The Rubicon Trail

August 1, 2017 by Tim Hauserman

By Tim Hauserman

Perhaps I shouldn’t give away the secret, but Tahoe locals enjoy the summer just like tourists do by biking, hiking, paddling, or just hanging out on the beach with a dog. The difference is we usually try to stay away from the marquee super crowded tourist attractions in July and August, especially Tahoe’s busiest place, Emerald Bay.

I’ve hiked the Rubicon Trail between Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay probably 50 times, but all of those hikes were done in the spring and fall (and sometimes early winter if the snow comes in late). At those times the crowds are absent both along the trail and out on the water. But this past weekend, yes, that’s right, a Sunday at the end of July, I braved the crowds and headed out onto the Rubicon Trail, where I discovered an important fact: Even when the trail is super busy, it is still a spectacularly beautiful place. And in July and August the trail provides something you won’t find in the off-season: Swimming! That’s right, the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe are not only warm enough to swim in, but are practically irresistible.

The Rubicon Trail follows the edge of Emerald Bay between the Vikingsholm at the end of the bay, to Emerald Point where the bay meets Lake Tahoe. From there, the trail follows the undeveloped shoreline of Lake Tahoe as it winds three miles north to Bliss State Park. We did see a ton of people, but they were all quite friendly and looked pretty dang happy to be out on the trail. We also found two osprey sunning themselves at the top of a dead tree, one of my favorite rare flowers, the deep purple explorer’s gentian, some incredible sugar pine and Jeffrey pine specimens, and most importantly, glorious water which made for a thoroughly refreshing swim.

Tahoe’s water this year is lapping up against the rocks and covering what used to be wide sandy beaches near the trail. All that snowmelt left a full lake which makes for magnificent photos. So brave the crowds, get to the trailhead early, and remind yourself why Tahoe is a great place to be in the summer.