Hiking the Maggie’s Peak Trail in Lake Tahoe, California
Distance: 4.4 miles / 7.1 km
Elevation Gain: 1,800 ft. / 549 m
The Maggie’s Peak Trail, located near Emerald Bay in South Lake Tahoe, is one of the best summit hikes in the Lake Tahoe Basin, with it’s expansive 360º views above the lake!
Now, it must be said that Maggie’s Peak is a very steep trail, gaining nearly 1,800 ft. (549 m) of elevation in just 2.2 miles (3.5 km).
However, if you’re up for the challenge, Maggie’s Peak can be a great trail at any time of the day, especially during the summer when you have the opportunity to cool off in Granite Lake on both the way up and down.
Maggie’s Peak Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Maggie’s Peak Trail is located on the south side of Emerald Bay within the paid Bayview parking area.
This day-use area is managed by the National Forest Service, but in my experience, they do not accept any kind of federal passes in lieu of the parking fee. Believe me, I tried.
Google Maps Directions: Maggie’s Peak Trailhead
Maggie’s Peak Trailhead Parking (Bayview Day-Use Area)
Hiking Checklist - Lake Tahoe
The Lake Tahoe Basin is Black Bear country, and, as with any area that is home to Black Bears, hiking with or without bear spray is up to your own discretion and comfort level.
With that in mind, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Hiking the Maggie’s Peak Trail
Maggie’s Peak-Cascade Falls Junction
Depending on your pace, the Maggie’s Peak Trail may take anywhere from one to three hours for the ascent.
To try to estimate your time, I talked to a relatively fit-looking couple that took two hours to go up, and my time was around 49 minutes, as I chose to hike without taking breaks.
In any case, be sure to fill out a free wilderness permit at the trailhead before hiking. These permits are not only important for accountability purposes but are also legally mandated by the National Forest Service.
Read My Separate Post: Cascade Falls Trail (Coming Soon)
Go Right
Maggie’s Peak Trailhead
Maggie’s Peak Trailhead
Desolation Wilderness Boundary
This is where the Maggie’s Peak Trail enters the Desolation Wilderness, located about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the Bayview Trailhead.
This is the view looking north toward Emerald Bay, and, if you look closely, yellow Jeffrey–Ponderosa Pine pollen can be seen floating on the surface of the water.
This is common in early summer, particularly in May and June, but this natural phenomenon eventually subsides as the warmer months progress.
Looking North
Granite Lake
At about 1 mile (1.6 km) and roughly 800 ft. (244 m) of elevation gain, the trail passes by Granite Lake, which makes for a great place to cool off from the steep ascent during the mid-summer months.
In any case, I waited until the end to jump in, which was great, as the much smaller Granite Lake was much warmer, in my experience, than Lake Tahoe down below!
Maggie’s Peak-Desolation Wilderness Junction
When you reach the split in the photo below, go left.
This left turn is like one big horseshoe, which leads to the summit ridge, roughly 300 vertical feet (91 m) below the top.
Furthermore, the trail to the right is the route that extends much further into the Desolation Wilderness, which is often treated as an overnight backcountry trip, rather than a day hike.
The tallest rock in the photo below is the true summit for Maggie’s Peak, but in my opinion, the better views are about where this photo was taken.
Maggie’s Peak (South)
According to the USGS, the summit of South Maggie’s Peak—the higher of the two summits—stands at 8,703 ft. (2,653 m), which is slightly taller than the northern summit by just over 200 ft. (61 m).
Nevada
