I just don’t know the property boundaries in that area well enough. That’s also why I didn’t include any of the trail north of that dock. There are all kinds of private properties around Fallen Leaf Lake, which I always encourage people to steer clear of. Thanks so much for the comment! You’ve definitely had a longer-term relationship with Tahoe (and Fallen Leaf Lake) than me 😉 Never block or park in front of any Forest Service gates, regardless of season. And, it’s located just past the T-intersection between Fallen Leaf RD and Tahoe Mountain RD. This gate is locked and positioned parallel to the road, and on the lake side of the road. Take a left on Fallen Leaf RD and drive a couple hundred meters to a Forest Service gate, which acts as the trailhead.Continue to drive down this road until you reach the T-intersection with Fallen Leaf RD. This is a single-lane forested road so be mindful of other motorists, bikers, and hikers. At this point, you’ll again be driving down Tahoe Mountain RD. Turn left at the T-intersection (still Dundee Cir, but turns into Tahoe Mountain RD).Take a left at the T-intersection (Dundee Cir).Turn right at the T-intersection (Glenmore Way).Drive up Tahoe Mountain RD from the intersection at Lake Tahoe BLVD.And, for them, this is slightly more direct. Again, I offer it as an alternative because some people will be starting their journey from Meyers rather than South Tahoe. The second way in which to reach the Fallen Leaf Lake (east side) hiking trail is slightly more roundabout. So, I’ll often hike this Fallen Leaf Lake trail before or after work, or while out and about running errands. Or, if I’m just looking for a quick place to do some birding. For example, I prefer to hike this short trail when I just want to briefly immerse myself in nature. Keep in mind that this short and easy hike is not something that you’d necessarily want to plan your entire day around. And, these shoreline locations provide stunning panoramic views of the lake itself, as well as Mount Tallac and Desolation Wilderness. However, you can totally swim from any of these locations. None of these access points are beaches, in the traditional sense. It travels through a beautiful forest and provides a couple of different access points to the lake (including a public dock). This hiking trail is located on the eastern side of Fallen Leaf Lake.

This hiking trail is barely 1.25 miles long (one-way) making it an ideal trail for young and old hikers, or athletically-inclined people looking for a quick “nature fix.” Just make sure you hike down to the lake and back a couple of times to get those extra tenths of a mile! It’s just a nice forested hiking trail that offers respite from the busy-ness that can be Lake Tahoe. Keep in mind, though, that this trail isn’t particularly flashy or stunning. And, it hosts a surprisingly diverse amount of wildlife and plant life. This hiking trail is located on the east side of Fallen Leaf Lake and is secluded and generally untraveled. Rather, I’d like to offer one of my favorite hiking trails at Fallen Leaf Lake that’s slightly more structured than those social trails. Long story short, it would be a fool’s errand to map out each and every one of these little “wandering” trails. They’re mostly short, and they generally all lead to some aspect of the shoreline. I find this to be the case during the heart of summer and closer to the campground (located on the north side of the lake).Īs a result of all this foot traffic, there are countless social trails on the north side of Fallen Leaf Lake. But, because Fallen Leaf Lake is so popular, it can become crowded. And for good reason! There are tons of access points to the lake, and the water is always refreshing. Fallen Leaf Lake is one of the most popular summer play locations on the south shore of Lake Tahoe.

Fallen leaf cabin