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

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Watson Lake, 5 sights

15.4 mi · ▲ 1,895 ft · 6 hr 5 min

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Watson Lake, 5 sights is a 15.4-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. The route passes Watson Lake before reaching Watson Peak Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.7 miles in. It climbs 1,895 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,926 – 8,298 ft15.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.24975, -120.19060
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Watson Peak Viewpoint–Watson Lake, 5 sights

15.4 mi · ▲ 1,895 ft · 6 hr 5 min

Elevation 6,925–8,297 ft

Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Trailhead: 39.24975, -120.19060

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 83°F / low 57° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  3. 0.3 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Middle), heading E.
  4. 3.5 miBear right onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading E.
  5. 1.3 miTurn right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading E.
  6. 0.3 miPass Watson Lake.
  7. 350 ftBear left, heading S.
  8. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake), heading E.
  9. 0.6 miSharp right onto Watson Peak Trail, heading W.
  10. 1.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
  11. 100 ftReach Watson Peak Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 1.2 miSharp left onto Tahoe Rim Trail (Watson Lake), heading E.
  13. 0.7 miBear right onto Tahoe Rim Trail, heading W.
  14. 0.4 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading NW.
  15. 4.8 miTurn right, heading W.
  16. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NW.
  17. 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/watson-peak-viewpoint-watson-lake-out-back-6-sights

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

ClearTemperature 83°F57°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity26%
Hourly temperature
85°55°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Wed 82°56°
Thu 87°54°
Fri 88°54°
Sat 88°55°
Sun 86°54°
Mon 85°52°

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California