Lake Tahoe's Wild Hike Is Filled With Flowers

Summer brings bountiful crowds to the Lake Tahoe area, but it also brings bountiful flowers, and there's one spot you can go to see them without too much crowding. In the alpine stretches of South Lake Tahoe that sparkles with sun-warmed rocks and bluebird skies, you'll find wildflowers galore along the Lake Winnemucca Trail. Lake Winnemucca is a gem high up along the spine of the Sierra Nevada, around 8,500 feet above sea level, per Visit Lake Tahoe. From this vantage, you'll get majestic views of the crystal-blue lake, colorful meadows of summer blooms, and the surrounding volcanic crags of the mountain pass.

The Lake Winnemucca Trail is about 3.8 miles, according to AllTrails, starting from near Woods Lake and leading to Winnemucca. The trail crosses through the Mokelumne Wilderness Area, a landscape shaped by glaciers that provides varied Alps-like scenery of forest and meadows. As you ascend more along the trail, the forest clears, and you'll be surrounded by patches of wildflowers among grassy clearings that are nourished by the area's volcanic soil. Purple-spired lupines, mountain bluebells, and bright western columbines are some of the flowers you can see on the way, as documented by Tahoe Trail Guide. When you reach the lake itself, you're rewarded with a splendorous view of Round Top Mountain, with its dark, jagged towers of basalt. With the lake and peaks in frame, you can see why Lake Tahoe is considered one of California's most gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountain destinations to visit.

Unlike lower-elevation areas closer to Lake Tahoe itself, something unique about the alpine terrain encompassing Lake Winnemucca is that its elevation means blooms don't arrive until later in the season, when the mountains have thawed out. Outdoors blogger Gabriella Viola found July to be a prime time to take on the trail. "It was a beautiful time to go as the mountains still had a little snow on them, and there were plenty of wildflowers dotting the trail and the lake," she wrote. The trail can be popular on the weekends, but if you come on a weekday, you likely won't get the same crowds as in other well-trodden Lake Tahoe spots. "It's a gorgeous hike that, while does get crowded, isn't overly packed," a Yelp reviewer commented.

The trailhead of Lake Winnemucca is at Woods Lake, where there's a parking lot. If you're flying in, it's about a 1.5-hour drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. There's also a campground here that gets good reviews on The Dyrt, but the campground is only open June through October. Note that there is a parking fee for day use.

There's a slightly longer version of the hike (closer to 5 miles round-trip) that starts at the Carson Pass Information Station. Starting here is a good option if you want to get some tips at the station about exploring the forest or if you need to get a permit for overnight camping. If you're looking for more lakeside hikes in the area, another dazzling spot to hike at without Tahoe crowds is Lake Caples.