Biking

Bicycling is a popular pastime for visitors to the area. If you are looking for a casual bicycle ride or have small children with you, there are a variety of designated paved bike paths and lanes in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Make some time to rent a bike and enjoy Tahoe’s unmatched beauty from yet another perspective. You’ll feel exhilarated and restore your sense of wonder with nature!

Mountain biking at Lake Tahoe is not a just a sport, it’s a lifestyle! Bike paths, dirt roads, single tracks and bike parks abound around the lake. There are many scenic and mellow rides and plenty of steep, rocky precipices in the mountains.

Lake Tahoe Basin Mountain Biking Trails

Listed in order of difficulty

Twin Peaks
Perfect for the biker with limited time, this short steep ride to the top of a mountain peak has great views of Lake Tahoe. Open for public use from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. Access is off of Lake Tahoe Boulevard approximately two miles from the intersection of U.S. HWY 50 and SR 89. Caution! This area is a very popular off-highway vehicle area.

Twin Peaks
Moderate / Strenuous
Elevation 6400′ / 7010′
1 to 2 miles

Brockway Summit to Martis Peak
The Martis Peak Road is a short five-mile climb well worth the effort. Drive north on SR 267 from Kings Beach to Brockway Summit. Park one-half mile past the summit on Forest Service Road 18N02.

Brockway Summit to Martis Peak
Moderate / Strenuous
Elevation 7120′ / 8660′
5 miles

McKinney – Rubicon Road
This world-class off-highway vehicle road offers a variety of biking opportunities from loop rides to difficult peak climbs. From SR 89 north of Tahoma, turn west onto McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road. Turn left on Bellevue, right on McKinney Road, bear left onto McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road, continue to the dirt road and park. A longer ride is possible by taking two cars and parking one car at Blackwood Canyon.

McKinney / Rubicon Road
Moderate / Strenuous
Elevation 6400′ / 7200′
6 to 15 miles

Marlette Lake / Flume Trail
Located in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, this popular trail is often crowded in the summer. Challenging even the expert rider, the trail begins east of the picnic area near Spooner Lake. Turn left on the dirt road that heads toward the meadow and follow a sandy road for five miles to Marlette Lake. Turn left across the dam. With magnificent views of Lake Tahoe, this single-track trail lies 1,500 feet above the lake. Remember to wear your safety helmet. Caution! Do not attempt this route if you are afraid of heights or unfamiliar with your bike. The trail ends at Tunnel Creek Road. To make a loop, turn right and ride to the top of the ridge. You will reach Twin Lakes in one-half mile. Seven-tenths of a mile past the lake sign, turn right or continue to the next main road and turn right. Turn right again on Forest Service Road 504, climb the ridge and where the road forks, continue straight to Marlette Lake. Take SR 28 to the Spooner Lake parking lot at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. A parking fee is charged. If you take two cars, be advised that limited parking is available at Tunnel Creek Road by the Ponderosa Ranch.

Marlette Lake & The Flume Trail
Strenuous
Elevation 7000′ / 8300′
5 miles to Marlette Lake
23-mile loop Flume Trail

Paved Road Biking

Tahoe Trailways Bike Path
Tahoe City serves as the hub of this bike path system that offers access to numerous West Shore activities. Fifteen miles of paved pathways extend from Tahoe City in three directions. Funded by Cal Trans and maintained by the Tahoe City Public Utility District, this popular system of trails connects Sugar Pine Point State Park on the south, Alpine Meadows on the northwest and Dollar Point on the northeast. Campgrounds, picnic areas, beaches, restaurants, the Gatekeeper’s Cabin Museum and the communities of Homewood, Tahoe Pines, Skyland, Timberland, Pineland and Sunnyside are found along the way.

Incline Village / Lakeshore Drive Bike Path
This 2.5 mile paved Northeast Shore bike path is known locally in Incline Village as “The Joggers Trail.” The path starts at Gateway Park on SR 28. Maintained by Washoe County, this path passes close to the shore of Lake Tahoe’s Crystal Bay and many interesting attractions.