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Cascade Falls

4.7 (40 reviews)

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Al C.

Cascade Falls is a really nice short hike in South Lake Tahoe. The trail isn't very long, but it gives you some great views along the way. You get to walk through tall pines, open granite, and then see both Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe in the distance, which is worth the effort. When I went, the waterfall itself wasn't at full flow, but it was still beautiful to see. I can only imagine how much more impressive it looks in the spring when the snow is melting. Even without that, the whole area has a peaceful feel and plenty of spots to stop and take in the views. I'd definitely recommend this hike if you're in the Tahoe area. It's short, scenic, and not too difficult, which makes it a good option for most people. Whether you want a quick outing or just a place to enjoy Tahoe's beauty, Cascade Falls is a great choice.

Steph C.

An early break in Mid May weather made this hike a 5 star experience. The trail is easy to moderate level. Just about a 1 mile from the Inspiration Point parking ($10) to the cascade falls. Epic views of Lake Tahoe and Cascade Lake throughout the hike. We hiked a total of about 2.5 miles which includes a 1/2 mile of exploration of the creek that feeds the falls. The falls are dangerously accessible so stay alert in and around the creek and while on the trail. Parking is a nightmare, but the hike is worth it.

Sitting behind Cascade Falls, looking out towards Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe
Anson W.

No no no. This is all wrong. A hike CANNOT be this scenic. One of my favorite memories of hiking in Tahoe was sitting in the middle of the stream behind Cascade Falls, watching the water flow over the edge and down towards the lake below. I sat there for a while with nobody else around. Just me, basking in nature's beauty and serenity, cares momentarily forgotten. Cascade Lake is not directly reachable unless you're one of the few wealthy enough to own property on the lake's north shore. The rest of us are consigned to hiking to Cascade Falls above and behind the lake, where there's a perfect vantage point of trees and water for miles. Yeah, I'll take that. The falls are reachable via a less than 1-mile (but rugged) hike along the Cascade Falls Trail. The trail begins at the Bayview Campground where there's a small amount of parking. More parking is available along Emerald Bay Rd (State Route 89) outside the campground. As you head away from the campground, the trail narrows and gets more rugged with rocks to climb over, and gets more scenic with a sweeping view of Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe behind it. The end of the trail sort of disappears out into a wide, slanted rocky area on the face of the mountain near the falls. There's at least one spot where you can climb down a steep narrow opening between the rocks to get closer to the edge of the falls. This is not your typical well-defined trail that you might find at a county park. I visited in the late afternoon in June of 2021, and I didn't run into more than a handful of people here. There was a moderate amount of water at the falls but not a ton of it, so I was able to sit on a large dry rock in the middle of the stream there. The number of people probably depends on the time of day and the season, but should you visit, I hope you find the same serenity and inspiration that I did.

Cascade lake in foreground, and Lake Tahoe in the background
Robert C.

I call this my Lake Tahoe warmup hike when you can get here early on a weekday. Get here before 8am, and I would head up north farther to The Eagle Falls parking lot, next to Vikingsholm, the most difficult place to park. But getting here around 845am on a weekday, and you have a decent chance to find a spot in the paved parking lot. Hardest part of this hike is like going to Costco on a weekend: getting parking.  Woke up the wife and deprived her of her beauty rest. Drove north on highway 89 to Inspiration Point, making a left into the Cascade Lake Campground, and to the back for public parking. Pit toilets at the parking lot.  No restrooms and no water on the trail.   The trail starts off easy enough, broad level terrain on a dirt trail through the forests.  About 10 minutes in, the trail hits the a rocky pathway, with the forests opening up, with a grand view of Cascade Lake 100 feet below. Next 40 minutes of hiking are brutal.  No cover, temperatures in the 80s thanks to global warming, hiking on a boulder strewn pathway up and down over rocks up to the size of beach balls.  Hat, hiking boots and long pants mandatory, unless you want blackened toe nails and scraped thighs.  Bring hiking poles if you have them.   You hike along the side of Cascade Lake, well above the Lake, with a beautiful view of the deep blue lake, and surrounding green forests.   You pass the far end of the lake, with a view of both Cascade and Lake Tahoe in the background. Giant flat formation of granite rock appears, wiping out the trail.  On the other side, we finally hear falls.  We are at the falls, with Cascade creek, running into the falls down below.  Rock formation on the other side of the creek above the falls is as crowded as Times Square, with people camping down to eat lunch. Crossing the creek can be iffy in early June, as it can be swift and rugged. Some folks in their swimming suits wading in the shallow pools of water alongside the creek.   Getting back is just as brutal as it is mostly uphill climbing through the rocky trail, up and over boulders everywhere on the trail.  40 minutes later back in the full parking lot. Feet beat up from climbing up and down all those rocks, banging the front of the boots on boulders left and right.   Wore my $10 Big 5 sporting goods clearance sale new high top boots, and even with a thick padded insole, felt every bump on the trail, through the bottom of the soles of the boots. You get what you pay for!

