We went here and walked around the lake with our lovable lab. It was a beautiful area. The trail was flat but I suggest hiking boots this time of year as there was some icy snow in spots. The bathrooms were available at the trailhead and were well maintained. read more

Spooner Lake Trailhead - Lake view - Hiking Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

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We had an amazing hike around Spooner Lake back in June. It's an easy walk with just a few mosquitos around. Peaceful and filled with bird sounds, not many people when we were there on a weekday. Bring your binoculars to check out the many birds and woodland creatures around. Definitely wear good walking shoes and bring some water. This trail is a short drive from where the casinos are and well worth the time to get away from the people and hustle bustle that can sometimes be found in Lake Tahoe around state line. read more

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One of my favorite fall destinations. The aspen grove along the southern side of the lake feels like walking through an enchanted forest. We came up for a hike in mid-October on a weekday; arguably one of the best times to come to the Tahoe Basin. The fall colors are beautiful, the weather is very comfortable, and the number of visitors is greatly diminished. The Park Service is doing a huge upgrade to the picnic and parking area. The bathrooms are closed, but there are port-a-potties available. The improvements should make this portion of the park more ADA accessible. The paths down to the lake are well marked and the 2-mile loop trail is mostly flat with a few easy changes in elevation. The trail, however, is not ADA accessible. Lots of spots to see the mixed pine and aspen forest, numerous birds and waterfowl. The views across the lake are stunning and there are so many spots to take share-worthy pictures. The trail is a mix of shade and sunlight - layers are definitely recommended as is appropriate footwear. There are numerous benches and information plaques along the trail. Parking is free if you have an annual Nevada Parks Pass. The entrance gate was unmanned, so it is very much honor code for paying the entry fee. I highly recommend this trail AND I highly recommend getting a State Parks Pass. It pays for itself after only a few visits to the parks and trailheads throughout Nevada. read more

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I love this 2.1 mile hiking trail for several reasons. First, it is 90% flat. Second, it is a loop trail around the perimeter of Spooner Lake, which is a beautiful natural setting with some interesting diversity, like the clusters of Aspen trees competing with the Pine evergreens, the colorful wildflowers, and the granite boulder clusters. Third, it is peaceful and quiet. There is Highway 28/50 above the east side, creating some low level background noise, but you hardly notice it. Mostly you hear the sound of nature. Fourth, it is not popular, because there is no swimming in the Lake, it reportedly has leeches in it. I have only seen 4 ducks here, and I have never seen or come across more than a dozen people on the trail in 3 hours of leisurely exploration, and I have never seen more than a dozen cars in the parking lot in mid-August, pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. It costs $10 per carload to enter, there is adequate parking in several lots in the campground area, which has plenty of tables and BBQ pits, with a large restroom facility. You walk down from this plateau to the lake level a short distance. This is in stark contrast to the past 13 miles from Incline Village where people on summer weekends are hazardous parking on the side of the road, and hiking down a steep hillside to get to the "secret coves" on the upper Nevada side of Lake a Tahoe, or the crowds at Sand Harbor. Granted, you can go into the cold waters there, but during a pandemic, if you want to take the road less traveled, try Spoiner Lake. We've seen an adult Doe deer, 2 snakes (in and near the water), 2 scorpions ( under rocks), 5 lizards ( around granite Rock clusters) , several types of ants and beetles, a hawk patrolling the skies, and several bird species who create a mosaic of calls that echo about the lake. There are several marsh areas around the lake, and a few people try to fish near the entry point, not sure what they catch, although you can see guppy type fish and a little larger around the lake's edge. Spooner lake is ideal for the casual easy hiker who likes peace and quiet, more nature than humans, and some interesting natural beauty and variations of creatures and plants. There are good periodic info markers around the lake to educate you on the lake and its inhabitants. Open till sundown in the summer. There is other trails nearby from this starting point, one to Marlette Lake, (about 5-6 miles in, much bigger lake) another up North Lake road, which I believe is used for Snow Shoe or Cross Country skiers in the winter, and mountain biking and hiking in summer, with the Spencer's cabin rest shed (0.25 mi in) , and another campground area 3 miles up and in. read more

It started out as just a little stroll through the woods to clear my head from some personal stuff that's happening in my life. I always walk/hike/run with gum so I put a few extra pieces in my pocket. Initially, I just wanted to walk the two mile loop around Spooner Lake, but it was SUCH a pretty fall day that I had to continue onto Marlette Lake trail from Spooner. I was feeling fine, not thirsty and not needing to use the restroom so I was good to go for as long as I could. After 5.5 miles one way, I saw the beautiful blue lake, took some pictures, and made it back to my car at about 11 miles total. The last 5 minutes I started to get a little parched and was happy there was a huge bottle of iced water in my car. What a stunning solo day out in the woods. read more

