Eagle Falls Trailhead

Beautiful hike with an amazing lake at the top of the mountain. Breathtaking views the entire walk!

Parking is horrible here. I really wish I didn’t waste time here. Waterfall was to impressive.

Eagle Falls is a great place to hike! Park right outside of the entrance so you don’t have to pay $ 5! That is, unless you want to be a good person and help with the maintenance of the trails.
I’ve done a lot of hikes in my life and it was the first time here that I had to fill out a form about who is in my party and such (just in case I get lost or something). It’s ironic because the trails are very well-​carved out and the signs are all well-​placed and not confusing. This trail is good for any level of hiker and you can easily take a 30-​minute or 5-​hour hike. Take a picture of the map at the trailhead just in case you do get lost! Otherwise, there are a lot of people on this trail so it’s hard to get lost and die!

Great place for simple, easy hike with families. Be careful of stone steps if you are carrying babies or kids. Avoid during common long weekend holiday, as traffic is crazy and absolutely limited parking. Otherwise, one of the best hike and scenic location in Tahoe.
Note: This is a easy to moderate hike. Proper hiking gear is recommended and bring plenty of fluid during warm weather.

Pretty quick hike unless you go past the waterfall bridge to the lake, that’s and extra hour or so there and back. Super worth it though.

I’m glad we went EARLY, like suggested! Because it gets very busy. Most definetly, worth the hike up to BEAUTIFUL eagle lake. Kids loved it, and the views of emerald bay are just breath takeing.

By combining the Lower Falls (accessed via the 2 mile round trip Vikingsholm trail,) the Upper Falls (.2 miles from parking area) and a jaunt to Eagle Lake (2 miles round trip,) you can get in a scenically rewarding hike with some serious quad burn. Arriving around 11:30 as I made my way up Highway 89 I could already tell the lots would be full and snagged a spot along the road. If you’re lucky enough to park in one of the lots, the Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm lots are close enough to each other so that you can do both falls on the same trip.
If you’re up for the walk down to Vikingsholm, do yourself a favor and DO NOT MISS the Lower Falls. These are absolutely spectacular and well worth the 1 mile ascent back up afterwards. I added pics of the lower falls to this review but will say more about the Vikingsholm trail in a review for that separately.
After our visit to the lower falls, we started the actual Eagle Falls trail. The pathways are well marked and the trip to the falls is quite short. Be ready for a small climb, which is very doable but could be hard on the knees if you’re not wearing sturdy shoes. The Upper Falls are a bit disappointing after the lower falls, but for me, the real reward was going past the falls on to Eagle Lake. Be sure to fill out a Wilderness permit at the trailhead-​there were rangers on the trail checking for them. Once past the falls, go over the bridge and up a moderately steep set of stone stairs and you’ll formally enter Desolation Wilderness. Don’t worry-it’s not that desolate en route to Eagle Lake, but there are longer, more strenuous hikes which embark from here.
If you’re in reasonably good shape, make the trip to Eagle Lake. The surrounding snow capped peaks, views of Lake Tahoe en route and Eagle Lake itself are absolutely beautiful. Despite the Memorial Day weekend crowds, it was peaceful and serene at the lake. This short hike packs in a lot and worth the stressful parking situation. A must do-​especially if you’ve never visited the area and want to sample a bit of everything (granite slabs, forest, likes, mountains and waterfalls.

Great hike with a mix of easy to moderate walking paths. We went to both upper and lower trails. The upper trail Is almost 2 miles of beautiful scenery, waterfalls, rock stairways and a lake included. The elevation of some of the areas can be challenging if your not used to it, but if you push yourself the reward at the end is worth it. There are restrooms and a parking lot — ($ 5) parking fee.
The lower trails take you toward Rubicon trail and Vikingsholm Castle. There are two entries into the lower trail, but we started at the Vikingsholm parking lot. $ 10 to park. The road to the castle is pretty steep. Going back up the trail can turn your calves and glutes into steel. But when you get to the bottom and see the beach and Castle, it makes the touristy aspect of this location fade.
The castle was closed, but it was beautiful from the outside. There are many trails to saunter off to with awesome views of Emerald Bay. The time spent was worth it and I highly recommend it.

