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The world famous Rubicon Jeep Trail connects Lake Tahoe to Loon Lake.


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Map Key

6.7

Miles

10.8

KM

Doubletrack

7,140' 2,176 m

High

6,366' 1,940 m

Low

819' 249 m

Up

198' 60 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (2°)

13%

Max Grade (8°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Allowed

Description

Rubicon Jeep Trail is an iconic destination for 4x4s. The Tahoe side of the Rubicon is also decent for MTB, and can be used for longer backcountry rides and loops.

The terrain ranges from easy to steep climbing on loose cobble.

Parts of it are very scenic, and there are three alpine lakes along the road.

Note that beyond the Blackwood Canyon intersection the trail is not great for MTBs. Think big rocks and deep powdery dust. Great for rock crawlers, not so great for MTBs.

The Rubicon is mapped to the top of Cadillac Hill, but very few people ride that far. You certainly can ride from Loon Lake to Tahoe on the Rubicon Trail but it is slow going on bikes due to unrelenting rocks. It took some of my friends 8-10 hours to cover the 26 miles, and me several hours on a motorcycle due to scouting the moto-accessible lines.

Contacts

Shared By:

S. Lengyel

Trail Ratings

  3.5 from 2 votes

#45

in Lake Tahoe

#22763

Overall
  3.5 from 2 votes
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Trail Rankings

#45

in Lake Tahoe

#1,747

in California

#22,763

Overall
8 Views Last Month
2,603 Since Jun 12, 2016
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Photos

Miller Meadows - a seasonal pond and open meadows with lots of wildflowers. Worth the 200 yard side trip.
Jun 13, 2016 near Tahoma, CA
Miller Lake B&W with Lost Corner mountain in the background.
Jun 13, 2016 near Tahoma, CA
The north side of the trail for reference. Just an old jeep road that dumps onto the Rubicon Trail.
May 25, 2016 near Tahoma, CA
McKinney Lake through the trees. 1st lake on Rubicon.
Jun 13, 2016 near Tahoma, CA

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