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We wanted to go on a nice and easy Father's Day hike and that's exactly what we got at this Spooner Lake 2.1 mile loop trail. We had our very old dog with us and she can't do hilly hikes anymore so this fairly flat and pretty trail was perfect for us. Someone in another review complained about downed trees obstructing the path but everything has now been cut away and cleared. There were beautiful wild flowers in bloom! And you can "smell" spring and summer now as you walk along and encounter sweet-smelling yellow bitterbrush flowers and the butterscotch/vanilla scent of ponderosa pines. At one point, I smelled licorice and learned that it was likely coming from a flowering plant called Gray's licorice-root. There are a few benches along the path for resting while taking in the nice views. And if you fish, you can try to catch some trout! The trail can be a little dusty at times so wear appropriate shoes. Parking costs $10 for locals. read more

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I've driven past this Trailhead / area almost every weekend in winter and most weekends in summer on my way to snowboard or lounge in Tahoe. I was looking for a casual hike and to satisfy my curiosities of the area. I arrived and found the toll booth vacant. I grabbed an envelope and tossed my cash inside - $10 per vehicle during the summer. I didn't have a pen or pencil so I left the envelope blank, tore off the receipt part and tossed that on my dashboard. I really wish they would keep pencils or something close by for those of us that forget to bring along a writing instrument! Warning - there were signs everywhere stating that the lake has leeches. I wasn't intending on going into the water but once I saw this sign, there was clearly NO chance of me touching the water. Once parked, I checked out the restroom facility. Quite nice. Flushing toilets, running water and very clean. I headed down to the lake. I think they had an event there recently because two large tents were still up. I decided to head to the left and saw that there were a few small pathways on all sides - basically small ones made by people trying to get closer or further from the lake itself. The first half was in and out of the shade but flat. I stopped at a few benches and vistas to snap some pictures and take a few deep breaths of fresh air. Once I hit the TRT junction, the trail got a little steeper. It was not challenging by any stretch, but was not the flat trail of earlier in the course. There were several beautiful Aspen groves that were breathtaking. I didn't see any large animals but there were plenty of chipmunks and birds along the way. After 2.1 miles in and out of the sun I was disappointed to see the end of the trail. I would have been happy to see more beautiful vistas. Instead, I headed back closer to the parking lot and pulled up a seat at a picnic bench to enjoy a snack. read more

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The Spooner Lake area, part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, was a great starting place for a 9.5 mi hike to Marlette Lake and back. For Nevada residents, the entry fee per car is $8. There is ample parking and clean restrooms. The trails are well-marked: the loop around Spooner Lake, the hike to Marlette Lake via either the trail (no mountain bikes) or North Canyon Rd, which one shares with mountain bikes. The offshoot trails to the Tahoe Rim Trail and the trail east to Chimney Beach are also well-marked. One can rent Kona mountain bikes at the general store. The hike to Marlette Lake is uphill going north, but there are some nice benches constructed in pretty spaces so that breaks are well-justified and earned. Even with the drought, both Spooner and Marlette Lakes were beautiful and seemingly unaffected. Keep your eyes out for the coolest plant I've ever seen: the red snow plant (Sarcodes sanguinea). It is a bright red half wildflower, half mushroom looking thing. When they first emerge from the ground their "arms" are all wrapped around them and they feel like hard jelly if you touch them with a stick. When they mature their "arms" grow what look like "bells" or bell-shaped flowers. They are so cool and are all along the North Canyon Rd part of the trail. read more

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This is an easy hike with easy-on-the-eyes views of the Spooner lake. Again, this is no where close to the ton of brilliant beaches and hikes in Tahoe area but given the easy length (2.5 miles) and minimal elevation (124 ft.), I'd recommend this as more of a family friendly hike or a hike primarily meant for break days if you're looking to catch a breath between some really tough hikes read more

