Groomed trail
No
Elevation Gain
120.00 ft (36.58 m)
Distance
2.40 mi (3.86 km)
Warming hut
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Secret Meadow Trail is a 2.4-mile intermediate ski trail - or an easy snowshoe trail - that is track groomed and located adjacent to the Hope Valley Outdoors yurt. 

Following what in the summer is a forest road, the Secret Meadow Trail begins with an uphill roll through an area lined by pine trees and the occasional aspen grove, sharing this portion with the much longer Burnside Lake Trail. After about 1 mile, at a signed fork, the Secret Meadow Trail makes a right turn and heads into the forest before dropping into rolling meadows, where a fresh snow will appear like tufts of clouds perched along the meandering creeks that run through this area. The trail is tracked for kick and glide skiers, though it is not currently groomed for skate skiers.

Blue diamond blazes in the trees mark the trail route and make the path easy to find, and most, if not all, of the path is tracked for skiers. The beautiful scenery around the meadows may invite you to veer from the track and do some backcountry exploring through the trees or along the creeks. 

The loop portion of the trail eventually meets back up with the forest road trail before heading back on a downward slope toward the trailhead.

Parking, gear rental and an outhouse bathroom are located at the Hope Valley Outdoors yurt at the trailhead.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Great gently rolling terrain. Opportunities to head into the backcountry.

Cons

Portions of the trail may be skier tracked or marked by snowshoers.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Trailhead Elevation

7,276.00 ft (2,217.72 m)

Features

Snowshoeing

Trail type

Loop

Location

Nearby Adventures

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Lake Tahoe + Northern Sierra, California
Lake Tahoe + Northern Sierra, California

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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