Hard to see waterfalls. Blend in with snow.
Bobbie R.

After researching hiking places we hadn't done before I chose this spot because it said it was easy. Hmm, it was not especially difficult but, it was not flat and if you have footing or balance challenges I wouldn't recommend it. If you drive to the end of the campgrounds there is limited parking. We went on a Monday morning and got the last available parking. Otherwise you can park on Hwy 89 and walk in. Parking is free if you are going to cascade falls. Have to pay $10. If you are going to desolation wilderness. I enjoyed this hike. The elevation was not bad but, you are taking small and long steps to get up and down rocks, pebbles and dirt trail. The views are awesome. We saw 2 waterfalls that you can hear from far away. Pine trees, waterfalls, lakes, beautiful outdoors, what's not to like?

Cascade Lake
Matthew A.

One of the nicest hikes I've ever been on. Unbelievable views and variety in terrain. Starts out kind of woody at the Bayview Trailhead, then gets rockier as you go up. There are many trees, one was fallen that we had to traverse on the way. The apex of hike takes you to the waterfall which is truly spectacular overlooking Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe in the background. I could've sat there all day and admired the view. I drank right out of the stream, some of the cleanest water you'll find in the country. I would describe the hike as fairly easy, about two miles there and back. There are some steep points that require careful footing and strength. Truly a gem, I recommend it highly. We need to preserve places like this. I live in LA and it made me want to move to Tahoe. Nature at its finest.

Head inside Bayview Trailhead to arrive at the path for Cascade Falls....
Seth A.