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Spooner Lake trailhead leads to the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) and has it's own 2.5 miles path around the perimeter of the lake. There's a geocoded Everytrail tour of spooner linked below. There's also an opportunity to head up to Marlette Lake. The trail to Marlette is perfect for those who want to do a strenous 10 or 11 mile day hike. Folks who didn't want to add the strenuous part could just meander around Spooner Lake. Here's the photo tour. http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2171198&code=1fa6cc52e3212241aefb4b241deef6c3 I should mention that there's two entrances to these trails: you can do paid parking for $10 and this will get you access to Sand Harbor up the road as well. Sand Harbor is a great snorkeling spot and you can essentially snorkel around in a million year old glacial moraine. However, if you're just visiting Spooner and Lake Marlette try parking at the entrance shown on US 50 in the first couple of photos at the link above. It's only $1 to park there. read more

Spooner Lake Trailhead - Spooner (panoramic) - Hiking Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

Spooner Lake Trailhead is a great place for hiking, snowshoeing, fishing, picnics, camping and more. Just an all around great place for having outdoor fun. If you want to go just for the day and have a picnic it is a great place for that. There are picnic areas and they also have grills there to cook up some hotdogs and hamburgers. Just an awesome place for summer fun and winter fun too. Also, just a small tip about the picnic areas. Most of the areas are well covered by trees so it is actually quite nice during the summer. So you don't get sunburnt here. Parking is $10 summer/$7.00 off season and I think locals get a discount. Just present them with a Nevada state ID. Parking can get a bit crazy during the summer season. So getting there early is better. For winter it can also get crazy during the weekends because it's a great place for people who just started snowshoeing. The 2 mile snowshoeing trail/hiking trail is easy for beginners who just want to get a little taste of what snowshoeing is really like. It is well traveled and you can bring the whole family on this trail. There are also restroom close to the parking lot. Just note that when you are on the trail there are not a lot of bathrooms on the trail. There is a bathroom somewhere between or at the halfway point from Spooner Lake to Marlette Lake. I posted the website for more information. http://parks.nv.gov/parks/lake-tahoe-nevada-state-park-1 There is also a trail the leads from Spooner to Marlette Lake and that is a great trail to be on. I think there is another trail that you come from Sand Harbor but I'm not sure. I've personally never been on it. My experience here has always been good. Thanks for reading my review. read more

Nice new trailhead at Spooner. Plenty of parking and bathrooms. Handicap accessible

Dusty easy 2 mile hike surrounding Lake Spooner. Semi shady, but still need a hat and it does get hot. No toilets or picnic benches, gotta go across the highway for that. Ducks at shoreline. Small parking lot. read more

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I love Spooner lake hike, it is easy and enjoyable. You walk around lake in and out of shade - so always enjoyable. It is fairly flat with a few up hills but nothing terrible. Even the most non sporty person can do this hike/walk. Just over 2 miles around. There are benches and a beach area for resting but don't go in water unlike Marlette you can swim in this one. Great little outing. With the parking closed on 50 you now must pay at the entrance cabin but I think it is worth the money read more

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A popular spot for bikers and strollers (the people, not the baby carriages). My family and I arrived on a sunny Tahoe morning, and after debating a fork in the road maybe 100 yards from the parking lot, we came upon a gorgeous view of Spooner Lake. There were a handful of other groups on the trail, and no one actually near the water because of the warning next to the lake. Leeches. Unless your dog can also read, you may want to keep a leash on your furry companion. The trail itself is one of the drier, dusty trails in the area. Light to moderate exercise, perfect for all ages. You'll march through areas densely populated with aspen trees and listen to their cute leaves rustle in the wind. The chipmunks here are also particularly talkative! If you've never heard one before, you might think it's a bird at first like we did. Keep an eye out for birds in the underbrush as well as in the trees. The other fork leads to Marlette Lake, and is considerably longer - attracting primary bikers. Getting to the Marlette trailhead is an easy, flat walk though, and you may even find some fat hens in the underbrush that waddle away as soon as they hear you approach. read more

Very nice hiking trail. Only 2.1 miles around the lake. Was here around 5pm early July and it wasn't too hot and there was lots of shady areas and park bench around the trail. Beautiful and breezy. watch out for snakes . Definitely will come back again! read more

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For one who recognizes proper Forest management, this area gets an A-Plus rating from me, the state park system has done an exceptional job here!!! read more

Love this quiet tucked-away place: the focus on rehabilitation, the picturesque winter-wonderland hike around the lake (you can walk out onto the water when the ice is frozen), and the forested pinecone-dotted picnic area. read more

From this park you can access many trailheads, so if you want to hike more you can... but this particular trail is around 4 or 5 miles around a lovely lake with benches....very serene, beautiful and tranquil without many people. It's mainly flat so anyone can hike here. read more