5 Lakes Trail in Granite Chief Wilderness in Tahoe
Details
Hey everyone,
I've done this hike a few times now and it's one of my favorite in the Sierra. An edited copy and paste here... This is a moderate hike. The Five Lakes Trail is located in the Granite Chief Wilderness in between Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley ski resorts and is easily accessible at the intersection of Alpine Meadows and Deer Park roads. This is about a 5-mile round trip (depending on your source) moderate trail ascends approximately 900 ft. Along granite canyons and pine forests to a high-altitude meadow that creates a bowl of five lakes in between the rugged mountain peaks towering from above including a peak of Squaw Valley ski resort. As you ascend the trail, you will enjoy view of the Alpine Meadows ski resort from a distance, traverse under an abandon ski resort chair lift (created to link the two ski resorts once upon a time) and hike along the rocky, granite cliffs and reach the high-altitude meadow. If you want to swim the first lake is the best.
SUGGESTED ITEMS TO BRING (Copied and pasted from from Allan Weisman's...): Cotton not recommended. 2 liters water minimum, light rain shell or fleece jacket for warmth in case of thunderstorms, sturdy shoes or boots, sunhat, sunscreen and lip-balm, lunch, whistle, hiking poles, and mosquito repellent.
This is a slow, smell the roses and check out the scenery paced hike. So please, no one grab the front of the hike and blast to the top. If you sign up show up. No shows and late signoffs are not okay!!! There is a 12 person limit up there. When someone no shows it means someone on the waitlist, if there is one, doesn't get to go. If the waitlist gets big I may message for confirmation, so please keep an eye out.
If you're going to be a passenger, please be courteous to your driver by not wearing your hiking boots in their car. Have a bag to put your boots in after hiking. Also, not everyone uses electronic payments so please bring cash to pay your driver if you are going to be a passenger.
If you need to contact me my number is 916-343-3408.
Looking forward to it!
Directions:
We will go 80 east toward Reno
Take the CA-89 S exit toward Lake Tahoe
At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto CA-89 S
Turn right onto Alpine Meadows Rd
This junction is about one mile south of the Squaw Valley Road/Highway 89 junction. Cross the Truckee River on Alpine Meadow Road and follow it for about two miles. The marked Five Lakes Trailhead is next to the Deer Park Drive/Alpine Meadows Road junction. FYI, Deer Park drive intersects Alpine Meadows Road twice, so it's the second one. You will find a board with a trail map at this trailhead. Here are directions to the trailhead;
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Roseville+Golfland+Sunsplash,+1893+Taylor+Rd,+Roseville,+CA+95661/Five+Lakes+Creek+Trailhead,+Tahoe+National+Forest,+Alpine+Meadows+Rd,+Olympic+Valley,+CA+96146/@39.1905128,-120.6921079,10z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x809b1f85d7a9097d:0xbf034246c6057db3!2m2!1d-121.257423!2d38.761509!1m5!1m1!1s0x809bd75fca9e5b45:0x3f2362cb3f400f0!2m2!1d-120.2296272!2d39.1793181
5 Lakes Trail in Granite Chief Wilderness in Tahoe