Hike of the Month

Mountain Ski of the Month

Ridges of Mount Rose

The cross country skiing and snow shoeing in winter along the ridges at Mount Rose is just beautiful. The above photo captures the wild desolation of Mount Rose in winter. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing along the ridges is very moderate.

To access the ridges take Mount Rose highway, route 431, which starts between Kings Beach and Incline Village along route 28 at North Lake Tahoe. You head north towards the top of Mount Rose highway. Your car quickly climbs to the lookout where there is a beautiful panoramic view of Lake Tahoe (as shown in the header for this article). Drive almost to the top of Mount Rose where the highway flattens out. To the right there is a snowy meadow with woods to the right of the meadow. Park on the right side of the road. There is parking on both sides of the road, which tends to fill up after about 11am on weekends. Parking is prohibited during snow storms because the snowplows are clearing the highway.

On snow shoes, skis, or just your hiking boots if the snow is frozen, follow any of the unmarked trails that go east through the woods. After heading east about a mile through the woods there is a moderate slope up to the first ridge with a beautiful overview of Lake Tahoe. This is a great place to stop and enjoy a lunch you packed.

From the first ridge, head upwards to the left (north). There are plenty of great views. After about 2 miles of a moderate uphill climb, you come to an overlook (next to Slide Mountain) of the Carson Valley.

Although the unmarked trails are relatively easy to figure out and there are usually numerous people to assist with directions, every few years a few people get lost, typically in white out snowstorms. So, carry a compass if you are not familiar with the area. If you get lost just head due east and you have to run into Mount Rose highway which runs north to south. Then walk back to your car.

Ridges of Mt. Rose as viewed from Emerald Bay