Upper Truckee Marsh

The Upper Truckee Marsh Trail may be one of the best combinations of easy conditions and stunning beauty in the South Lake Tahoe area. At 1.1 miles, you'll likely encounter more than a few other people here, but the views are absolutely worth it.

Beginning at the end of Bellevue Ave, the narrow use path hugs the edge of the marsh just beyond the backyard fence of a line of homes. Upon starting the trail, views of the peaks just south of Heavenly rise up beyond a grassy marsh with peaceful stream flowing through it. As the trail wraps around a bend, views of Mt. Tallac rising above the spacious marsh wetlands dominate the western view. A separate trail entrance at the end of San Francisco Ave joins the trail here, and the path will typically be much busier as it continues on a flat course before emerging at a sandy beach. 

It's worth walking a little down the beach to try to find an empty spot in the sand, and the water tends to be a bit warmer here as you can walk out a pretty good distance while remaining in shallow water - it's said that this is where much of the lakeshore dredged out to build the Tahoe Keys development ended up here. 

The trail is mostly flat, but does have a tendency to become a bit submerged in the spring months and following other periods of wet conditions. This may be one of the most scenic spots to catch the sunset from as views of mountains, spacious colorful sky, and Tahoe's edge all meet here.

There are no bathrooms or water anywhere along this trail. Street parking is required, but be aware of seasonal parking restrictions for snow removal.