Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
Distance: 8.5 miles
Type: Day-Hike
Rating: Moderate to Difficult
Permits: None Required
Preparation
This is a fairly grueling day hike. I hiked this trail with my dad and we each brought a 32 fl. oz. water bottle, snacks and sunscreen all in our day packs. Since we hiked this before I invested in a good pair of hiking shoes, I wore tennis shoes.
The Hike
We started the hike early in the morning around 7:00 a.m. Since we started so early, we were able to beat a majority of the crowd and the high temperatures. On the first part of the hike, we came across a large pond and a lake. After we passed the lake, the hike started to become fairly challenging. The trail opens up to a large mountain face that looks like it is entirely made of rocks. This stretch of the hike is extremely steep. After scaling this part of the trail, we came to a large, flat clearing that led us to a second steep part of the trail.
This is when we became lost. I can’t recall how we found the trail again, but luckily it wasn’t too difficult. The rest of the hike was uphill until we got to the summit. Once at the summit, we were able to see Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, and several other smaller lakes.
We thankfully didn’t get lost on the way back down. I’m not sure if it was due to how sleepy I was when we began the hike or if I just wasn’t that observant, but I noticed all types of new scenery on the way back down the mountain. The summer time is by far the best time to hike Mt. Tallac.
