Mt. Tallac
Above Lake Tahoe, Desolation edge · near South Lake Tahoe · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Mountaineering
At a glance
- Grade
- scramble
- Elevation
- 9738
- Best season
- May–June for the spring snow couloir; July–Sept as a hike
What is here
- Terrain
- alpine-rock
- Amenities
- Glen Alpine / Tallac trailheads (Tahoe) · No permit for a day hike · A classic Tahoe intro snow climb · Unbeatable lake panorama
- Best for
- An accessible spring snow climb above Tahoe
- Features
- Presides over Lake Tahoe · Classic spring Cross Couloir · Summer hike or spring snow climb · Sensational lake views
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Steep spring snow in the couloir — self-arrest skills essential · Avalanche awareness in early season · Afternoon storms; big gain from the lake · Cornices near the summit ridge in spring
- Beginner friendly
- Yes
Guides, rentals and operators
- Guided trips
- No
Mountaineering detail
- Skills
- snow-ice · scrambling
- Style
- snow-route
- Altitude
- 1
- Route notes
- The peak that presides over the Tahoe basin — a straightforward summer hike, but in spring the classic Cross Couloir and the northeast bowl give a superb, accessible snow climb (and ski descent) right above the lake
- Beta note
- ~9,738 ft; summer Class 1–2 hike / spring snow couloir; axe & crampons in season
- Intl tip
- The mountain every Tahoe visitor learns to recognize, its snow cross visible into summer. A strenuous but non-technical class-1/2 hike in summer; in spring the Cross Couloir and NE bowl give one of the region's most accessible, scenic snow climbs and ski descents. That spring line is a genuine snow objective — steep enough for axe, crampons, and confident self-arrest, with early-season avalanche awareness essential. Either way, a summit panorama over cobalt Lake Tahoe that's hard to beat.
- Directions note
- Park at the Mt. Tallac trailhead off Hwy 89
The guide
Mt. Tallac is the mountain every Tahoe visitor learns to recognize, its snow-streaked cross visible across the lake well into s…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Mt. Tallac — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.906, -120.0983