Ellis Peak Trail
Barker Pass / West Shore, Tahoe NF · near Tahoma / Homewood · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Mountain Biking
At a glance
- Skill level
- advanced
- Trail miles
- ~6.2 mi one-way to the peak; out-and-back ~12+ or descend to Homewood
- Elevation
- ~1,410ft gain; summit ~8,576ft
- Best season
- July-October
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- No
Mountain Biking detail
- Ride types
- all-mountain · enduro
- Signature trails
- Ellis Peak summit ridge · Ellis Lake spur · Homewood descent variant
- Ebike
- Yes
- Ebike note
- This is a multi-use moto/4x4 OHV trail, so Class 1 e-bikes are permitted - expect to share with motorcycles and 4x4s. Do not ride into adjacent Desolation Wilderness (bikes banned).
- Intl tip
- It's shared with dirt bikes and 4x4s - ride blind corners in control, and go weekday mornings to have the summit ridge mostly to yourself.
The guide
A rugged, high-payoff West Shore classic reached from Barker Pass. Steep, rocky switchbacks demand real technical fitness, but …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Ellis Peak Trail — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.048, -120.237