Powerline Mountain Bike Trail

Technical Level: Intermediate
Elevation Gain: Around 700′
Length: 7 miles
Location: South Lake Tahoe
Season: Summer

Looking for an intermediate level single-track mountain bike trail? Powerline Trail is about 7 miles (one way) of smooth riding. It is simple to navigate with easy banked turns, a few gradual climbs, and two seasonal stream crossings, but nothing too technical. Expect to catch some great speed and have a lot of fun. The trail winds through a beautiful pine forest and is overall just a relaxing easy warm-up ride that is great for beginners or intermediate riders.

The trail itself connects with the Tahoe Rim Trail to create complete loops by riding part of Cold Creek Trail or Saxon’s Creek trail (part of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride). The trail takes about an hour to complete, and the first 5 miles are a fun, winding single-track that eventually turns into a dirt road and ends on a paved road (Oneidas Road). Many beginner and intermediate riders like this quick ride for a good warm up to the season or a fun excursion.

Locals recommend starting at the end of Saddle Road which is located at the top of Ski Run Boulevard. The trail ends at Oneidas Road off of Pioneer Trail, but you can start from either point. If you are leaving a shuttle car at Oneidas Road and driving to the starting point at Saddle Road then the drive time is about 10 minutes between the two points.