I was quite disappointed from my experience hiking Cascade Falls. I'm pretty shocked so many Yelpers gave it wonderful reviews. I had researched that this was a highly worthwhile hike in Lake Tahoe, yet.....I mean....I couldn't even find Cascade Falls when I arrived! I was expecting some magnificent waterfall, yet when the trail came to it's climax....I was left underwhelmed. Let me just give some background info and details from my explorations here..... Cascade Falls is located in the South Lake Tahoe section. More precisely, the trailhead starts inside of the Bayview Campground near the heart of a lot of the Tahoe action including Eagle Falls, Inspiration Point and Emerald Bay State Park. Coming upon the Bayview Campground, there were clear signs for Cascade Falls that couldn't be missed. I found parking along the main road, though this was early around 8am during the summer time. When I completed my hiking a couple of hours later, as you can imagine....parking had filled up completely! (Funny....for my first time visiting Lake Tahoe.....I was surprised by the amount of congestion throughout. I was expecting a quiet and soothing getaway...imo) The hike to "Cascade Falls" was not difficult. It was only roughly 1.5 miles roundtrip. Though, as I trekked further along the trail, the path did veer off and became very fuzzy in terms of following in the correct direction. Continuing....I did climb along rocks though none of this section was extraneous. Ultimately.....I arrived at what looked like the end of the pathway and climb. But....I was quite confused. I didn't know where to turn to or in which direction to look to find this amazing "Cascade Falls"!!!?? At this "pinnacle" there was a steep ledge and overlook where maybe the falls could have led down to. BE CAREFUL here. I noticed other visitors traversing down rocks and unless you have sturdy shoes, trying to find "Cascade Falls" may be slippery and not worth it. I could have navigated higher into the more mountainous section of this trail....yet there wasn't a clearly marked continued pathway or sign indicator helping to lead me in the right way. So yes....this apex at Cascade Falls left me wanting more. Though..... I must give credit where credit is due. The best part about hiking Cascade Falls was the picturesque scenery all around me. I did stop for some scenic photos of the landscape and looking out onto tranquil Cascade Lake with Lake Tahoe situated in the distance. For those who appreciate nature....the hiking was pleasant. All I'm saying is don't expect to arrive at a majestic waterfall in the end. Another note....when I visited over the summer time back in July, it was early morning and my views gazing out onto the waters and the surrounding backdrop had me looking directly into the sun. So for anyone who has read my prior reviews....yes, this blocked my quality photo taking. I would suggest coming over here in the afternoon where you'd have the sun at your back....and then I believe pictures would be much better served. Just a recommendation for those who care about that stuff, lol. Finally, although most folks have raved about Cascade Falls....it wasn't impressive for me. The hike along the trail is worthwhile, but in the end....I was left wondering "is this it"? "Have I made it to the best part(s)"? "What was all the great talk about"? I'm just trying to temper everyone's expectations....this hike is not all that.

View

Beautiful views, easy trails lots of rocks to traverse,good for adults and kiddos. Highly recommend

Tori B.

Great hike! Not easy but not hard. Kind of tricky to get to the other side of the falls but we figured it out. Everybody try something different. There are a lot of amazing views along the way. Highly recommend!

Great hike! Definitely moderate level. I (27) had a great time and found it very enjoyable but my mum (66) had a hard time and needed frequent stops on the way back. Somewhat tricky with the snow so be sure to have good hiking boots. Great spots at the falls to sit and have a little picnic. Excellent views throughout and very friendly people along the way. If you're not used to hiking in higher altitudes be prepared for a more difficult trek.

Jennifer N.

If you're looking for a short hike that packs in a lot of scenery and diversity, Cascade Falls is perfect. There are two lots you can park at-either the Bayview Campground day use area or across the street at the Inspiration Point lot. I would imagine those fill up on weekends or at peak times, but we arrived at 6:30 on a Wednesday summer evening and easily found a spot in the Inspiration Point lot. To get to the trailhead, walk through the campground and find the signs for the Bayview trail. If you go left you will follow the 1 mile trail to the falls. There is also access to Desolation Wilderness from this area but you don't need to fill out a permit if you're just going to the falls. The trail starts out with an easy grade through the pine forest and then eventually you'll wind your way up some granite rocks along the mountainside. To your left you can see Cascade Lake and further out, views of Tahoe. You can start to see the falls around the bend as you approach them and then eventually hear the rushing water. The trail sort of ends as you approach the falls and then you scramble over towards them. Make note of where you exited the trail-it's not clearly marked and if you're exploring the falls and scrambling around the rocks, it might get disorienting to make your way back to the trailhead. The views from the top are spectacular-we were there before sunset after a bit of rain, the clearing skies were amazing. The round trip took us about an hour and 15 minutes but we hurried on the way down to make it back before sundown. Slippery rocks so wear sneakers with good traction-be safe and enjoy!

Molly M.

Thanks fellow Yelpers for this hike! We would have driven right by, if we hadn't seen the yelp. Great hike! Scenic! First half of the hike is easy through the forest, then comes the climbing and rocks. We were able to hike as much as we wanted!

Enjoying one of the falls
Sony V.