Quick tips: beautiful and easy hike (~2 miles), plenty of parking if you go early AM, restrooms available
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Loved this hike! We arrived around 8:30am on a Sunday morning and found only 1 – 2 other cars. We parked inside and to our luck found out that there were no fees at the time (early May). Win!
There are restrooms right at the trail entrance — can’t miss ‘em.
Immediately we could hear water flowing and we took the «stairs» all the way up. Climb up the rocks at the top and you’ll get a fantastic view of the waterfall and the lake in the distance. During early May we could also still see the snow and fog surrounding the mountain peaks — gorgeous!
Climb back down and cross the little bridge over the mini waterfall. We didn’t go beyond the bridge since I think you might need a permit to do so. We wanted to do some other hikes so we probably missed out on some other sites here, but in any case a great, easy hike to check out!

Reason for visit: Outdoor adventures!
Visit date: May 2, 2016
First time? Yes.
We watched the sunrise from Emerald Bay and headed to the Eagle Falls trailhead right after. It was the perfect time to adventure! Street parking was easy on a May weekday. And since it’s the off season, there was no fee to park.
The trail itself is relatively short and easy. There’s a loop you can follow plus some fun detours like the vista and Eagle Lake (which we didn’t get to climb to because there were some icy paths). The views are spectacular and as the snow melts in the spring there is a rushing waterfall to admire. Lots of photo opportunities here!

This place was awesome!!! We went hiking there and it started raining and light snowing … That was cool. I was so out of shape make sure you bring extra water bottles. I ran out.

Hiked with our two dogs and it was wonderful. Found a parking space right away. There was still some snow on the ground but the trails were clear. Hiked to the bridge and took some amazing photos. Then hiked the loop and got to see the view of the lake. Nice place to pack a lunch and relax before hiking back. Can’t wait to do it again and go higher!

Very very very very busy… in the Winter… when it is snowing!
The trail hike is beautiful, but very short for most average hikers. Trail is just a couple of miles with a small section of incline. Any season would be ideal to come here and get spectacular views. Great for small kids and dogs.
3 stars due to massive amount of people there and not many parking spaces. We got there early, or so we thought, at 9 am. and had to drive down the road another mile just to turn around and hope to find someone backing out of a parking spot.
Views of Lake Tahoe are great.
Perhaps I was expecting more of a hike… or less people?!

Gorgeous hike, during the winter it’s a snowy wonderland. Great view of the lake at higher ground, cute waterfalls and streams, simply breathtaking and peaceful environment. Take caution walking through snow though, slippery and rocks hiding underneath, fell once!

Look, let’s not pretend that Lake Tahoe isn’t THE major attraction around these parts. That sparkling, deep blue body is breathtakingly beautiful. If the Sierras are a treasure chest of priceless jewels, Tahoe is the biggest, bluest sapphire that stands as a centerpiece and symbol of Mother Nature’s master craftsmanship.
Let it also be known, however, that around the sapphire’s setting are diamonds so bright that they shine with uncanny iridescence. Eagle Lake is one of those great diamonds; its sparkling waters are so clear and pure that they call you in.
With an attraction so brilliant, you’re bound to have other moths mob the flame. The trail is a busy one, and parking is limited. Find the trailhead on the very tip of one of the lake’s hidden gems: Emerald Bay. Officially, as you see listed here, it’s the Eagle Falls Trailhead. There are bathrooms at the trailhead, and a few parking spaces, but most overflow will go to the road and wherever turnouts are carved nearby.
Start up the trail and head towards the bridge. From there you should be able to see the falls, although in this drought and at the end of September, there was nary a trickle from the creek. Perhaps in the spring that precious white gold flows in the river and ribbons over the rocks? We pushed on up the full 425 foot elevation gain over the course of a mile (give or take) of mostly climbing, sometimes stepping over manufactured stone stairs, and were rewarded with delivery into the mouth of Eagle Lake.
This this is gorgeous. The cold blue water just begs for company, and I was happy to oblige. If you go down to the water’s edge and go right, there are some incredible swimming holes made with large stones that overhang a plunging dropoff into the depths of crystalline mountain water. You’ll be accompanied by pan-​sized trout as well. It’s breathtaking not only in beauty but in temperature, so be safe out there.
This vibrant streak of blue is painted against the backdrop of massive gray cliffs; the tarn carved and scoured by frigid ancient fingers made up of thousands of tons of slowly moving glacial ice and snow, forming this alpine cirque against the stark talus slope. A few strokes of green in every shade with bands of trees completes the scene, and no matter what will have you cursing the inadequacies of even the most modern photography equipment.
The steep climb and short distance make this a tough call. Are you willing to huff and puff a little? It’s a fast hike for the fit, but for those with little legs in tow you may think twice. Sure, the distance is short but the grade means lots of rest stops.
Yes, Lake Tahoe is a treat. But don’t overlook this hike – and the dozens of others like it. Even the long, multi-​day hikes like the Tahoe Rim Trail and popular PCT run in the woods around this part of the country, so spend some time on the trail while you’re in town.

