Mountain biking · Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, USA · recorded with NomadTracks

Lake Tahoe rim ride: 28 km of singletrack above the blue

The trails on the rim above Lake Tahoe are the postcard ride of the Sierra: 28.1 km of sandy singletrack and granite slabs, about 700 m of climbing, and that absurd blue flashing between the pines on every second switchback.

Distance28.1 km
Elevation gain699 m
ActivityMountain biking
Duration4 h 35 min

About this data: this track and its photos were personally shared with us as samples by a NomadTracks user. NomadTracks never uploads, collects or shares your tracks or photos — your recordings stay on your devices and in your own cloud.

Route map of Lake Tahoe rim ride: 28 km of singletrack above the blue drawn from the recorded GPS points on an OpenStreetMap basemap
The actual recorded GPS track — start marked green, finish orange. Numbered pins mark where the photos below were taken.

Download GPX Coordinates, elevation and relative times — recording dates are normalized out, photos not included.

Elevation profile of the track
Elevation profile over the full distance. Switch the map above to interactive mode, then slide across the chart — a marker follows the route.

Flow with a view problem

The hardest part of riding here is keeping your eyes on the trail. The recorded track quietly logs what memory can't — which overlook that was, how long the granite section actually lasted, and where the light got golden on the last descent.

Reading the ride afterwards

The speed chart separates the grinding fire-road start from the singletrack payoff, and the elevation profile shows the rim's gentle saw-tooth character. Export the GPX below and ride the same loop yourself.

About the place: Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, USA

Lake Tahoe sits at 1,897 m in the Sierra Nevada on the California–Nevada line, and the trail system on its rim mixes legendary singletrack with granite slab riding. July through September is prime season — earlier the high sections hold snow, later the afternoon storms arrive. Altitude is real here: climbs that look modest on paper breathe like much bigger days.

Granite outcrops and pine forest high above Lake Tahoe
1 · Granite outcrops and pine forest high above Lake Tahoe
Sierra Nevada ridgelines rolling away from the Tahoe rim trail
2 · Sierra Nevada ridgelines rolling away from the Tahoe rim trail
Dusk light over Lake Tahoe through the pines at the end of the ride
3 · Dusk light over Lake Tahoe through the pines at the end of the ride
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