Took my dog here on a hike, and she loved it! The trail is fairly easy, but proper shoes is a must since you will be stepping off of giant rocks along the trail. This is a very scenic hike with plenty of opportunities to take pictures. We also didn't really worry about bugs or mosquitos.. yay! I knocked down one star because sometimes we couldn't tell which direction we needed to go. At one point, we reached a wide open area, and didn't really know where to go... but I guess it doesn't matter since its all open to nature.

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was lovely - though we took 2.5 hours round trip the hike was lovely and the scenery magnificent. we are senior citizens.

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Review Highlights - Cascade Falls

The drive from Lake Tahoe to the falls was also very beautiful with views of Lake Tahoe and Cascade Lake.

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Mount Tallac Trail - A cool stretch of forest running along a plateau above Fallen Leaf Lake. Awesome section of the trail.

Mount Tallac Trail

4.7(91 reviews)
3.8 km

Helluva hike, we're talking a 3500 foot or so vertical rise over a 10 mile or so hike, with most of…read moreit near the end. The vertical rise isn't the only obstacle, also much of the trail is very rocky or even nothing but rocks. That the rockiness isn't as much of a tax as the vertical rise, is proven by how easy it is to return compared to going up! Appreciate that we saw no trash along the trail, so people are respectful. One person had left a doggy bag of doo doo right by the trail, which is a no no - supposed to bury it at least 200 feet from the trail! And per the Desolation Wilderness rules, dogs should be controlled, meaning on a leash, not running around. We did the hike in late July which was about perfect. Not overly warm that day, and even rained a tad for about an hour. For long periods we could not see another human being anywhere even in the distance. Be sure to bring plenty of water and some food. We brought water but no food and this made the hike even more taxing, but we muddled on somehow. Parking is free. You'll also need to pick up a free self-serve wilderness permit for day hikes at the trailhead. Just fill it out with the pen that is attached to the box, drop half into the box and retain the other half with you during the hike.

Not a destination hike in my opinion but great views and a mixed, scenic hike…read more First, know that the trail itself is a majority of crushed rock. Pebbles. Fist sized rocks. Rock shards. Sandy rock and so forth. It gets exhausting when there's a little slip with almost every step down and every step off. On a hot day the hike to the summit is killer. There is almost no shade. Effective oxygen content in the air is about 15-16% compared to sea level of 21%. Its still doable, but less enjoyable when you're more winded, especially in the dry climate. A couple sources of fresh water not too far from the trailhead but I'd highly suggest packing in a couple/few liters for the last 4 hours or so to the summit and back. Trail is busy and mid-day will feature large groups. Arrive early and catch the sunrise over Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake Views at the summit are awesome and the rock formations are super cool. I'd suggest going to the summit, down to Gilmore lake, then cutting across to make a loop before re-connecting for the trail back. The walk down to Gilmore Lake was gorgeous, as was cutting across at the same elevation through the meadows and forest. Hike back down the rocky section (2 hours) sucked because of the loose rock but dreams of home and flush toilets will keep you moving. Overall, really glad I did this hike but would try to find something with better terrain next time.

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Mount Tallac Trail
Mount Tallac Trail
Mount Tallac Trail - Sunrise over Tahoe

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Sunrise over Tahoe

Spooner Summit - Love this!

Spooner Summit

4.4(17 reviews)
5.7 km

This is a great little spot for snow play during the winter season. Parking is a little tough. The…read moreonly facilities are Porta potties. There is a very small parking lot, and along the sides of the road, but it's a tight squeeze going down the lane. The area is beautiful and there's plenty of space and small hills for sledding. And best of all - it's free! We had *snow* much fun! Yelp 2026 Challenge: 03/30

