Five Lakes Trail is a 5 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Olympic Valley, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, horses, and snowshoeing and is best used from June until October. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail.
SEASONAL CLOSURE: This trail is posted as closed for commercial filming during the winter months. Nestled in the foothills of the Granite Chief Wilderness peaks just north of Lake Tahoe, the Five Lakes promise dramatic yet tranquil surroundings, a place to relax, fish, or swim. Best visited after the snow has retreated in the summer, the Five Lakes Trail is one of the easiest and most accessible hikes in the Granite Chief Wilderness so you're unlikely to have this trail to yourself. Don't be disheartened if the trail is busy however, as the lakes themselves allow for plenty of chances for quiet and solitude. Great views, beautiful wildflowers, and plenty of room for exploration. It's like a playground but better. Stretching is encouraged since almost all of the elevation gain is accrued during the first mile or so of the hike. Once at the lakes, you can take it easy, swim, eat, and lay out, or you can continue on and hike around the ski resort, or head west or south and hit up the PCT and other trails. Ample parking can be found alongside the road both before and after the trailhead.
Parking is at the trailhead on the side of the road.
- Snow closes this trail in winter months due to avalanche risk - Mosquitoes can be found up here through early summer, so insect repellent comes in very handy at that time of year
Alpine Meadows Road is South of Squaw Valley and before Tahoe City. It is the turn at the River Ranch Hotel. Going up Alpine Meadows Road, the trailhead is on the right hand side, a little more than half way up the road, and you can park on the side of the road.
Nice trail! we did not finish it due to my mountain sickness, but it was beautiful! We will be back!
Pretty steep in a lot of places with really loose rock. I'd rate this as difficult/hard. Great views of lower Alpine Meadows and all over Squaw Valley. Nice view of Lake Tahoe from KT22.
One of my favorite trails ever. This hike had everything- lakes, rocks, trees, and amazing views. Most people on the trails wore masks which was appreciated. Also, great dog sightings
Fantastic out and back with a loop through the five lakes. The trail around the lakes can be challenging to follow, but it's well worth it. The trail is popular so go early to avoid the crowds.
A wonderful hike with beautiful views throughout, though quite busy on a weekend. The elevation gain to get to the lakes was a very steady doable hike - which was perfect on the sunny Oct day, but might be quite hot in the summer as there is no shade for the first several miles. We took time exploring the lakes, and I would encourage not to miss the wealth of views and explore! Highly recommend
Such a beautiful hike! I loved the little circle at the top taking you past each lake, great views abound! I recommend downloading the trail prior to arriving, it will help you stay on track. We hiked on a Friday afternoon, not too crowded, parking was easy.
Great views, trail well marked, 2 miles up to start for us living at sea level slowed us down but totally worth it.
Great trail, all uphill except for at the lakes then on your way down all downhill. VERY crowded, we came on Saturday morning and I’ve never seen a trail so packed.
a very good hike a little crowded on the way back but not too bad recommended
I recommend not going the route around the five lakes as indicated in All Trails. The trail is really hard to find for one thing, and the littler lakes are marshy and less picturesque than the main lake you get to on the well maintained part of the trail. On this app it appears as a short cut, but it’s a better option even though it shortens the hike, in my opinion.
Hike to Ward peak past Five Lakes on PCT is 6.5 mi / 10 k top notch. We returned via ski resort roads which were, well ski resort roads. The better view and return trail would be an out and back past Five Lakes, which would make it about 21k / 13 miles RT.
Incline at the beginning, then a fun jaunt around the 5 lakes. AllTrails app was super helpful to navigate the lakes. Left at 3pm on a cloudy day, wouldn’t leave any later. Took us a little under 3 hrs with a break halfway through on Lake 4. Definitely recommend.
Great hike. Lost the trail a few times. But, GPS got us back on track soon enough!
Lots of sun exposure the first 1.5 miles, which is almost entirely uphill. We found the third lake (largest) to be the best for our dog to play in. Second lake was too muddy. Loose rocks makes going downhill a little tricky. Took us about 2.5 hours RT, with a 20 minute rest at the lakes. Lots of dogs on the trail. Great hike overall!
Fabulous morning around the five lakes. Trails are funky around the smaller three lakes. Having All Trails app was key!