The Flume Trail, Nevada - Nevada Mountain Biking

This week's picture comes from perhaps the most photogenic trail in the world. The Tahoe Flume Trail, once use for transporting logs during the Virginia City mining era, is now a top destination for mountain bikers.

While the Flume may be the most popular ride in the Tahoe Basin, it is not the only one. In fact, the entire lake is surrounded by a network of trails. Most of the trails can start and end right from the shoreline, convenient for cooling off after a hard ride.

The perfect place to cool off after this ride is Sand Harbor (see picture - lower left). The small parking fee you pay at the trailhead also gives you access to this public beach and its shower facilities.

To get to the trailhead, drive Highway 28 on the east side of Lake Tahoe until you reach Spooner Lake State Park. There is a small fee for parking here, as well as camping and facilities (bathroom & phone). From the parking lot, continue east until you reach a dirt road. Soon you will begin to head north towards Marlette Lake. Although most of the intersections are marked, make sure you bring along a reliable map.

For those traveling on a budget, there is a very clean hostel located in town. If you want to experience a less touristic version of the alps, you may want to continue on to nearby Kleine Scheidegg or the remote village of Gimmelwald.

There are plenty of options for camping and lodging. For more information make sure to check out the MBR Lake Tahoe Mecca section.