Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Hidden Lake–Shadow Lake, 4 lakes
16.1 mi · ▲ 1,834 ft · 6 hr 17 min
Hidden Lake–Shadow Lake, 4 lakes is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Tahoma Meadows, CA. The route passes Lake Genevieve and Shadow Lake before reaching Hidden Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 1,834 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade. It scores 95/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Hidden Lake–Shadow Lake, 4 lakes
16.1 mi · ▲ 1,834 ft · 6 hr 17 min
Elevation 6,678–7,616 ft
Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Trailhead: Rubicon Trail · 39.04599, -120.16828
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 84°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rubicon Trail, heading W.
- 2.4 miTurn left onto Richardson Lake Road, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear left onto General Creek Trail, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Genevieve Trail, heading S.
- 3.6 miPass Lake Genevieve.
- 250 ftBear right onto Tahoe Yosemite Trail, heading E.
- 0.9 miPass Shadow Lake.
- 300 ftReach Hidden Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miBear left onto Genevieve Trail, heading NW.
- 3.7 miTurn left onto General Creek Trail, heading NW.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Richardson Lake Road, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Rubicon Trail, heading NE.
- 2.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~90 min). Leave by 6:22 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:40 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Rubicon Trail Trailhead
- Buck Lake via Rubicon Trail 4 mi · ▲ 856 ft
- Rubicon Trail 4.8 mi · ▲ 453 ft
- Rubicon Trail 5.3 mi · ▲ 453 ft
- Rubicon Trail 6.9 mi · ▲ 648 ft
- Buck Lake & North Miller Creek East via Rubicon Trail 8.6 mi · ▲ 1,381 ft
- Rubicon Trail 10.8 mi · ▲ 761 ft
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Hikes near Tahoma Meadows, California