From my Genoa perspective, I usually take the Kingsbury grade to go to South Lake Tahoe and Back…read more I'll drive up from the Valley to the Spooner Summit if I'm going to the State Park of that name, Sand Harbor, Incline, and destinations North. I might drive back to the Valley via Spooner if I'm coming from South Lake and need to run errands in Carson City. Observations 1. As "The Lake" doesn't have a Costco or a Trader Joes, there can be decent visitor traffic coming down to the Valley from Spooner Summit. That includes considerable cheaper gas prices available at Costco gas. 2. The scenery coming down Spooner into the Valley is stunning. So can car speed of which a Carson Sherriff's car may happily pull you over. And that stop light can come into view fairly quickly. 3. One thing you might notice coming down are the distinct large piles of logs associated with the new Carson City Sawmill (in partnership with the Washoe Tribe). Tahoe Forest Products processes timber salvaged from wildfires, forest thinning projects. 4. I make it a point to drive this route (in either direction) for the fall colors. 5. What I always marvel at is the transition between Alpine and High Desert, in either direction. 6. In wintertime at the Alpine Summit, you'll find scores of cars and families taking advantage of sledding opportunities. Parking can be challenging. Some of those cars don't know how to drive in the winter (or understand chains) of which I saw first hand last Saturday as Gayle and I were dropping off Darling Granddaughter. Lots of slipping and sliding and 2 overturned vehicles were noted. 7. There are also hiking opportunities at the Spooner Summit of which I've only done the easy trek around nearby Spooner Lake.

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Spooner Summit
Spooner Summit
Spooner Summit

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Lower Glen Alpine Falls - Upper elevation above the main fall.

Lower Glen Alpine Falls

4.7(47 reviews)
11.1 km

Long drive on one lane road but once there it's just a short walk to different points of the falls…read more The main attraction may get a little crowded. Definitely worth the effort.

When two columns of vehicles going in opposite directions meet on a one way road, who has to back…read moreup? We were going on a hike with a group of people from our timeshare in South Lake Tahoe. Google maps says 17 minutes driving 8 miles vis highway 50 and highway 89. No problem until we had to get off highway 89 onto Fallen Leaf road Fallen Leaf road connects highway 89 to the southern edge of Fallen Leaf Lake. 5 miles of single lane road, with two way traffic. Can't count the number of times had to pull over into a side area to let opposing traffic pass. At least one occasion, two streams of vehicles converged from opposite sides on a blind corner, with one entire stream of vehicle going uphill having to back down. PGE repairing a lot of power line poles damaged by the long fierce winter. And those utility vehicles are much wider than the largest SUV. The falls are spectacular, but is it worth the effort of driving 10 miles roundtrip in one hour? June 8, the road is covered with streams of water from melting snow. So much water that together with the shadows of the trees, making the innumerable pot holes in the road, and shallow drainage ditches on the side of the road invisible. Had to pull over to the edge of the road to allow opposing traffic to pass, and bottomed out the suspension on more than one occasion. $1400 in damage to the suspension of our 2017 Honda Civic, with only 22K miles. Includes having to replace all four tires. We eventually did reach Glen Alpine springs a mile or so beyond Lower Glen Alpine Falls, but the trail was closed as was impassable due to flooding. Would I go to Lower Glen Alpine Falls again? Only in your vehicle.

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Lower Glen Alpine Falls - No bodies here.

No bodies here.

