Amazing nice quick stop on highway 50 heading to Lake Tahoe got some great pictures it's a quick…read morestop so be prepared.

Chasing (roadside) waterfalls…read more.. This is a pretty decent roadside waterfall off Highway 50 (between Sac and Lake Tahoe) near Pollock Pines. It is pretty during spring as snow melting gives the waterfall a good amount of flow with a drop of 80-ft. Nice stop to stretch out the legs at the same time. The waterfall grabs your attention whether you're driving to or from Lake Tahoe. The falls is to your right as you head to the Lake. I suppose you can pull over on the opposite side of the highway to get a full view of the falls but I wouldn't cross the road as it is dangerous because there are blind turns, sometimes cars and trucks whiz by fast and furious down this road. Easy access where you literally just pull over into a very large pullout right in front of the falls. This waterfalls is about 60 miles from our place. It is worth stopping to look at, at least once, on your way to Lake Tahoe. Review #2106 updated

Some friends and myself just spent the last two days hiking into the desolation wilderness part of…read morethe Sierra Nevada mountain range, near Lake Tahoe, Ca. Up Wright's Lake road you go until you've reached a top-of-the-world mountain spot called Wright's Lake. There are some hiking trails that extend you further into the nearby mountains, placing you at various lakes beneath these craggy skyscrapers, just west of Pyramid peak. We spent a night at Hemlock Lake, a beautiful little destination spot in this area for hiking and overnight camping. I hurrah this pristine little lake for variety of excellencies: first, the fishing was bountiful, and a respectful fisherperson will find themselves a tasty dinner amongst the wildlife jumping at the water's surface. Second, there is a half-rushing waterfall that cascades from higher-up snowmelt, feeding down into the lake. A short jaunt and slopey climb will catch you some of the prettiest vista-views this side of the Sierras has to offer. Surrounding both the waterfall and lake are gorgeous Jeffrey sugarpines. Put your face close to its rutty bark, and you will want to lick the delicious smell of these trees (especially for a hungry hiker). All this, but don't count on any time to sit and meditate. Half of the exercise I got out of this trip was from slapping and dancing around the mosquitos that inhabit the lush little 8500-foot lake. I won't complain, since it's not my place to judge nature, but I do largely suggest that you bring with you some sort of repellant. We used garlic cloves, which worked surprisingly well. But if nature's comfort is what you're looking for, mosquitos are only a necessary part of this package. I say, take the trip. Even if you don't like the remarkable hike or lake, there's enough camping spots and high-mountain lakes in this area to keep you and your family/friends packing here for for years to come!

Came for my third visit during a dry spell in January. Very nice! So green and cool. Did the…read moreDown and Up trail. Came in the afternoon on a Saturday. I thought the parking lot would be full, but there were som spots.

Family-friendly hiking trail! It's quite an easy 4-mile loop to the river. You see a lot of people…read morehorseback riding, walking their dogs and families having a leisurely time. It was a chilly day but it was a clean trail, not too muddy, next to a stream the entire way down to the river! The parking is also clean and has bathrooms close by.

Everything. This is…read morea pristine, cold, well maintained lake with awesome camp sites and bathrooms. The bathrooms are just that, babes...lake bathrooms. The waterfall runs with Mother Nature.

I have camped here twice now. Camping is not my thing, but it's a way to unplug and unwind. The…read morefirst time we stayed at waterfront campsite (Pincone- $65). It was easy to walk to the water. The second time we stayed at the standard campsite (Hilltop- $42). Each reservation is for 6 people and 1 car. The weather was nice when we went and the site was shaded. Pit toilets are the main downside to camping here.

If you can handle straight down and straight up hiking, trail running, or horseback riding with…read morecliff drop-offs, this Bud's for you! Head down the paved road to the river. Someone else said it's 3 miles round trip but my Strava says 3.2 miles up from the river with 800' gain. :shrug Check out Alltrails app for more input and routes. If you stick to the pavement route, the path is very wide, two cars width and more at times. So no fears of steep drop-offs. Beyond the river, it's single track. On the dirt routes going down to the river, it's very technical and steep. Though I've never been on it, I know about K2/Cardiac Hill. LOL! If you want to explore the Western States trail that's used by Tevis Cup and Western States Endurance Race (both 100 mile endurance races one on horse one on foot), then head down the dirt trail off the horse side. If you travel a little more than 3 miles down this path you'll encounter a waterfall if there's still flowing water. Cross in the water or on the bridge (horses ok either way). But again, this trail isn't for the faint of heart when it comes to horses and their riders. Be mindful it may be too much for you or your horse. Horse side has a large watering hole that had water in it in early April 2023 (while some locations fear the horse sicknesses and have shut off water). There's also tying rails. And plenty of room to maneuver a rig. Paved side has a building with restrooms. The restroom is accessed by the paved lot but is on the side nearest the dirt lot/horse trailer parking. I don't recall it having soap or towels or hand dryers in April 2023. C'mon 'rona, give us soap even if it's the sandpaper powder! Be aware that some days there are major events and you may not be able to park there. I suppose you can call City of Auburn or just be prepared to go somewhere different such as railroad park. Major events include: Tevis Cup, Western States Endurance Race, and American River Endurance Race.

Beautiful large park. Costs $7 to enter/park, and there's a strict close time to leave at sundown…read more Highly recommend for biking, but not so much for casual walking with kids. This place is huge and has a decent amount of hills and flat areas.

Such a beautiful and serene spot! While on ice house road you encounter a split where you can keep…read moreright for the millionaire trail parking or left for the bassi trail lot. If you keep right and park, it's a bit longer of a hike to the falls whereas if you keep left and drive up further, the hike is only about .5 miles. We intended on doing the longer hike but got confused and kept driving. Either way, it's nice that there are multiple options that lead to the same beautiful waterfall. We got to the falls around 9:30am and it was pretty empty but started getting very busy by 11am.

This is a very beautiful hike. I would definitely go in the springtime because the water is flowing…read morepretty heavily. A lot of picture spots in here as you hike up the river. When you get to the top, you see Bassey Falls, where people were laying out somewhere swimming others just enjoy enjoying lunch but overall it was a really nice day.

What a great beginner level trail!! Easy to find but make sure to park on the El Dorado County…read moreside, which is right off the hillside on 49. if you park on the Placer County side there's a parking fee. In any event, the trail is just beautiful with plenty of shaded areas. Start off walking across the bridge and the trail parallels the river. Plenty of wildlife along the way and the waterfall is very pleasant. Bring waters and maybe snacks. It's safe and fairly well travelled and maintained. There is even a trail...all up hill towards Cool! For the more advanced hikers maybe.

On AllTrails app search "Western States Trail to Calcutta Falls". Parallel Parking on the street…read moreClose to the trailhead - get here early otherwise your parking will be part of your hike. It's early spring. There is lots of wildflowers - lots and lots of butterflies to see. Got to see many reptiles - skinks and a variety of lizards. Many hawks flying overhead. Lots of amazing views of the river. And a couple of small waterfalls. Walked further than the posted trail on All Trails just to add some extra mileage.