so expect postholing and potentially icy travel on north-facing sections, especially early morning. Light precip chances Saturday through Sunday won't be a dealbreaker, but Sunday could mix snow at higher elevations — manageable with proper layers.
61°/33°F · Partly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers
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37" depth
Normal flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
13h 38m daylight · Sunrise 6:09 AM · Sunset 7:47 PM
Full Briefing
Snow is the main thing to think through on this trip. SNOTEL at Long Lake (8,400 ft) is sitting at 95 inches depth with 39.7" SWE, trending down — that's spring consolidation, not a storm-loaded pack, which is good news for stability. Still, 95 inches is a lot of snow at elevation in late April, and north and northeast aspects on the TRT above 8,000 ft are going to be firm and icy in the morning, softening to punchy melt-freeze crust by midday. Plan your high-elevation miles for midmorning to early afternoon when the surface is softer and easier to travel on, and expect to lose the trail under snow for stretches — especially between Spooner Summit and Marlette Lake. Microspikes will earn their weight on icy morning traverses.
Weather is mild Saturday with a high of 61°F and light westerlies (5–15 mph), a few showers possible but only 27% precip — essentially a non-event. Saturday night drops to 37°F with slightly better shower chances (33%). Sunday is the day to watch: high of 52°F with a 37% chance of rain and snow showers and winds building to 20 mph W. At TRT elevations (7,500–9,000 ft), Sunday precip could be all snow above 8,000 ft. It won't dump, but it can make navigation tricky on already snow-covered terrain. Monday improves significantly — 56°F, only 18% precip, mostly clear by Monday night. If you have flexibility, pushing your highest-elevation sections to Monday morning after Sunday's system clears is a smart call.
Stream crossings are a non-issue. The five gauges in the region are all running 87–118% of median and stable to slightly rising — well below the 150% threshold where crossings get sketchy. Note that the SNOTEL data shows snowmelt is active (SWE trending down at Long Lake), so afternoon flows on warm days can tick up, but nothing in the forecast drives concern here. Cross early in the day as a default, but no specific crossing on the TRT should give you trouble this weekend.
No active fires within 50 miles, so air quality and smoke are off the table. You've got 13.6 hours of daylight with sunset at 7:47 PM, plenty of margin. Golden hour runs 7:10–7:47 PM if you want to time a camp with a view. One note: the SNOTEL elevations in this dataset (Long Lake listed at 840 ft) appear to be data anomalies — the actual Long Lake SNOTEL is at approximately 8,400 ft and the depth/SWE readings are what matter here, not the listed elevation.
Waypoints
Tahoe City Trailhead
Common starting point on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.
6,224 ft
Desolation Wilderness Entry
Enter Desolation Wilderness. Permit required beyond this point overnight.
7,999 ft
Freel Peak Area
Highest point on the trail near Freel Peak (10,880 ft). Views of Tahoe and Great Basin.
10,338 ft
Carson Pass
Highway 88 crossing. Resupply at Caples Lake Resort.
9,498 ft
Return to Tahoe City
Complete the loop.
6,224 ft
Route Details
Distance
170.0 mi
Elevation Gain
32,999 ft
Elevation Loss
32,999 ft
Max Elevation
10,338 ft
Estimated Days
14
Trailhead
Tahoe City (North Shore)
Best Season
July through September. Snow on high points in June. Desolation Wilderness permit required—limited quota.
Permit Required
Desolation Wilderness permit required for overnight travel in that section. recreation.gov.
About This Route
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 170-mile loop encircling Lake Tahoe at elevations between 6,300 and 10,338 feet, offering some of the most varied high-country scenery in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin. The trail crosses through Desolation Wilderness, the Carson Range, and the Nevada high desert, presenting dramatically different terrain on each segment. The trail is usually attempted as a multi-week backpacking trip, though some ultra-runners complete it in under 72 hours. The two main challenges are the Desolation Wilderness permit quota (highly competitive in July-August) and the lack of water on the Nevada side where springs can be miles apart. Snow covers the highest points—the Freel Peak area near Echo Summit and the Carson Pass region—well into June. The full route doesn't become consistently snow-free until early July. Wildflowers peak in the Desolation Wilderness in July; fall color appears in September. The lake itself is visible from many high points, shimmering blue-green far below. The Nevada side offers solitude and wide-open views of the Great Basin. The California side through Desolation Wilderness is the most dramatic—granite, lakes, and alpine terrain rivaling anything in the Sierra.
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