Tahoe Rim Trail
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Excellent conditions window — sunny, dry, and no snow on the ground. The stream flow data in the raw feed is mismatched (those are Central Coast gauges, not Tahoe-area), so treat crossing info as unknown and scout before committing. Daylight is short at 10h 12m with sunset at 4:50 PM — plan your camp arrivals accordingly.
68°/33°F · Mostly Clear
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0" depth
Elevated flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
10h 12m daylight · Sunrise 6:38 AM · Sunset 4:50 PM
Full Briefing
The weather is about as good as mid-November gets in the Sierra. Highs in the 63–68°F range Tuesday through Thursday, lows holding at 33–34°F, light southerly winds under 5 mph, and clear skies the entire trip. No precipitation in the forecast. Snowpack at Annie Springs (6,021 ft) is just 1 inch with 0.1" SWE — essentially nothing. You'll be hiking on dry trail at elevation, not postholing. This is a legitimately great fall window.
The stream flow data attached to this briefing is a geographic mismatch — those five gauges (Salinas River, Llagas Creek, Alameda Creek near Sunol) are all Central Coast watersheds, nowhere near the Tahoe Rim Trail. Disregard those numbers for crossing planning. That said, with zero meaningful snowpack and no recent precipitation, Tahoe-area streams in November are typically at their seasonal low. Any crossings you hit should be manageable, but scout each one on arrival — no data means no guarantees.
Daylight is the real logistics driver this trip. Sunset hits at 4:50 PM, which means you're done with usable hiking light by about 4:30. With 10 hours of daylight and a late-November sun angle, afternoon shadows drop fast in terrain with any topographic relief. Plan your daily mileage to reach camp by 4:00 PM at the latest. If you're doing bigger days, start moving by 7:30 AM to give yourself the full window.
No active fires within 50 miles, no wind-driven smoke risk, no avalanche terrain on the TRT. The overnight lows in the low 30s will freeze any wet ground or water bottles left out — standard November cold camp protocols apply, but nothing anomalous. This is a clean trip window. Get out there.
Waypoints
Tahoe City Trailhead
Common starting point on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.
6,224 ft
Desolation Wilderness Entry
Enter Desolation Wilderness. Permit required beyond this point overnight.
7,999 ft
Freel Peak Area
Highest point on the trail near Freel Peak (10,880 ft). Views of Tahoe and Great Basin.
10,338 ft
Carson Pass
Highway 88 crossing. Resupply at Caples Lake Resort.
9,498 ft
Return to Tahoe City
Complete the loop.
6,224 ft
Route Details
Distance
170.0 mi
Elevation Gain
32,999 ft
Elevation Loss
32,999 ft
Max Elevation
10,338 ft
Estimated Days
14
Trailhead
Tahoe City (North Shore)
Best Season
July through September. Snow on high points in June. Desolation Wilderness permit required—limited quota.
Permit Required
Desolation Wilderness permit required for overnight travel in that section. recreation.gov.
About This Route
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 170-mile loop encircling Lake Tahoe at elevations between 6,300 and 10,338 feet, offering some of the most varied high-country scenery in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin. The trail crosses through Desolation Wilderness, the Carson Range, and the Nevada high desert, presenting dramatically different terrain on each segment. The trail is usually attempted as a multi-week backpacking trip, though some ultra-runners complete it in under 72 hours. The two main challenges are the Desolation Wilderness permit quota (highly competitive in July-August) and the lack of water on the Nevada side where springs can be miles apart. Snow covers the highest points—the Freel Peak area near Echo Summit and the Carson Pass region—well into June. The full route doesn't become consistently snow-free until early July. Wildflowers peak in the Desolation Wilderness in July; fall color appears in September. The lake itself is visible from many high points, shimmering blue-green far below. The Nevada side offers solitude and wide-open views of the Great Basin. The California side through Desolation Wilderness is the most dramatic—granite, lakes, and alpine terrain rivaling anything in the Sierra.
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