Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit · California, Nevada

Mt. Tallac Trail

0.2 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 17E33B · trail class 2 · typical grade 5-8% · tread 18-24 inches wide

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 38.9043, -120.0997 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Mt. Tallac Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Mt. Tallac Trailhead is located approximately three and a half miles northwest of the City of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. Look for the Mt. Tallac Trailhead sign directly across from the entrance to Baldwin Beach. Turn left down the dirt road and continue to the trailhead parking. Providing a spectacular view of Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Desolation Wilderness, this strenuous hike is well worth the effort. Weather conditions can change rapidly in the Sierra mountains; bring a jacket, carry lots of water and allow plenty of time for your trip.

These trails are not designed to be handicapped accessible. The first part of the trail to Floating Island and Cathedral Lakes is easy to moderate and can be enjoyed by the novice hiker. Beyond Cathedral Lake, the trail becomes steep and strenuous as it continues up the front face of Mt. Tallac.

There are three main trails:

1. Floating Island Lake – one-way mileage is 1.7 miles. Difficulty level is easy to moderate.

2. Cathedral Lake – one-way mileage is 2.5 miles. Difficulty level is easy to moderate.

3. Mount Tallac – one-way mileage is 5 miles. Difficulty level is difficult.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

All 152 trails in Lake Tahoe Basin Management UnitFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.