Lake Tahoe Loop
Lake Tahoe · near South Lake Tahoe / Tahoe City · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Road Cycling
At a glance
- Distance
- century
- Best season
- Summer–early fall; snow-affected shoulder seasons
What is here
- Scenery
- mountain
- Amenities
- Full loop of iconic Lake Tahoe · Emerald Bay overlook · Lakeside towns & services · 'America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride' route
- Best for
- An iconic alpine-lake circumnavigation
- Features
- Ride around all of Lake Tahoe · Emerald Bay's scenic crown jewel · ~72 miles of blue-water shoreline · Classic June century route
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Busy shoreline road with summer tourist traffic · Some narrow shoulders & climbs (Emerald Bay) · Altitude (~6,200 ft) & strong sun · Afternoon wind & thunderstorms possible
- Beginner friendly
- No
Road Cycling detail
- Ride types
- loop
- Road
- busy
- Climbing
- 3
- Ride notes
- The classic circumnavigation of the largest alpine lake in North America — roughly 72 miles of rolling shoreline road around Lake Tahoe's impossibly blue water, with Emerald Bay the scenic crown jewel, celebrated each June by 'America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride'
- Stats note
- ~72 mi loop, ~4,000+ ft rolling; ~6,200 ft base altitude; Emerald Bay climb
- Seasonal
- No
- Intl tip
- One of the most iconic rides in the West — a ~72-mile circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, following the shoreline road around its astonishingly blue water at ~6,200 ft, with the Emerald Bay climb and overlook the scenic crown jewel. Rolling (over 4,000 ft cumulative), celebrated each June by 'America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride.' Busy summer tourist traffic and narrow shoulders in places; real altitude and sun; afternoon wind/storms. Start early, carry layers, sunscreen, and water.
The guide
The Lake Tahoe loop is one of the most iconic rides in the American West — a roughly 72-mile circumnavigation of the largest al…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lake Tahoe Loop — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.05, -120.15