Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake are along a popular hiking trail at Lake Tahoe. The trailhead is located near Emerald Bay State Park, in the south west corner of the lake on the California side. This is across from a good spot to take sunrise or sunset photos of Lake Tahoe.
The Lake Tahoe area has many kinds of trees, but the two most popular are the Jeffrey Pines and the Sugar Pines. They Jeffreys have bark that smells much like vanilla and enormous pine cones! The sugar pines have long, narrow pine cones.
The first part of the trail has quite a bit of stairs. I would still only classify it as moderate.
The trail passes the Upper Eagle Falls with a bridge across.
Beyond the bridge there are more stairs. These are the same section, looking up and back down.
From the top of the stairs you can see a view of Lake Tahoe and we saw some birds!
The mountain views along this hike are very beautiful! These are a few from different times of day.
The trail gets so beautiful as you walk through the towing pines. My son was cracking me up pretend fighting as he walked.
Eagle Lake is stunning! I’ve read that it’s a great place for fishing.
Another place to visit while at Lake Tahoe is Sand Harbor Beach.
Stats: Distance – 2.4 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 30-90 minutes
Elevation gain – 456 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – well maintained trail of dirt and rocks
Bathrooms – Yes
Seasons to hike – April to November (in winter with micro-spikes)
Permits needed – $5/car to park for the day or a National Parks Pass
Pets allowed – Yes
