This backpacking vacation in the Grouse Ridge space of Tahoe Nationwide Forest is a fairytale landscape of alpine lakes, granite hills, and sugar pine forests. There are two techniques to crush this path: the easy way and the hard way.

You are going to arrive at the supreme prize the difficult way at Glacier Lake, a charming rectangular pool nestled from a granite cliff, a meandering five-and-a-50 percent miles from the trailhead. But if the elevation has you gasping, intention for really Island Lake alternatively, a lovely expanse of blue dotted with rocky islets on a mostly flat path just a mile and a fifty percent from the parking great deal.

---

(Courtesy of Outdoor Job)

What to Know about Grouse Ridge

There are a range of hiking and backpacking places in Grouse Ridge but this route begins at the Carr Lake Campground off of Bowman Lake Street. Gear up in the parking ton, lace these boots limited, and move out onto the Carr Lake Path. You will devote most of the initial portion of the hike skirting the corner of inviting, impossibly blue waters previous Carr Lake and Feeley Lake, then heading uphill to attain Island Lake.

Come across a campsite listed here —it’s dispersed tenting, which means you can camp just about anywhere as lengthy as you are 100 toes from the water’s edge—and spend the rest of the working day floating in the awesome, clear h2o, or carry on on to Spherical Lake. About two-and-a-fifty percent miles from the trailhead, you will strike a junction. Adhere to the Glacier Lake Path for the way out the more spectacular scenery of the Sand Ridge Path helps make for an spectacular hike again.

It is an additional four miles by the wilderness to reach Glacier Lake, the last area of which has very a bit of reasonable uphill trudging. It’ll all be value it while when Glacier Lake at last will come into check out. You will not be by yourself up in this article, this is a preferred backpacking spot, but Glacier is just secluded ample that it’ll truly feel nearly like you’ve bought the lake to oneself. It is dispersed camping here, far too, and you will locate some now cleared, flat spots alongside the lake’s northwest aspect.

On your way back, choose the Sand Ridge Trail for a perspective of a huge swath of Grouse Ridge. The primarily flat and downhill path reconnects with the Carr Lake Trail all around Spherical Lake and can take you again to the parking lot.

Destination 2: Glacier Lake, Tahoe Nationwide Forest(Shoshi Parks)

When to Pay a visit to

Until you want to take a look at your mettle, you’ll want to prepare your backpacking vacation to Grouse Ridge among late spring and early slide, when the snow has melted and the days are extensive. There is no will need to reserve a website in progress or get a permit of any form (except you strategy to do some fishing).

How to Get There

It is a straight shot up Highway 80 in the direction of Truckee to get to Grouse Ridge in this part of the Tahoe National Forest. Altogether, it is about 177 miles and a few-and-a-half several hours from San Francisco, the past 30 minutes of which calls for rolling slowly but surely on an unpaved street.

From Yuba Move on Highway 80, just take Freeway 20 for five miles to Bowman Lake Highway. From there it is a long and bumpy 11-moreover miles to the Carr Lake Campground. A reduced-clearance vehicle will get you there, but you’ll locate the way a small less difficult if you’re at the rear of the wheel of a car or truck with higher clearance.