Locate the South Upper Truckee Trailhead in Meyers

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USGS Topo Hiking Map

This road map will guide your drive to the trail head.

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Let's get some Context

Roads, Trailheads, and the Trails

The South Upper Truckee Road Trailhead is located at the end of the year-round maintained section of the South Upper Truckee Road in Meyers. It is a fine paved road to the trailhead. The road past the trail head is in bad shape.

During Winter the snowplows turn around here, so you cannot park here when snowplows are operating.

This USGS Topo map takes over to guide us across the transition from road to trail just as the Google Map brought us across the roads to the trailhead. Having a good grasp of the relationship between the roads, the trailheads, and the trails is helpful for a good overall understanding of this particular region.

There are three other nearby trailheads that we should be aware of. let's take that thought a step further with technology. Let's get a bigger view of the situation here at the Southern End of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Zoom the Google Map above out three clicks.

Now we can see the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail's starting trailhead up North along Highway 89 on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe at Meeks Bay, which is just South of Sugar Pine Point State Park. We can also see the Echo Summit Trail head located on Highway 50 a thousand feet above our position here at the South Upper Truckee Trailhead. Highway 88 is visible on the far South end of the map just outside of the Tahoe Basin. This is where we will cross the Carson Pass on our way to points further South. South of Meyers on Highway 89 between Meyers and Luther Pass we will find the Big Meadow Trailhead nestled into a cut in the mountain. All of these trailheads can be used to enter the Meiss Country Roadless Area from different directions.

The Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest trails run on a line through all of these locations about 10 miles West of Lake Tahoe. Except for us at our position here at Meyers, and the Big Meadow Trailhead. We have to hike 5.51 miles up to join the PCT-TYT route at Meiss Cabin. These are the main Tahoe trailheads I use for backpacking trips South to Mount Whitney.

Select your own favorite trailhead to begin your journey, or use a new route to access the main High Sierra Crest trails.

But the PCT and TY trail will not remain unified for long South of Meiss Cabin. The Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite trails make their first split into their respective routes South on the South side of the Carson Gap. The TYT makes its Southern turn around the South end of the Lake Tahoe Basin at Meiss Cabin, turning North no matter which direction you are hiking it.

Clockwise TRT hikers turn Northwest, Counter Clockwise hikers turn turn Northeast.

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I'm hopeful that the following information will bring you out to the South Upper Truckee trailhead in Meyers.

Comments? Questions? Experiences to Relate?

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How to Get to the South Upper Truckee Trailhead

First, The Grand Overview

The South Upper Trailhead sits 857 feet directly below, and a bit to the South of the Echo Summit Trailhead. The South Upper Truckee sits at the South end of the of Christmas Valley in Meyers. Neither the Google or USGS Maps above do justice to the terrain.

The view below looks South down into Christmas Valley from Highway 50 just a bit East of Echo Summit. We have rounded the big bend at Echo Summit along Highway 50 and are now overlooking the whole Southern Lake Tahoe Basin. If we pull off the road and take a look South from this point just East of Echo Summit we can see the terrain of our route from the trailhead Southward out of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Our trailhead for the South Upper Truckee trail sits in the dense forest pictured in the lower middle of the image below.

We will follow this line of forest South along the base of the Waterhouse Massif, the prominent mass of mountains on the Left. We follow this patch of forest South towards the lowering ridge dropping off the mountain in the center-right far background, which is coming off of Red Lake Peak.

In the far distance we can see our destination and turnaround point of this trip, Round Top. Round Top is outside of the Tahoe Basin, located to the Southwest of Carson Pass.

The Carson Gap is at the low point of that ridgeline descending to the Right off of Red Lake Peak. We will exit the Lake Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap. The dark ridgeline rising to the right, out of the far background on the far right of the frame, is the East side of the Round Top Massif, located just South of the Lake Tahoe Basin, about 11 miles South of the South Upper Truckee Trailhead. The picture below was taken in March of 2010 on the way to begin a snow trip out of the South Upper Truckee Trailhead.

