Heading to Tahoe in a few weeks with the wife. I’m looking for easier trails with no or limited exposure and nothing too steep. We rode Powerline and Jackass last year and those were great. Anything up to 15 miles. I’ve been looking on trailforks but there’s so much to choose from. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Truckee or Tahoe Area...we’ll be there a few days
Beginner/intermediate trails in Tahoe
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Angora trails have all that. Thats in South Lake. Theres the paved path near Camp Rich with a few off shoot trails if you want real mellow.
Lower Big Chief laps - this area has a couple short trails to play on. Not sure what mileage or elevation you’re trying to get wife into.
Lower Big Chief laps - this area has a couple short trails to play on. Not sure what mileage or elevation you’re trying to get wife into.
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Second this. Tahoe City CX center near dollar point has some flat single track with a few ups and downs that are not challenging and that my novice wife enjoyed on the MTB. Can't go wrong here. No exposure.
Same with Emigrant trail but more up and down and a tiny bit more technical but very rideable for a novice 98% of the way and no exposure. Some pretty views into meadows.
Tahoe donner trails have a mix of beginner and light intermediate trails. More climbs and descents esp as you get into Euer Valley.
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Incline Flume Trail. It starts part way up Mt. Rose Hwy. This is not the same as The Flume Trail - that one starts at Spooner Lake and has a long fire road climb before you get to the singletrack. Incline Flume is an out and back with a mellow grade and far less exposure than The Flume. Stop where the single track ends, enjoy the fabulous views of Lake Tahoe, then turn around and go back. Should be about 12 miles.
The Flume trail is just great for the views and still pretty fun. If do you an out and back there's a lot of climbing to get to it, but it's otherwise non-technical.
However, you can also take a shuttle from Spooner Lake to the Tahoe Rim Trail trailhead on the Mount Rose Hwy. This is not a shuttle to give you ripping downhill, but simply makes ride a bit easier and lets you go a little further. The Rim Trail has some slightly technical bits and there's still some climbing, but I've done it with beginners before without issue. The views on the Rim tTail are great too and then it leads to the Flume Trail where it gets better as you're able to look down into blue water around sand harbor. This is good option for someone you're trying to get into mountain biking.
Emigrant trail is also a good beginner trail. Can be a bit dusty and views aren't as great, but ride is nice.
However, you can also take a shuttle from Spooner Lake to the Tahoe Rim Trail trailhead on the Mount Rose Hwy. This is not a shuttle to give you ripping downhill, but simply makes ride a bit easier and lets you go a little further. The Rim Trail has some slightly technical bits and there's still some climbing, but I've done it with beginners before without issue. The views on the Rim tTail are great too and then it leads to the Flume Trail where it gets better as you're able to look down into blue water around sand harbor. This is good option for someone you're trying to get into mountain biking.
Emigrant trail is also a good beginner trail. Can be a bit dusty and views aren't as great, but ride is nice.
Slight correction: This shuttle is not from Spooner Lake, it's from Incline Village https://flumetrailtahoe.com/contact/ and can drop you off at Tahoe Meadows or Spooner Lake.
Many years ago this shuttle company was located at Spooner Lake.
I guess it's been a while
. So it sounds like you can't ride from TRT to spooner without riding to or from the shop in incline village?
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Clarify question please?I guess it's been a while
I guess you can still do most of the same ride as when the shop was at spooner down the TRT to the Flume trail, but you have to backtrack on the Flume to get back to the shop in incline village (and your car). Right?
How is the ride down from the Flume trail to Incline? If it's the route I remember, it was a pretty sandy fire road.
How is the ride down from the Flume trail to Incline? If it's the route I remember, it was a pretty sandy fire road.
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Incline Flume (as well as Emigrant although if you do the whole route out to Stampede will be ~16-17 miles rnd trip. You can turn back whenever tho. You'll get to a point after descending abit and pop out to cross a paved road to pick up the trail again on the other side. Good place to head back if needed.) will be a good choice if you're staying in the north lake areas.
As for Incline Flume, soon after you start out(~1 mile or so) you'll get to an "X" trail intersection which will be the Tyrolean DH trail coming from up on the Tahoe Meadows TRT) continue straight on thru that. I would suggest you stop and turn around at the spot where you'll obviously start to do a steep descent(~mile 5-5.5) which will dump you down onto Tunnel Creek forest service road. Which you'll have to turn right around and climb right back up the loose sketchy part. Like they say, "happy wife, happier life!"
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Tunnel Creek is the sandy frd that goes down to where the new location of FTB is. They actually send people up it to get to Flume(or beyond if going up to hit the TRT/Snapdragon/Red House Flume/Sunflower/Marlette Peak etc) if they rent bikes but dont want to take shuttle up to Tahoe Meadows. So theres other ways to get to do the Flume Trail without doubling back on it and down TC rd. With that being said not good idea for beginners as they are longer routes for sure.?
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Up and back up Alder Creek is a much better section, in my opinion.
Thinking about that, the Tahoe Donner Nordic Center (Alder Creek Adventure Center) at the top of Alder Creek may also be a good option.
Flume Trails Bikes will drop you at Tahoe Meadows and pick you up at Spooner -- you just have to get on one of the shuttles that's dropping people at Spooner.
You'll want to get an early shuttle to Tahoe Meadows so you can meet up with an afternoon shuttle to Spooner.
They're pretty accommodating, give them a call.
You'll want to get an early shuttle to Tahoe Meadows so you can meet up with an afternoon shuttle to Spooner.
They're pretty accommodating, give them a call.
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True, but why grunt up from Marlette Lake on the forest road only to take what could be a longer as sandy sketchy forest road out to Spooner. Might aswell drop Chimney Beach! ?
Just answering Danner's questions. But I agree with you, I wouldn't ride down North Canyon Road, that's a waste.
Chimney is very fun, but not a beginner ride. Used to do Tahoe Mdws>Rim>Flume against the flow>Chimney a lot, but it's a been a while since I've been down Chimney.
TahoeMdws TRT>Tunnel Creek>Incline Flume>Tyrolean is a route I've been liking in past seasons. That section of the TRT is one of my favorites, fast and flowy
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