AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Star Lake & Star Lake Trail

14 mi · ▲ 2,629 ft · 5 hr 59 min

Star Lake & Star Lake Trail is a 14-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near South Lake Tahoe, CA. The route reaches Star Lake at the turnaround, 7 miles in. It climbs 2,629 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 85/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,546 – 9,118 ft · steepest grade: 17%14.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 38.89803, -119.95761
Nearest town South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Star Lake & Star Lake Trail

14 mi · ▲ 2,629 ft · 5 hr 59 min

Elevation 6,544–9,117 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: 38.89803, -119.95761

Weather Aug 3: Partly cloudy, high 85°F / low 41° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:03 AM · sunset 8:10 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 150 ftSharp left, heading E.
  3. 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
  4. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  5. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  6. 250 ftBear left onto Power Line Trail, heading E.
  7. 50 ftSharp right onto Cold Creek Trail, heading NE.
  8. 1.2 miTurn right onto Cold Creek Connector, heading E.
  9. 250 ftTurn left onto High Meadows Road, heading NE.
  10. 1.2 miTurn right onto Star Lake Trail, heading SE.
  11. 4.1 miReach Star Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 4.1 miTurn left onto High Meadows Road, heading NE.
  13. 1.2 miTurn right onto Cold Creek Connector, heading NW.
  14. 200 ftTurn left onto Cold Creek Trail, heading NW.
  15. 1.2 miSharp left onto Power Line Trail, heading SW.
  16. 50 ftBear right, heading SW.
  17. 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  18. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  19. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  20. 0.4 miSharp right, heading W.
  21. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/star-lake-out-back

Trail surface

82% dirt18% gravel

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 85°F41°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV8Humidity22%
Hourly temperature
85°40°
Sunrise 6:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue 88°57°
Wed 88°57°
Thu 92°59°
Fri 91°61°
Sat 92°61°
Sun 92°59°

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near South Lake Tahoe, California