Five Lakes Trailhead

Hiking area · Placer County

Five Lakes Trailhead

Hiking area · Placer County

Tahoe National Forest, Alpine Meadows Rd, Olympic Valley, CA 96146

Highlights

Scenic hiking with wildflowers, lakes, and swimming spots

Tahoe National Forest, Alpine Meadows Rd, Olympic Valley, CA 96146 Get directions

fs.usda.gov

@u.s.forestservice

@travelleisure

How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Zermatt, Switzerland

"A highly recommended summer hiking route of roughly 6.8 miles rated moderate; it is best tackled as a full‑day outing to enjoy multiple alpine lakes, panoramic viewpoints and verdant mountain scenery." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/zermatt-switzerland-matterhorn-skiiing-hotels-restaurants-hiking-7096326

View Postcard for Five Lakes Trailhead

Kreston A

Google

Beautiful springtime hike. Plenty of wildflowers; lovely lakes.

I A

Google

Nice hike, 1.5 hrs to get to main lake. Hiked in peak heat, trail has no shade with exception of few spots and once you get to the end. Awesome bonus on the way up there will be 2 small creeks with interval of 30 minutes of slow pace hike, that are flowing down that can help you cool off. Water in lakes is cold, snow is still here, not fully melted its july 17th, 23.

Scott Perdue

Google

Beautiful hike! The trail was a bit difficult to navigate once we reached the lakes (even with AllTrails!), but it was a fun adventure.

Kara Marie

Google

Awesome hike! Went here to backpack to whikey creek camp. Plenty of space to park in afternoon on a weekday. No issues with bears during the hike or near our vehicle. Used a filter and drank water from the creek and no issues! Easy trail to follow but it is steep in the beginning

Robert Kinstle (Bobby Kinstle)

Google

A great afternoon hike for a cool day. Had large sections of exposed trail which can get hot in sunny days. Hike is moderately strenuous so bring water and give yourself plenty of time. I would not leave any later than 2pm if you aren't camping up there.

Heather Vina

Google

Absolutely stunning views on this DOG FRIENDLY hike. It can be a strenuous hike all up hill to the lakes depending on the weather. There are many places to stop and enjoy the scenery. The lakes at the end definitely make for a nice refreshing reward. Plan on taking a dip before you head back down the trail.

Michelle Warren Lesondak

Google

Beautiful hiking - even with a lot of snow! Late Nov & snow; snow shoes recommended, but some hiking boots & good legs will get you through the thick snow & some soft spots as mini waterfalls flow down the mountain. Beautiful & peaceful - we had the entire trail to ourselves, save one other couple. Recommend for a short -ish (you decide the distance, we did 4 miles RT) hike, beautiful mountain views, and a little bit of elevation 🙌🏼

Jen Gargiulo

Google

Get ready to climb 1,000 feet right away, this is a steep hike up to the lakes, with no shade cover, and the majority to the hike is getting to the lakes. Once you make it, the lakes are on fairly level ground. Bring plenty of water and some food, hike takes about 2.5-3 hours :)