Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Lily Pond & General Creek Trail

13.1 mi · ▲ 1,491 ft · 5 hr 7 min

Lily Pond & General Creek Trail is a 13.1-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Tahoma Meadows, CA. The route reaches Lily Pond at the turnaround, 6.6 miles in. It climbs 1,491 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 92/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,549 – 7,326 ft · steepest grade: 16%13.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Rubicon Trail 39.04599, -120.16828
Nearest town Tahoma Meadows, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lily Pond & General Creek Trail

13.1 mi · ▲ 1,491 ft · 5 hr 7 min

Elevation 6,548–7,326 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: Rubicon Trail · 39.04599, -120.16828

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 84°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Rubicon Trail, heading W.
  2. 2.4 miTurn left onto Richardson Lake Road, heading S.
  3. 0.3 miBear left onto General Creek Trail, heading E.
  4. 3.6 miSharp left onto Lily Pond Trail, heading S.
  5. 0.4 miReach Lily Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  6. 0.4 miSharp right onto General Creek Trail, heading SE.
  7. 3.6 miBear right onto Richardson Lake Road, heading W.
  8. 0.3 miTurn right onto Rubicon Trail, heading N.
  9. 2.2 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

100% dirt

Weather

ClearTemperature 84°F52°
Precip0%Wind9 mphUV8Humidity24%
Hourly temperature
85°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Tue 83°61°
Wed 82°57°
Thu 80°57°
Fri 80°58°
Sat 81°58°
Sun 81°57°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.9 mi in (~85 min). Leave by 6:27 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:36 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Rubicon Trail Trailhead