Region: Lake Tahoe
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation: 6,900 - 9,100 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: September 2019
Though several nearby peaks are upwards of a thousand feet taller, Rubicon Peak has perhaps the best view of Lake Tahoe of any of them. The summit is less than two miles from the trailhead, but it's also over 2,000 feet above it, so while this hike isn't far, it can still take a while to get there if your legs aren't in top form. It's mostly a smooth dirt ramp the entire way up, but the summit is one solid block of bare rock that requires some scrambling to get up. We elected to keep our dog just below the summit, but particularly sprightly hounds might make it to the top if you take them around the slightly easier route. Most people seem to just scramble up the northwest face of the summit, but there is a less steep route around the southwest corner. Start from the sheltered tentsite on the west side of the summit block, then take the smooth ramp up towards the south, pass through a small cleft of rock, then spiral to your left up to the top.
