Lake Louise–Richardson Lake, 8 sights is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Homewood, CA. The route passes Lake Tahoe and Lake Louise before reaching Richardson Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 3,889 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi6,237 – 8,511 ft · steepest grade: 28%16.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: West Shore Trail 39.08450, -120.16054
Nearest town Homewood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lake Louise–Richardson Lake, 8 sights
16.1 mi · ▲ 3,889 ft · 7 hr 19 min
Elevation 6,238–8,512 ft
Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Trailhead: West Shore Trail · 39.08450, -120.16054
Weather Aug 3: Mostly clear, high 85°F / low 50° · precip 0% · wind 11 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on West Shore Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftPass Lake Tahoe.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Ore Car, heading W.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Lower Mountain Road, heading W.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Upper Mountain Road, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Quail Peak, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Lake Louise.
- 50 ftBear right onto Lake Louise, heading SE.
- 1.3 miBear left onto Ellis Peak, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Ellis Lake, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Miller Meadow, heading S.
- 0.7 miBear left onto North Miller Creek East, heading W.
- 1.7 miBear left onto Rubicon Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Richardson Lake Road, heading E.
- 0.9 miPass Richardson Lake.
- 300 ftBear right, heading S.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 50 ftReach Lake Louise, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left onto Rubicon Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miBear right onto North Miller Creek East, heading NW.
- 1.7 miBear right onto Miller Meadow, heading NE.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Ellis Lake, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Ellis Peak, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Lake Louise, heading N.
- 1.3 miBear left onto Quail Peak, heading N.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Upper Mountain Road, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lower Mountain Road, heading N.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Ore Car, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto West Shore Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
42% dirt1% paved57% unspecified
Weather
Mostly clearTemperature 85°F50°
Precip0%Wind11 mphUV8Humidity18%
Hourly temperature
85°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Tue
86°62°
Wed
85°59°
Thu
82°58°
Fri
82°59°
Sat
82°60°
Sun
82°58°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.5 mi in (~154 min). Leave by 5:18 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from West Shore Trail Trailhead
- Upper Mountain Viewpoint–Lake Tahoe Loop, 4 sights 3.8 mi · ▲ 1,464 ft
- Quail Lake & Lake Tahoe via Cedar Ridge Trail 4.1 mi · ▲ 989 ft
- Lake Louise–Lake Tahoe, 4 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 1,619 ft
- Ellis Lake–Lake Louise, 6 sights 8.2 mi · ▲ 2,543 ft
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