East Martis Creek Trail–Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, 3 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Waddle Ranch Preserve near Tahoe Estates, CA. It climbs 2,837 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 13/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi5,827 – 7,386 ft · steepest grade: 23%17.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.24953, -120.05239
Nearest town Tahoe Estates, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
East Martis Creek Trail–Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, 3 sights
16 mi · ▲ 2,837 ft · 6 hr 45 min
Elevation 5,826–7,385 ft
Out & Back · Waddle Ranch Preserve
Trailhead: 39.24953, -120.05239
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 83°F / low 45° · precip 0% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Lake Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading W.
- 450 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn right onto Martis Peak Road, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 1.1 miBear left, heading NW.
- 350 ftBear left, heading W.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 450 ftBear right, heading N.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto East Martis Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Sawmill Road, heading N.
- 0.8 miReach Lake Ridge Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto East Martis Creek Trail, heading NW.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, heading E.
- 1 miSharp right, heading W.
- 500 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 450 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear right, heading E.
- 1.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Martis Peak Road, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 450 ftSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Lake Ridge Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 300 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
86% dirt6% paved8% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 83°F45°
Precip0%Wind1 mphUV8Humidity27%
Hourly temperature
85°45°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue
85°62°
Wed
86°60°
Thu
90°60°
Fri
91°61°
Sat
90°61°
Sun
89°60°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~101 min). Leave by 6:10 PM for the 8:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:39 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
- 10.7 mi · loop · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
- 7.7 mi · out & back · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
- 9.9 mi · out & back · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
- 10 mi · out & back · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
- 9.8 mi · out & back · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
- 9.8 mi · out & back · via Elizabethtown Meadows Trail
More from this trailhead
- California Tahoe Conservancy Beach–Moon Dunes Beach, 3 beaches 2.3 mi · ▲ 168 ft
- California Tahoe Conservancy Beach–Lake View Trail Loop, 4 sights 2.4 mi · ▲ 201 ft
- Lake Ridge Trail via Kings Beach Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 805 ft
- Brockway Spring–Beaver Street Extension, 3 sights 7.8 mi · ▲ 1,324 ft
- Lake Ridge Trail & Sawmill Flat via Tahoe Rim Trail 13.3 mi · ▲ 2,265 ft
- Crossover–Knick Knack, 5 sights 15.5 mi · ▲ 2,952 ft
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