Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Sourdough Hill–Richardson Lake, 6 sights
15.9 mi · ▲ 3,122 ft · 6 hr 52 min
Sourdough Hill–Richardson Lake, 6 sights is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Homewood, CA. The route passes Richardson Lake before reaching Sourdough Hill at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 3,122 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 95/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Sourdough Hill–Richardson Lake, 6 sights
15.9 mi · ▲ 3,122 ft · 6 hr 52 min
Elevation 7,109–8,473 ft
Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Trailhead: Ellis Peak Trailhead · 39.07187, -120.23106
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 77°F / low 48° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:12 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Ellis Peak Trail, heading SW.
- 2.4 miTurn right onto Ellis Lake, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Miller Meadow, heading SW.
- 0.7 miBear left onto North Miller Creek East, heading SW.
- 1.7 miBear left onto Rubicon Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Richardson Lake Road, heading SE.
- 0.9 miPass Richardson Lake.
- 250 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 150 ftBear right, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto Richardson Lake Road, heading S.
- 0.9 miReach Sourdough Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 150 ftBear left onto Richardson Lake Road, heading NE.
- 0.9 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 left onto Ellis Peak Trail, heading N.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.3 mi in (~18 min). Leave by 7:33 PM for the 8:12 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:35 PM — 6 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Ellis Peak Trailhead Trailhead
- Ellis Peak Trail 4.8 mi · ▲ 1,167 ft
- Ellis Lake & Ellis Peak Trail 5.4 mi · ▲ 1,197 ft
- Ellis Peak & Ellis Peak Trail 6.2 mi · ▲ 1,657 ft
- Buck Lake–Ellis Lake, 3 sights 7.9 mi · ▲ 1,933 ft
- Buck Lake–Ellis Lake, 5 sights 13.4 mi · ▲ 2,672 ft
- Upper Mountain Viewpoint–Quail Lake, 6 sights 14.2 mi · ▲ 3,535 ft
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