Lake Tahoe Road Bike Ride - Bike Trail

General Information: The South Shore bike trail is a four mile paved trail that parallels Highway 89. It offers flat, easy riding, as well as acess to several interesting sites including, Valhalla, Pope Estates, and the Visitor Center. There is also a nice beach located near the Visitor Center with fine lake and mountain views. In the summer, the Stream Profile Chamber allows you to see what it is like to be a trout in Taylor Creek, while the Pope Estates offer tours and art exhibits by local artists and artisans.

Where To Start: To reach the beginning of the bike trail, head north on Highway 89 from the "Y" in South Lake Tahoe. About two miles from the "Y", a large turnout signals the beginning of the bike trail off to the right.

Click here for a trail map and profile

Trail Description: Not much to describe here. The paved trail meanders through pine and fir forest, passes Camp Richardson, Valhalla, Pope Estates, and the Visitor Center, then continues on past Baldwin Beach and finally intersects with Highway 89 again. To extend the ride, you can continue up Highway 89, but the road is narrow, with little shoulder, and it does begin to get steeper. You can also extend the ride by making side trips to Baldwin Beach, Visitor Center Beach, or Kiva Beach (and Pope Estates).

The only drawback to this ride is how crowded it can get on summer weekends. If you are in Tahoe during the week, this is a fine ride. On the weekends, we would recommend a less crowded ride such as South Upper Truckee or Cathedral Road both of which are scenic, easy, relatively flat rides that a family could complete.

Advisory: Be extra careful around Camp Richardson which can get very hectic with cars, bikes, rollerbladers, and pedestrians all converging on one area.

NOTICE: While the information on this site is thought to be accurate and reliable, it is offered only as a guide and cannot replace sound personal judgement.