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

Watson Lake–Cena Lar Trail, 3 sights is a 3.9-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Carnelian Heights, CA. The route reaches Watson Lake at the turnaround, 1.8 miles in. It climbs 466 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 70/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi7,520 – 7,865 ft4.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Sawtooth Spur 39.24016, -120.15882
Nearest town Carnelian Heights, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Watson Lake–Cena Lar Trail, 3 sights

3.9 mi · ▲ 466 ft · 1 hr 32 min

Elevation 7,519–7,865 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: Sawtooth Spur · 39.24016, -120.15882

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 80°F / low 55° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:03 AM · sunset 8:12 PM

  1. Start on Cena Lar Trail, heading SW.
  2. 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
  3. 250 ftBear left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading SE.
  4. 1.4 miTurn right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading E.
  5. 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
  6. 0.1 miReach Watson Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  7. 0.5 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading NW.
  8. 1.4 miBear right, heading NW.
  9. 250 ftSharp right onto Cena Lar Trail, heading NW.
  10. 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

100% dirt

Weather

ClearTemperature 80°F55°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity23%
Hourly temperature
80°55°
Sunrise 6:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:12 PM
Tue 80°60°
Wed 79°52°
Thu 77°51°
Fri 77°52°
Sat 77°53°
Sun 78°51°

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