Mount Watson from Watson Lake.jpg
Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Watson Lake & Watson Lake Trail via 116 Road is a 3.5-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Carnelian Heights, CA. The route reaches Watson Lake. It climbs 358 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 70/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi7,678 – 7,865 ft3.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: 116 Road 39.23675, -120.15206
Nearest town Carnelian Heights, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Watson Lake & Watson Lake Trail via 116 Road

3.5 mi · ▲ 358 ft · 1 hr 21 min

Elevation 7,678–7,865 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: 116 Road · 39.23675, -120.15206

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 80°F / low 54° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:03 AM · sunset 8:12 PM

  1. Start on 116 Road, heading SE.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading SE.
  3. 1 miTurn right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading S.
  4. 0.4 miPass Watson Lake.
  5. 100 ftTurn right onto Watson Lake Road, heading SW.
  6. 500 ftBear right, heading SW.
  7. 0.3 miReach Watson Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  8. 0.4 miTurn left onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading NE.
  9. 0.4 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading N.
  10. 1 miContinue straight onto 116 Road, heading NW.
  11. 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

84% dirt16% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 80°F54°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity22%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:12 PM
Tue 80°59°
Wed 79°52°
Thu 77°51°
Fri 77°52°
Sat 77°52°
Sun 77°50°

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