2-state trail · Long-distance trail

Tahoe Rim Trail

165 mi long · across 2 states · centroid 37 mi from Reno

The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile loop around Lake Tahoe, traversing the Sierra Nevada and Carson Range crests in California and Nevada. Built between 1981 and 2001, it climbs above 9,000 feet and offers continuous views of the lake. Multi-use in most sections (foot, mountain bike, equestrian).

Tahoe Rim Trail
Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
States
California, Nevada
Length
165 mi
Trail type
Long-distance trail
Network
Regional (rwn)
Centroid nearest city
Reno, NV · 37 mi · ~1.1 hr drive
Centroid coords
39.0267°, -120.0653°
Official site
tahoerimtrail.org
OSM relations
1 sub-relations on OpenStreetMap
From Wikipedia: The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) is a 170-mile (274 km) long-distance hiking trail that forms a loop around the Lake Tahoe Basin in the Sierra Nevada and ranges of Nevada and California in the United States. The trail ranges in elevation from 6,223 feet at the outlet of Lake Tahoe to 10,338 feet at Relay Peak in Nevada. About 50 miles (80 km) of trail above the lake's west shore are also part of the national Pacific Crest Trail. Additionally, 96 miles of the trail along the east and south sides of the Lake Tahoe basin are designated as a National Recreation Trail. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Tahoe Rim Trail, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Termini

Start & end

Loop: 165-mile loop around Lake Tahoe.

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Tahoe Rim Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed
Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Reno, NV — 37 miles away (~1.1 hr drive). See accommodation in Reno on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Other trails within 50 miles

6 nearby

California · 30 mi

ADT - California - T - Seg 1

14 miles from this trail's centroid

California · 27 mi

ADT - California - T - Seg 2

16 miles from this trail's centroid

Nevada · 48 mi

ADT - Nevada - S - Seg 9

21 miles from this trail's centroid

California · 42 mi

ADT - California - T - Seg 3

30 miles from this trail's centroid

California

Pioneer Trail

44 miles from this trail's centroid

California · 31 mi

ADT - California - T - Seg 4

47 miles from this trail's centroid

Sources

Public data + curation

Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.