Palisades Tahoe (Squaw Valley) Hike up Thunder Mtn Trail – Option Tram Ride down

Ordinarily a strenuous hike up a steep scenic alpine trail with 2000 vertical feet of elevation gain earns you the right to eat what snacks you brought and hike back down. And you do have those rights on this hike, but you earn other options as well, because you hiked the Thunder Mountain Trail up to “High Camp” from the base camp “Village at Palisades Tahoe”, formerly called “Squaw Valley”, the ski resort off Hwy 89 between Truckee and Tahoe. (1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA 96146). See below for less strenuous options and optional campground camping.

At High Camp, after hiking up, you can select and purchase snacks, beverages or food-to-go from the High Camp Marketplace. At the top, you get spectacular views of Lake Tahoe in the distance.
And, thanks to the generous policy of Palisades Tahoe for hikers who reach High Camp, you can ride the aerial tram down to where you parked, free of charge, during operational hours. The Palisades Tahoe hiking page highlights the free tram option: "Hike back down the way you came or continue to High Camp and ride the Aerial Tram down to the base for free." Hiking map links etc . . .

https://www.palisadestahoe.com/-/media/palisades-tahoe/pdfs/summer/2022hikingbrochure.pdf?rev=1e04d60167a246b7bf0e43ce8a26a336

From time to time the tram is non-operational, due to weather or maintenance, so it is possible that a hike down is required. Back at Base Camp after the hike and ride, there are a variety of eateries and shopping places for outdoor apparel. A map of the Village and parking areas, the base camp, south at the top and north at the bottom, is found at this link . . .

https://www.palisadestahoe.com/-/media/palisades-tahoe/pdfs/trail-maps/2324-the-village-at-palisades-tahoe-directory.pdf?rev=3f51ca6f359f4140b21e9c053a201d8c

We will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the main parking lot, in front of ALICE’S MOUNTAIN MARKET, which is #46 on the pdf map, link above. Then we will do a short trek through the Village to the Thunder Mountain Trail trailhead, which can be challenging to find, as its location is misdescribed in various sources, including official sources. The trailhead is a bit back (south) of the KT Base Bar, #8 on the linked map, and the Bar is in the Olympic House building. The trailhead in the “back yard” of the Bar is marked by a large rectangular sign with a red top that says “STOP” and a left arrow points to the Thunder Mountain Trailhead marked with an upright orange post, just to the left of the sign.

The rectangular sign, see the Photos section of this posting, announces at the bottom that the High Camp Trail is 3.36 mi long, 1990 vertical feet. It seemed more like about 5-6 mi to me, but maybe that is just me. We are starting early to allow a moderate pace with plenty of pauses given the steepness and altitude of the hike. And we don’t want to miss the last ride down, which is often around 4:30-5 p.m.

Parts of the trail are somewhat overgrown, rough, and/or steep, with loose gravel. Trekking poles and a cautious ascent are highly advised. Plenty of water, good footwear, and appropriate clothing layers are also advised. Cell service has been good on my visits. The trail can get confusing as it ascends, presents various route options, phone GPS navigation apps will aid us.

If anyone wishes to camp overnight Saturday and/or Sunday night closer to Palisades Tahoe, check for campground reservations, RECREATION.GOV, for the nearest campgrounds, e.g.: Silver Creek, Granite Flat, Goose Meadows, Prosser, or Lakeside. For those looking for a less strenuous option than the 2000 vertical foot hike up, you can purchase a tram ticket, take the tram up to High Camp, hike around High Camp, meet those who hike up, and take the tram back down.

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