Here you will find an unmarked junction, 0.95 miles from the start of the hike. Angora Peak above Fallen Leaf LakeĬontinue hiking east along the trail and approach the very north end of the lake. At the far end, pine-filled slopes rise to Angora Peak, which is capped with a multi-point crown. The thumb-shaped lake is 0.9 miles across from east to west. The blue water stretches for nearly 3 miles from end to end. Have a seat and look south down the lake. In another twelfth of mile, the trail passes a bench by the water’s edge. A tenth of a mile past the junction, the trees open up to make a nice window looking out over the lake. Go to the right to see the next half of Moraine Trail along Fallen Leaf Lake.Ī thin row of trees and brush are all the separate the trail from the lake shore. The first half of Moraine Trail that bordered Taylor Creek is to the left. Backtrack to the junction in the clearing. Unless you’re looking to explore more of the area, turn around when you get to the end of the dam. Past the far end of the dam, the trail continues up to a T-junction. Look across the lake toward the evergreen ridge on the far side, which is backed by mountains that may be blanketed in snow. Just to the south, a pine-covered point and a break wall separate the larger lake from the water flowing toward the dam. Looking in the other direction, you will see a lot of blue water in Fallen Leaf Lake. Water spills from the north side, forming the start of Taylor Creek. The dam, which was built in 1934, has a wood plank walkway with chain-link fencing on both sides. Walk about 50 yards over to the start of Fallen Leaf Lake Dam, which is itself about 50 yards long. To see the origin of Taylor Creek and get a nice look at Fallen Leaf Lake, turn right at the junction and make your way to the dam at the outflow of the lake. To the left, Moraine Trail finds Fallen Leaf Lake for the loop back to the trailhead. Proceed up the trail and approach a forest clearing that is home to a trail junction, half a mile from the start. You can step right inside the black, hollow tree trunk. In short order (and 1/3 of a mile from the start), the trail passes a burnt-out pine tree (and a tall one at that) on the right side of the trail, beside the bank of the creek. The benches are positioned in an L-shape, presenting a sweeping look over the water coursing through the forest.Ĭontinue along the dirt single track, which provides a soft path padded by pine needles. A quarter-mile from the trailhead, come to a pair of benches on the bank above the creek. Walk along the trail as it finds the shoulder of Taylor Creek. Bleeding hearts flower as the months turn to summer. In the late spring, red spikes of the fungi called snow plant appear on the forest floor. Follow the arrow and turn right on Moraine Trail toward Taylor Creek. The trail to the left goes straight to Fallen Leaf Lake and will be your return route. A sign reading “Moraine Trail” has an arrow pointing to the right. After less than a hundred yards, come to a split in the trail. Walk into an airy pine forest, traveling along the right side of a bump in the terrain. Moraine Trail sets out southward from the parking area. Were it not for the glacier-created terminal moraine explored on this loop, Fallen Leaf Lake might have been a bay on Lake Tahoe. That short distance is all that separates Fallen Leaf Lake from the much larger Lake Tahoe. The campground sits in a stretch of land, about 1 1/3 miles across, in between Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake. The hike the the lake’s edge on Moraine Trail begins from a day use parking area within Fallen Leaf Campground, located by the north end of Fallen Leaf Lake. The mountain-cradled Fallen Leaf Lake is located just south of Lake Tahoe.
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