Tahoe Rim Trail itinerary
Every mile marker on the Tahoe Rim Trail route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Tahoe Rim Trail. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
- Stops mapped
- 14
- Across the markers
- 165.0 mi
- Published route length
- 165 mi
How long it takes: 10-14 days. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The Tahoe Rim Trail route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
6,300 ft
Tahoe City
Common start/finish point on the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe.
20.5 miles · 901 ft up to Brockway Summit
Mile 20.5
7,201 ft
Brockway Summit
End of Segment 1, a 20.5-mile stretch through mixed forest and lava flows.
15.6 miles · 3,289 ft up to Mt. Houghton
Mile 36.1
10,490 ft
Mt. Houghton
10,490-foot peak the trail passes near on the way to Relay Peak (higher than Relay Peak itself, but not the trail's own high point).
4.6 miles · 1,750 ft down to Mt. Rose Summit / Tahoe Meadows
Mile 40.7
8,740 ft
Mt. Rose Summit / Tahoe Meadows
End of Segment 2; junction toward Mt. Rose Summit.
16.8 miles · 901 ft down to Marlette Lake
Mile 57.5
7,839 ft
Marlette Lake
Overlook point on the Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Summit segment.
1.8 miles · 1,375 ft up to Snow Valley Peak
Mile 59.3
9,214 ft
Snow Valley Peak
9,214-foot peak the trail passes on Segment 3.
5.5 miles · 2,070 ft down to Spooner Summit
Mile 64.8
7,144 ft
Spooner Summit
End of Segment 3, a 24.1-mile stretch above Lake Tahoe.
19.0 miles · 1,686 ft up to Kingsbury South Connector
Mile 83.8
8,830 ft
Kingsbury South Connector
End of Segment 4; the segment's highest point is 8,830 feet with sweeping lake views.
7.8 miles · 2,042 ft up to Freel Peak
Mile 91.6
10,872 ft
Freel Peak
Highest peak in the Tahoe Basin, passed beneath on Segment 5.
3.4 miles to Star Lake
Mile 95.0
Star Lake
Alpine lake beneath Freel Peak on the Kingsbury South to Big Meadow segment, known for trout fishing.
30.0 miles to Echo Lakes
Mile 125.0
Echo Lakes
End of Segment 6; entry to Desolation Wilderness, where the one required permit begins.
1.1 miles to Lake Aloha
Mile 126.1
8,112 ft
Lake Aloha
Granite-rimmed lake in Desolation Wilderness on the shared TRT/PCT corridor; camping around it is prohibited under the thru-hike permit.
6.1 miles · 1,260 ft up to Dicks Pass
Mile 132.2
9,372 ft
Dicks Pass
High pass crossed on the Echo Lakes to Barker Pass segment through Desolation Wilderness.
32.8 miles · 3,072 ft down to Tahoe City (loop closure)
Mile 165.0
6,300 ft
Tahoe City (loop closure)
Loop closes back at Tahoe City after 165 miles.
Getting a Tahoe Rim Trail for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Tahoe Rim Trail dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Tahoe Rim Trail around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.