This is a terrible, no-​good hike. It’s super lame. The scenery is bogus. The trail is boring. And there was barely even any water rolling over the falls when we were there in early October! Ugh. Stay away. Stay far, far away.
Whatever you do, don’t pay the $ 5, don’t fill out your wilderness permit, and don’t hike up past the Eagle Falls loop to Eagle Lake. The water isn’t clear blue and cold. The views are terrible — just some granite peaks and lonely pine trees. There aren’t a couple of great swimming holes for the adventurous to go swimming at. And there’s simply nothing worth sitting and gazing at while sunning yourself on the rocks after an icy dip. Nope, none of these things at all.
Mostly I just want you to stay away so that when I come back there’s a place for me to park in the lot. Because the opposite of everything I said above is the real truth. This is a nice, brisk, beautiful hike. Totally a great way to kill a couple of hours.

BREATHTAKING. BEAUTIFUL. AMAZING. SPECTACULAR!
These are just a few of the many wonderful ways to describe this place.
A co-​worker recommended this place to me when she found out I was heading to Tahoe, and I am so thankful she did.
BEWARE — this is not an easy hike (I’m not sure why people say it is). I’m a pretty fit person but it was tiring for me hiking Eagle Falls. It’s a strenuous hike — in the very beginning there’s a couple flight of stairs that are narrow and steep making it very dangerous if you accidentally trip, as you could fall to your death or badly injure yourself. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for the elderly or for those with physical disabilities. I was surprised to see A LOT of kids though throughout the hike, so *kudos* to them!
PARKING IS HARD to find. There’s a few parking spaces alongside the road, but when we got there the 10 (?) slots were all filled up. There’s also an actual area for you to pull into for parking, but again, all the spots were taken. My sister and I had to circle the parking lot a couple times and were lucky to have a very nice lady wave us over to tell us she was leaving.
My advice — get there early!
I seriously felt like I was in a painting hiking here. You get spectacular views of South Lake & gorgeous views of all the mountains and trees.
We were fortunate not to come across any bears or mountain lions (as we were told they’re occasionally spotted) but we did come across a few lizards, eagles, deer, butterflies & bluebirds. It took us maybe about a little over an hour to get to the lake (Eagle Lake), since we stopped a lot to take pictures of the scenery, and rested here and there. But let me tell you– Eagle lake is absolutely beauuutiful! (see the picture I posted!) There were lots of families, kids, & dogs playing in the water, and although we didn’t get in, we really enjoyed just sitting on the rocks above the lake breathing & soaking in mother nature.
If ever you’re in South Lake Tahoe this hike is an absolute MUST. I promise you the tiring and hard work you put in will all be worth it! (We actually crossed paths with a couple who quit mid-​way saying they were tired, and I’m so sad they did). I can’t wait to take the rest of my family, friends & boyfriend here next time! Love love love this place!

Everything about this place is amazing! Being a first timer we didn’t exactly pin point a start of the trail. We just followed a family climbing down the rocks. So if a women carrying her infant on her back can do it and make it look easy, we can do it too!
The climb down was fun, rocky and slippery but worth it. So worth it!!! The views are breathtaking. We got all the way down to the bottom and walked towards Emerald Bay beach. Then took the Vikingsholm trail all the way back up. All incline going back up in 80 plus degree weather was a challenge and I’m glad I did it and would do it again!!!

This is the beauty of our earth. The hike is relatively easy to the first lake. 1 mile up, then down on the way back for a quick return.
The trail was well done with granite rocks in stair step formation most of the way.
The entire hike was picturesque!
So blessed I got the time to hike this morning and see the beauty.
Be sure to go early because it is packed by the afternoon and later!

WARNING: Do NOT park where it says NO STOPPING/​PARKING anytime. Your car will get towed. We saw lots of tow trucks towing cars away =(
My family and I hiked this short easy hike a few days ago. I’m 34 weeks pregnant (8 months) and my son is 2 years old, if we can do it, you can too! =)
Given the circumstances, we didn’t hike all the way up, only to where the bridge is at. Still, it was worth it and the views were breath taking. The waterfall was gushing with lots of water.
Definitely a trip worth taking while in S. Lake Tahoe. My kids enjoy hiking and they loved how easy the hike was here. Plus the adventure of hearing the falls, climbing all those stairs and rocks made it fun for them. The only thing that concerned me was that they kept wanting to get a closer look or get that perfect picture/​selfie near the falls. I had to keep telling them to get back here or do not get any closer to the edge!