AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Numbers Fire plume from Mount Watson.jpg
Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Easy Rider, 11 sights

13.8 mi · ▲ 2,502 ft · 5 hr 51 min

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Easy Rider, 11 sights is a 13.8-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Kingswood Estates, CA. The route reaches Watson Peak Viewpoint at the turnaround, 6.9 miles in. It climbs 2,502 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,349 – 8,298 ft · steepest grade: 18%14.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Nature Trail 39.27479, -120.11926
Nearest town Kingswood Estates, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Easy Rider, 11 sights

13.8 mi · ▲ 2,502 ft · 5 hr 51 min

Elevation 6,349–8,297 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: Nature Trail · 39.27479, -120.11926

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 87°F / low 60° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM

Transit-accessible: 4 stop 209 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto Village Run, heading S.
  3. 0.2 miBear right onto Mineshaft, heading SE.
  4. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  5. 50 ftBear right onto Liftline, heading S.
  6. 300 ftContinue straight onto Bill-E-Goat, heading S.
  7. 50 ftBear left onto Liftline, heading S.
  8. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mineshaft, heading SW.
  9. 0.3 miTurn left onto Easy Rider, heading SW.
  10. 50 ftTurn right onto Village Run, heading SW.
  11. 100 ftTurn left onto Mineshaft, heading SW.
  12. 250 ftSharp left onto Pho Dogg, heading W.
  13. 0.2 miBear right onto Sticks & Stones, heading S.
  14. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Pho Dogg, heading E.
  15. 200 ftTurn left, heading E.
  16. 300 ftBear left onto Tryumph, heading SE.
  17. 350 ftTurn left onto The Woods, heading SE.
  18. 50 ftTurn right onto Tryumph, heading SE.
  19. 200 ftTurn right onto White Fir, heading SE.
  20. 0.5 miTurn right onto Sawmill, heading S.
  21. 0.3 miSharp right, heading E.
  22. 1.3 miTurn right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading S.
  23. 1.1 miBear left onto Watson Creek Road, heading S.
  24. 0.3 miBear right, heading W.
  25. 0.4 miBear left, heading W.
  26. 250 ftTurn left onto Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake), heading W.
  27. 0.5 miSharp right onto Watson Peak Trail, heading E.
  28. 1.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  29. 100 ftReach Watson Peak Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  30. 1.2 miSharp left onto Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake), heading N.
  31. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  32. 250 ftBear right, heading SE.
  33. 0.4 miBear left onto Watson Creek Road, heading NW.
  34. 0.3 miBear right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading E.
  35. 1.1 miTurn left onto Sawmill Flat, heading N.
  36. 1.3 miSharp left onto Sawmill, heading N.
  37. 0.3 miTurn left onto White Fir, heading N.
  38. 0.5 miTurn left onto Tryumph, heading NE.
  39. 200 ftTurn left onto The Woods, heading NE.
  40. 50 ftTurn right onto Tryumph, heading N.
  41. 350 ftBear right, heading W.
  42. 300 ftTurn right onto Pho Dogg, heading W.
  43. 200 ftContinue straight onto Sticks & Stones, heading S.
  44. 0.2 miBear left onto Pho Dogg, heading NW.
  45. 0.2 miSharp right, heading NW.
  46. 150 ftContinue straight onto Mineshaft, heading SW.
  47. 100 ftTurn right onto Village Run, heading SW.
  48. 100 ftTurn left onto Easy Rider, heading SW.
  49. 50 ftTurn right onto Mineshaft, heading SW.
  50. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Liftline, heading W.
  51. 0.1 miBear right onto Bill-E-Goat, heading W.
  52. 50 ftContinue straight onto Liftline, heading W.
  53. 300 ftBear left, heading W.
  54. 50 ftBear right onto Mineshaft, heading W.
  55. 50 ftBear left onto Village Run, heading NW.
  56. 500 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/watson-peak-viewpoint-easy-rider-out-back-11-sights

Trail surface

96% dirt3% gravel1% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 87°F60°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV8Humidity25%
Hourly temperature
90°60°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Wed 86°60°
Thu 90°57°
Fri 91°58°
Sat 91°59°
Sun 89°58°
Mon 88°56°

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: 4 stop 209 m from the trailhead
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Nature Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Kingswood Estates, California