Day One

Leave SF by 10 AM and swing by Ikeda's Country Market for lunch

• Located at 13500 Lincoln Way in Auburn, CA
• Locals love their chicken pot pie and fruit pies!
• Open everyday  · 9 AM to 7 PM
• Last pit stop · 76 - 25 Canyon Creek Road in Dutch Flat

Drive to Lindsey Lakes trailhead and begin your backcountry adventure

• Hike along Lindsey Lake Road towards Rock Lake
• Lindsey Lake Road to Lindsey Lake Trail
• Lindsey Lake Trail to Crooked Lake Trail

Arrive at Penner Lake and set up camp

• Set up your tent on the NE side of the lake, and treat yo' self to a late-afternoon snack.
• Or if you're feeling ambitious, scramble up the ridge for a brilliant view!
• Prep dinner, dessert, and enjoy an evening of stargazing. Woohoo, you made it!​

Car to camp: 4.5 miles - 1,040 feet of elevation gain - 2.5 hours

Tahoe is one of eight national forests along California's Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Day Two

Make brekkie, pack up, and pack out

• Top off your water supply, snack up, and scan your site for any litter!

Return to Crooked Lake Trail and hike to 5 Lakes Basin

• Hike along Crooked Lake Trail towards Island Lake
• Crooked Lake Trail to Round Lake Trail
• Round Lake Trail to Grouse Ridge Trail
• Grouse Ridge Trail to Glacier Lake Trail. Enjoy lunch or a late-afternoon break at Glacier Lake
• Glacier Lake Trail to Sand Ridge Trail

Set up camp at 5 Lakes Basin and unwind

• What. A. Day. Prep a delicious meal and warm up with your favorite bevvie.
• Soak up your last night in Tahoe National Forest. Tomorrow's an early start!

Camp to camp: 7.5 miles - 1,220 ft. of elevation gain - 4 to 5 hours

Washoe and Maidu Native American tribes were the first to traverse Tahoe National Forest, before the Gold Rush brought thousands of emigrants to CA.

DAY THREE

Cook up brekkie, pack up, and pack out before 10 AM

• Load up your backpack, snacks, and refill your water supply for the return hike
• Clean up around camp, and throw away any random pieces of litter

Trek back to Lindsey Lakes Trailhead

• Continue hiking along Sand Ridge Trail towards Grouse Ridge Trail
• Grouse Ridge Trail to Round Lake Trail
• Round Lake Trail to Carr Lake Campground, then walk along Forest Service Road 17
• FS Road 17 to Lindsey Lakes

Head home!

Camp to car: 7.1 miles - 728 feet of elevation gain - 4 to 5 hours

Black bears roam TNF all year, but keep your site clean and store food and scented items properly, and you'll rarely spot them. Learn more.