Five Lakes Trail is a 4.7 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Alpine Medows, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until November. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
kid friendly
birding
hiking
nature trips
snowshoeing
trail running
walking
horseback riding
forest
lake
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
blowdown
muddy
rocky
snow
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.
As of 6-21-17, trail mostly covered with snow at higher elevation. But able to make it to all 5 lakes. Spectacular.
Amazingly beautiful!! Low traffic right now due to all the snow covering the upper half of the trail. The lakes are still 90% frozen over as well.
6-14-17 Still several feet of snow after the first mile or so, made it a little challenging to find the trail so we mostly just blazed our own trail on the way up. The snow was melting in the afternoon and made for a slushy/slippery hike out. Most of the lakes were completely covered in snow too. It was a beautiful hike though, I can't wait to come back when the snow has melted!
Awesome trail with great views. Had a little trouble finding the lakes because the tracks in the snow disappeared, but we were able to wander around and find the lakes by map. Lakes were about 90% covered with snow as of June 6.
Be aware that there is snow covering most of the trail, so bring your navigational tools. We just did a backpacking trip here, and it was beautiful! Unfortunately all the lakes were covered in snow. It's a difficult hike mostly because of the snow and elevation gain, but my 4 year old and 7 year old did it with backpacks!
Great despite the crowds.