Biking the Flume Trail Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe offers numerous bike trails that wind through the mountains and meadows surrounding the lake. One of my favorite mountain biking rides is the Flume Trail, a 14 mile ride with incredible views.

The Flume Trail gets its name from the old ‘flumes,’ used for logging in the Carson and Virginia City gold rush heyday. These were v-shaped wooden and water field ‘shoots.’ Lumberjacks moved cut logs from the mountain down to the sawmill at the base of the mountain using these shoots.

How to Access the Flume Trail

The trail begins at Spooner Lake and travels over a section of the Tahoe Rim Trail. It is a moderately difficult ride, climbing to 7000 - 8000 feet. Some portions of the trail have steep sides and are only one lane. The first four miles are the most challenging, so pace yourself.

You can park in the day use area of the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park on Highway 28 at Spooner Lake. If you don't have a second car at the end of the trail, you can loop a 24 mile trail. Or, you can drive into Incline Village and take a shuttle to Spooner Lake.

Incline Village is a good place to park your second car, or to get on the shuttle back to Spooner Lake. I highly encourage you to use the shuttle service and free parking. Traffic on the east shore and around Lake Tahoe is often very congested.

Flume Trail Tahoe Bike Rentals and Shuttle Service is located in Incline Village. The shuttle is only $18 and free if you rent a bike. You’ll find the Tunnel Creek Café next to the bike rental shop.

About the Flume Trail

Where to Find Shuttle and Rent Bikes

You’ll find several mountain bike trails, but follow the signs for the Flume Trail to reach Marlette Lake. Once you complete the first four miles and continuous climb to Marlette Lake, you’ll want a refreshing dip in the lake. Be sure to bring your swimwear!

The trail includes a mix of intermittent climbs and descents as you travel the 9 miles to Tunnel Creek Road. At this point, you will be at an elevation of 8000. If you descend there, you can bike to Incline Village. From Spooner Lake to the Tunnel Creek shuttle is about 12 miles.

Portions of the trail connect with the Tahoe Rim Trail. You can enjoy views of Sand Harbor or the meadows below Mount Rose. All along the way you will find incredible views of the eastern Sierras and Lake Tahoe.

You can visit this Shuttle page for times. Currently, the shuttle operates every day during the summer. The shuttle also gives you access to many great loops in the back country.  Arrive 30 minutes early to make sure you get on the next shuttle.

Shuttle Service and Bike Rentals

My Newest Listing  3600 Dinah Road

This property borders to forest service, so if you love mountain biking, you can enter the endless trails right from your property. It is located on a quiet parcel near Burton Creek State Park, in Tahoe City with trails that lead to the Dollar Creek dam and Tahoe Cross Country Ski area.

The property includes an Old Tahoe cabin on an amazingly private and usable 10 acres. Access all of the major North Shore ski resorts from this central location. This is an extremely rare "changing of the guard" as this property was built by and has remained in the same family for generations.

Multiple buildings include a garage/shop with living quarters above, wood shed, shop, storage, and amazing future building sites!

The market at Lake Tahoe continues to be very competitive and new listings are still selling very quickly. Contact me today to learn more about homes that will soon be coming onto the market.