Salmon Lake
1.3 mi
Distance
40 min
Time
terrain
233 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a easy one way trail to Salmon Lake in Tahoe National Forest.
This trail goes by Salmon Lake Overlook.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
It’s a nice hike & doable for most folks. Dusty in the fall & I have found that this TH is best for getting to lower Loch Leven Lake as it’s TH is very steep, rocky, tree roots, wash outs, etc. caveat is drive out to TH from Yuba Gap. Google doesn’t take you to far enough. It’s about 7.5 miles from the Yuba Gap exit/I80 to Salmon Lake TH. Close to 5.5 miles of it is unpaved. I have a 4-Runner so no problem & I saw a Crosstrek, Highlander & a few other cars at TH so…
Go .3 mi south from Yuba Gap exit, turn right toward Lodgepole campground. At about 1.1 mi further go left on road 19 (unpaved). Drive 4 miles & go left on 38 (I never saw a sign). In about 2 more miles there will be a TH. You must pass Huysink Lake 0.5 mi. TH on left & about 4 parking spaces next to it. Loch Leven & Salmon Lake trails intersect. From that point Lower Loch Leven is only about a mile or so further & better for swimming. Hikers don’t like to swim with the catfish in Salmon Lake & there are a lot of them-small ones however.
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Public Tracks
Salmon Lake Trail - 4/5
With Jen, Will and Thomas. Rough, but passable in the Subaru, dirt road to get there. A lower clearance vehicle would have trouble. We were going to hike to Middle Loch Leven Lake but we got a late start and decided to turn around at the Salmon Lake Overlook. The start of the trail is steep and passes through a forest with many dead and blown down trees. Parts of the trail are very rocky and require negotiating rough stone steps. Once you get up into the granite and the lakes, however, it is beautiful.