View of Christmas Valley from the Tahoe Rim South of Echo Summit on the TYT PCT TRT.

View of our position on here on Highway 50 at Echo Summit from Christmas Valley

The South Upper Truckee Trailhead sits between Highways 50 and 89. Check out the Topo Map of the South Upper Truckee Trailhead for its exact location. The google map above will direct you to its location from the main highways over local surface streets. The picture above is the terrain depicted on both maps.

If you are coming from either East or Westbound on Highway 50 to the South Upper Truckee trailhead, proceed on Highway 50 to the Meyers Junction of Highway 50 and 89 Southbound , and turn Southbound onto Highway 89 towards Luther Pass, and Highway 88 beyond.

Follow Highway 89 South through rural Meyers for 2.50 miles to Portal Road, a Right turn on the West Side of Highway 89. Zoom the Google map above in a bit, and Portal Road connecting Highway 89 to the South Upper Truckee will appear.

More route information continues below the pictures.

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Portal Drive to the South Upper Truckee Trailhead

Make the turn West onto Portal Drive off of Highway 89 and take Portal Drive two-tenths of a mile to where it tees out at South Upper Truckee Road.

Turn Left, South, at South Upper Truckee Road, and continue South past the houses, then past the Forest Service Summer Cabins. You will drive (or walk, as I often do) along the edge of a meadow wedged under the shadow of the thousand foot cliff, atop which Highway 50 passes through the Echo Summit on its way down to the Tahoe Basin.

The South Upper Truckee Road bends East and it crosses a bridge over the South Upper Truckee River. (pictures below) The trail head is 50 yards past the bridge.

The South Upper Truckee Road does not end at the trailhead, but year-round snow removal does. The trailhead is where the snowplows turn around during Winter.

More route information below the following pictures.

End of the Maintained Road: The Trailhead

Although year-round snow removal ends at the trail head, the South Upper Truckee Road continues steeply up the mountain to intersect with Highway 89 just North of the Big Meadow Trailhead.

Though "paved", the South Upper Truckee Road between Highway 89 and the South Upper Truckee Trailhead is pretty rough and steep. If you are coming to the Trailhead on Highway 89 Northbound this is your most direct route to the trailhead.

This rough section of the South Upper Truckee Road was passable the last time I went through with a car in 2005, but I would be prepared to back out, or even walk out, if necessary. Trees fall in the forest, and nobody hears anything until the blocked motorist curses.

You want to use the Portal Drive access, even if you are approaching the Meyers from the South on Highway 89.

Long Story short: High Sierra Rodents Carry Plague.

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Long Distance Backpacker mileages

South on the Pacific Crest Trail

South Upper Truckee to:

Carson Pass: 8.42 miles

Ebbetts Pass: 35.2 miles

Sonora Pass: 64.64 miles

Tuolumne Meadows: 138.44 miles

South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

South Upper Truckee to:

Carson Gap: 7.03 miles

Lake Alpine: 32.34 miles

Saint Marys Pass: 66.98 miles

Tuolumne Meadows: 146.71

The Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails split at Carson Gap.

For more information see the Meyers Trailhead page on the forum. From there you can leave Comments & Questions , or Register.

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Registering allows you to put up your own pages on the Meyers to Carson Gap Forum. Pictures can be easily uploaded, videos and maps easily embedded.

You can contribute words, pictures, and videos to each part of this trail through the forum attached to each trail guide page.

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South Upper Truckee locals out for a Winter Day Hike.

These were a great bunch of kids. Enjoyed their company immensely.

That's my buddy Steve Scheppers, who does music for my backpacking videos, the second from the Right.

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Backpacking Trail Guide

North

Lake Tahoe Trailheads

Backpacking Trail Guide

South

Meiss Country towards Round Lake