The weather has been perfect this season and has us trying to cram in as much fun as possible. While most visitors head to the main attractions such as Sand Harbor, there’s one adventure that we ALWAYS shoot for. To mountain bike up to Star Lake Tahoe. As the crow flies, it’s close to South Lake Tahoe. So close that we could hop on our bikes and set off from our driveway. And yet there isn’t an easy way to get there. Perched up against the peak named Jobs Sister, it sits at over 9,250’ above sea level. Besides Desolation Wilderness, Star Lake Tahoe might be one of the most remote lakes near Tahoe to get to. And that’s maybe why Jaime and I love it so much.
It Takes Work
No matter which direction you start, it requires at least 2,200’ vertical feet of climbing and a 14-mile round-trip. Going too early in the season may mean wading through feet of slush and too late a chance of being socked in from wildfire smoke. But that’s what keeps it special. A short window to visit and only a handful of hardy individuals.
How To Get There
Located in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, there are three main ways to get to Star Lake Tahoe.
Option 1 – Kingsbury Trailhead
Start off on the Nevada side of Heavenly Mountain near the Stagecoach lift. From here, you’ll access the Tahoe Rim Trail. This option is a 17-mile round-trip via Monument Pass with over 2,800 vertical feet of gain.
Option 2 – Armstrong Pass
The Corral mountain bike network off of Oneidas is another option but can get quite congested on summer weekends. If the gate is open, you can drive up to the top of Fountain Place Road and set off via Armstrong Pass that then connects to Freel Pass. Many sections of this route are hike-a-bike making it less pleasant on two wheels. While it “only” has 2,200 feet of elevation gain, it’s still a 17-mile round-trip journey.
Option 3 – High Meadows Trailhead
The last and our preferred option since it’s so close to our house is to use High Meadow trailhead. From here you can either bike up via Cold Creek Trail or High Meadow Road. It’s a nearly consistent climb of 2,800’ vertical feet and about a 14-mile out-and-back journey.
Plan Is Set
Talking to our friends Darin and Nicholas, we decide to meet up at the High Meadow trailhead and go from there. Arriving at the parking lot a little before 9 am we’re greeted to a rare treat – cloud cover. The overcast skies made everything look sharper. The pine’s needles were a bright Kelly green and the tree bark had a bit of extra texture that normally is softened from the sun.
High Meadows Road Or Cold Creek
Sitting on our bikes, the next question was which way we should you go to get to Star Lake Tahoe. Normally, we take Cold Creek trail while a bit longer, it’s a slower steadier climb. The only issue is there are some hike-a-bike sections on it. High Meadows Road as the name suggests is a gravel road (with no car access) that climbs straight up to you guessed it – a meadow that’s high in elevation hence “High Meadow.”
High Meadow It Is
For most of us, it’s been YEARS since we took High Meadows Road and so decided to take it this time. All of us remember it being hard, but it was when we were in less decent shape. We all thought why not?
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
From the lower parking lot, we take the singletrack that parallels the road up to the upper lot. Shuffling through the road gate, we then set off on the road. The first mile or so features rolling topography that continues up. A mix of aspens and pine hugs the roadway with luscious green foliage below it. In certain sections the forest canopy gives way providing unobstructed views of Trimmer Peak.
Are You Awake?
With the easy part done, the pitch slowly began to creep steeper. Each sharp climb would be proceeded with a rollover then another climb. As the road wound its way ever up, we were then given another short reprieve. The cool wind felt good against our skin as we zipped down into a valley that featured two decent sized water crossings. The cold water exploding from our tires and splashing our faces ensuring that we were awake.
A Tip Lets Us Avoid One Steep Section But Not All
Our good friend Jason told us if we did decide to take High Meadows Road, there’s a single-track after the 2nd water crossing on your right that although is longer cuts off one of the steep sections. Keeping our eyes sharp, we looked for the visual cue – a notch cut into a log. Sure enough there it was! Heading right, we followed the old road that had grown into just a singletrack. With one final short swoop, we were back on the road.
