Plan your trip

Five Lakes

A steady climb from Alpine Meadows leads to small lakes tucked among forest and granite. The first part earns your attention; the basin rewards slowing down and choosing a quiet place beside the water.

Southern Lake Tahoe Sources reviewed · North Tahoe

Blue lake curving around a forested shoreline with mountains in the distance
Mountain archive · Illustrative, not a route photograph
Distance
≈ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
≈ 1,000 ft
Time estimate
2.5–4 hours
Effort
Moderate

Why go

Five Lakes is an appealing step up from a roadside viewpoint to a proper mountain outing. You begin with a sustained climb rather than an easy lake stroll, gaining perspective over Alpine Meadows as the route rises. The change into the basin makes the effort feel worthwhile: water, trees, and granite replace the exposed approach.

Plan the destination as a place to linger, not a checklist that requires reaching every shoreline. Different explorations among the lakes change the total distance. Find a durable resting spot, leave the shore vegetation intact, and save some energy for the downhill return. This is a day visit; camping in the Five Lakes Basin is prohibited.

The walk

Out and back · Five Lakes Trailhead on Alpine Meadows Road

  1. Begin at the signed Five Lakes Trailhead on Alpine Meadows Road and follow the climbing trail. Set a comfortable pace through the steep, rocky opening section.

  2. Continue into the Granite Chief Wilderness and the lake basin, staying on established paths. Choose your turnaround according to time and energy rather than chasing every lake.

  3. Return down the same approach to Alpine Meadows Road. Allow extra time for the rocky descent, and take care where the trail meets roadside parking and traffic.

A route overview for planning. Carry an offline topographic map and follow current trail signs.

Getting there & going prepared

Truckee Trails Foundation identifies roadside parking at the trailhead about two miles up Alpine Meadows Road and prohibits camping in the Five Lakes Basin. Park only where allowed, clear of the travel lane. Palisades Tahoe describes the route as roughly 4.8 miles with just over 1,000 feet of climbing. Check Forest Service alerts before setting out.

Keep in mind

The approach is steep and sun-exposed in places; lingering snow can make the basin harder to navigate.

Sources & route notes

4.8 miles round trip and gain rounded to 1,000 feet from Palisades Tahoe. Truckee Trails Foundation reports four miles to a shorter turnaround. This is the Alpine Meadows Five Lakes route, not the similarly named Five Lakes Basin Trail off Sand Ridge or the longer Five Lakes Creek Trail.

Source review: Oct 16, 2026. Not a field report or a statement that the trail is open. Times and difficulty are editorial planning estimates.

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