Lower Glen Alpine Falls
Lower Glen Alpine Falls - June 8, 2023

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June 8, 2023

Lam Watah Trail to NV Beach - Trail

Lam Watah Trail to NV Beach

4.7(20 reviews)
5.0 km

I just found out about Lam Watah Trail (in South Lake Tahoe/Stateline in the Nevada side) and…read morewalked it recently. The name in Washoe means permanent mortar by the stream. The trailhead is right within walking distance from the casinos and Stateline/Highway 50. If walking the strip/Stateline is not your thing, don't forget about the free Lake Link shuttle service. The trail leads to Nevada Beach. It's 2.8 miles roundtrip. Flat, no inclines. My kind of walk. Portions of the trail are packed dirt or paved with the majority of it paved. The trailhead has a small paved parking lot, it's free with no time limits but no overnight parking allowed. There are public restrooms. If they're open, I suggest using those because in the winter all the other restrooms on the trail and the beach are closed. We discovered that the hard way. There are two options of trails at the trailhead parking lot. You can use the paved path or the dirt path. The dirt path provides a view of Jennings pond and field as it is right next to it. Even though the pond itself is about 4 feet, you or your fur babies don't want to fall into that ice cold water so stay on the path. The field and pond tend to blend together in the winter scenery. The paved path doesn't provide views of the meadow or pond. Both trails link together. At this intersection, there is a foot bridge that crosses the Burke Creek. Even in the middle of winter, the creek had a trickling flow of water. The sound was relaxing and serene. The path from this point on is paved. Right now, sections of the path have ice and snow even on a warm sunny winter day. So be prepared with the right footgear. Along the way, there are info boards describing the history. I found out that the indigenous Washoe lived in the area before European settlers, and Rabe meadow served as the Sky Harbor casino and air landing strip in the 1940s. Crazy to think there was a casino and air strip here. On the opposite side of the meadow are large, beautiful granite boulder clusters viewable from the path. And Aspen grooves which I imagine are flaming gorgeous in the Fall. The trail leads to the beach. The beach has a walking path made of a composite grooved decking about 3-4 feet wide. The beach can also be reached by driving to it; it has a paved parking lot and street parking. On the weekday I walked the trail, it had a good number of folks and dogs. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail but not allowed on the beach.

An easy stroll just across the state line from South Lake Tahoe that takes you to the water…read more If you're looking for something strenuous, this isn't it. But if you want a scenic walk and don't mind a quasi urban setting, this is perfect.

Photos
Lam Watah Trail to NV Beach - Pond path from the trailhead. You can use this path or the other which is paved (towards the left).

Pond path from the trailhead. You can use this path or the other which is paved (towards the left).

Lam Watah Trail to NV Beach - Paco!!

Paco!!

Lam Watah Trail to NV Beach - Beach at the end of the trail

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Beach at the end of the trail

Glen Alpine Trailhead - Creek fording

Glen Alpine Trailhead

4.6(7 reviews)
11.3 km

We started out from the trailhead about 9 am on Labor Day weekend and went up to grass lake. We had…read moreto park just outside the parking lot but as we set off we noticed some earlier risers were pulling out. The 6 mile round trip hike included a little creek fording, a nice visit to the soda spring, and of course lunch by the lake. The trail is pretty rocky so puppies may do better with booties. Our girl has a 5 mile max and had to be carried for about .5 miles on the rocky path back.

The drive to the falls is beautiful ! Going along Fallen Leaf Lake is a sight to see. The road can…read moreget a little rough with holes in some parts and narrow so be careful as you drive on it and pass other cars. No phone reception so make sure the gps is already going. Once you drive by the fire station you are almost there. Parking is free along the dirt road across from the falls (you can see the falls to the right as you drive on the road). Tends to fill up toward noon so if it is full continue driving up the hill and there's more parking. Give yourself a little room to back out. I started with checking out below the falls first. Wow! What a sight to see! The water was roaring down ! Great sight for photos (see attached photos )! Here you can explore a little by going down the rocks and getting as close to the water as you feel comfortable . As you continue to follow the water runoff , there's a nice shot of the stream as it continues down (see attached photo ). You can touch and if you have enough courage to go in haha. It's VERY cold! You can walk back to the road and follow it up above the falls for more great photos and view (see attached photos ). The road continues but I'm not sure where it goes . I wanted to explore more but had other destinations on my list. If you're in the Lake Tahoe area this is a MUST SEE. I wanted to come in the winter but the road leading to it (along the lake)is sketchy and covered in snow (4x4 required). Come soon while the falls is still roaring !

Photos
Glen Alpine Trailhead - Glen Alpine Falls on July 20, 2020

Glen Alpine Falls on July 20, 2020

Glen Alpine Trailhead
Glen Alpine Trailhead

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Cascade Falls - hiking - Updated May 2026

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