And Now… We Climb
Looking to the left, we were glad to have taken the alternate route. More than 800+ vertical feet above where we parked, we could see Lake Tahoe in all its splendor between the tall pines. Then we looked right. The beginning of our difficult climb.
Nothing Outlasts The High Meadow Climb
Looking at Strava, we had already pedaled about 1.5 miles and only had another mile to go. We thought – easy peasy almost to the top. Nope. As we ascended, each pitch we climbed was followed by another one that felt even steeper. A continuous beat down that made it feel like we were in the Tour De France. In our lowest gear, we just keep pedaling and pedaling. To make matters worse, the hikers in front of us were going the same pace. And then finally relief!
A 360 Degree View Of Peaks
Cresting over the hill, we had made it to High Meadow which clocks in around 7,800 feet above sea level. From here is a 360-degree view of the high peaks of the Sierra. The southern side of Heavenly Mountain, Jobs Sister, and Freel Peak the highest mountain in the basin. And in the distance even in late July you can tell that Desolation Wilderness was still filled with snow in the high country.
Star Lake Trail Here We Come
From here the road disappears into a singletrack. We’re surrounded by fragrant wildflowers filled with bumblebees and a few hardy pines that somehow survive the harsh winter. We arrive at the entrance to the Star Lake Trail connector. After such a tough ascent, the moderate climb feels great.
Chunky Monkey Fun
The path is speckled with boulders and rocks ensuring that you keep focused on the trail. Smoothening out for a bit, the trail winds and rolls its way through pines and sun-drenched meadows. We then come upon on what is usually a large granite rock garden with a small creek.
Rock Garden Falls
Instead, the creek is roaring. It fills up the feature almost shin deep and even has a beautiful set of cascades that rush out of it. Carefully navigating it, we continue onward until we come upon another roaring creek that’s more like a river. So deep that we couldn’t safely cross it. Heading to the left about 50 yards, we find a large fallen log to use instead.
Onwards And Upwards
What I remember of this particular trail was that when you were nearing the end, it felt like it would just keep going and going. At over four miles and 1,500 feet of climbing, it’s not a quick hike but a legit route. As we continued our climb, the trees thinned out and we could see Lake Tahoe in all its glory and the basin.
You Hear It?
You know you’re close to Star Lake when you can hear the water of Cold Creek itself. Switchbacking our way up, we finally hike-a-bike through the final section and crest over into the small valley that contains Star Lake.
The Steak And Lobster
Every time we get here, we’re blown away at its beauty. We sit on a log on the shoreline and pull out a sandwich. The bubbling of water from Cold Creek’s outlet. Birds chirping and small chipmunks running around. Jobs Sister stands guard on its right side. Its left flank still having long fields of snow against the sharp granite cliffs. Looking into the water we can see half a dozen small fish zipping around. Our friend wades into the chilly waters to cool himself off. No matter how much time we give ourselves, it’s never enough. We vow to one day hike up to Star Lake and spend a couple nights camping here.
And Now We Eat Cake
Besides Star Lake’s beauty, the next best thing about mountain biking up to it is the descent. All that pedaling up means more than 2,800’ vert of continuous downhill fun. The Star Lake Trail downhill is a perfect mix for a strong intermediate. A few rock gardens to tackle. Smooth flowy turns and a few minor sections that you may need to walk through. To finish it all off, you then get to ride the Cold Creek Trail.
Experts Will Love Upper Cold Creek
The upper half of Cold Creek is a legit expert trail. The two main features are a waterfall section and a rock garden. The waterfall section is a well-designed set of boulders that cascade down about two stories you’ll need to carefully navigate. And the rock garden is one of the longer ones in the basin that just keeps going and going. Intermediates can easily hike through these sections to then enjoy the lower half of Cold Creek. Where you’ll finish off the way down with swooping turns, small log jumps, a few log rides, and plenty of high-fives at the parking lot. Now this is what we call a perfect summer day.
Great pictures….feel like we are there with you!
Biking to Star Lake Tahoe sounds like an incredible summer adventure! I can only imagine the stunning scenery and the sense of accomplishment reaching such a destination brings.