Corral Trail Network, South Lake Tahoe, California

Corral Trail Network // tahoefabulous.com

Maybe I'm biased, but I think the Corral Trail Network in South Lake Tahoe, California is one of the best backyard trail networks in the world. When I lived in South Lake, I rode these trails at least once a week during mountain bike season. Now that I'm up in Truckee, I try to make it down at least once or twice a year to ride my old favorites. TAMBA keeps expanding the trail opportunities, and I haven't ridden everything there is to ride, but here are a few of my favorite routes.

Connector/Sidewinder/Lower Corral

Connector Sidewinder Corral Map // tahoefabulous.com

You can access this route from the main Corral Trail Network parking lot, on Fountain Place Rd., which is just off Oneidas St. outside of Meyers. Click here for a Google Map link to the first gate and parking area. During the spring and late fall, this gate might be closed but you can usually drive another mile up the road to a large gravel parking area.

This can be ridden as a shuttled ride, but if not, get ready to climb! Depending where along Fountain Place Road you park, you'll climb about 1,500 feet of pavement in 3.4 miles. This is a killer climb (which is why I usually shuttle!), but I feel so accomplished when I actually do it. A little before the end of the pavement, look for the Armstrong Connector sign on the left.

Armstrong Connector Trail // tahoefabulous.com

Here, you'll get on Armstrong Connector, a techy trail with gorgeous views. Trailforks rates this trail as intermediate, and I think it's definitely on the hard side of intermediate, with a few slabby technical sections that I still end up walking. Connector is about two miles, with 750 feet of descent and just a little bit of climbing.

Armstrong Connector // tahoefabulous.com

Connector pops out at the parking area you passed on the pavement climb. From here, get on the trail and go about a tenth of a mile and turn right to get on Sidewinder. Sidewinder is full of tight switchbacks, but they're all very rideable. There are a few natural features - rocky and rooty sections. Everything is rollable and the harder sections tend to have easier and harder lines - it's a great trail to progress on. There is one rocky, steep section that it took me years to be able to ride. You really have to pick your correct line on it (ask me about my huge bruise from a recent crash that came from a bad line choice there!), but it's a good challenge. Sidewinder is ~1 mile and drops about 290 feet.

Sidewinder merges with Lower Corral, and the entry in to this trail can get really beat up and choppy - it was when we rode it earlier this month. Lower Corral starts out with a bit of a false flat, but pretty quickly drops into a really fun jump and berm line that was entirely rebuilt by TAMBA a few years ago. The jumps are all tabletops, so they're rollable and there are go arounds on the bigger ones. It can get pretty sandy though, so watch your speed and be ready for deep sandy spots. The trail is about 1.2 miles with 400 feet of descent, and pops out on Power Line Road, and old fire road/double track. Turn left on Power Line to get back to the parking area. Click here to see my route on Strava.
Total Route: ~11 miles, 1,680 feet of climbing and descending.

Railroad/Incense Cedar Uphill/Lower Corral

Railroad Cedar Corral // tahoefabulous.com

For this route, park at the end of Columbine Trail Road in South Lake Tahoe (click here for Google Maps link). This trail is in a neighborhood, so be sure to pay attention to no parking signs and be courteous! Railroad Grade Trail begins in where Columbine Trail road dead ends, and is well marked with a sign. This route starts with a nice warm up, rolling climb, Railroad Grade is a pretty easy trail - just be on the look out for a few bridges that seem to come out of nowhere. This trail is about 1.5 and 170 feet of climbing and takes you along Trout Creek.

Railroad Grade ends on Power Line Road, where you'll turn left and start climbing. This climb can suck, especially when it gets sandy in the late summer. It's over in less than a mile though! Just after a short, steep downhill around mile 2.3, look right for a trail - Incense Cedar. You'll keep climbing, but it's a much more pleasant, shaded single track climb. The trail is pretty beginner friendly - there are just a few natural rock features, but it's mostly smooth singletrack. Incense Cedar is 1.8 miles and a little over 500 feet of climbing. It ends with a short downhill on to Lower Corral (see more detailed description above), where you'll turn right and head downhill.

At the end of Corral, turn left onto Power Line, and make almost an immediate right back onto Railroad Grade. It's pretty shortly after Corral, so don't ride by, like I did in the map above, and then you' ll follow Railroad Grade back to your car. Click here to see my route on Strava.

Total Route ~7 miles and ~600 feet of climbing and descending.

Upper Corral/Cedar

This is the most challenging route of the three - there are some serious rock gardens and drops on this route and I definitely don't ride everything! If you start from the Fountain Place parking area (details in the first route) you'll climb up Fountain Place Road for two miles and 750 feet of elevation gain. (If you want to tack on a few miles and start with a more gentle climb, you can park at Columbine Trail Rd. and ride up Railroad Grade Trail). Stop at the paved parking area just past the cattle grate.

From the parking lot, go about 0.1 miles and take the left fork, following the signs for Corral. Upper Corral is definitely advanced riding - there are long, technical rock gardens, stone steps, tricky corners, and large drops. It can also get reallly beat up, adding to the difficulty. There are features that I have to walk, but the technical stuff is all very visible and as long as you pay attention you'll be able to stop in time to walk. I wouldn't recommend this trail to anyone who isn't a fairly strong intermediate rider, though, just because you'll end up walking a ton of stuff. You'll drop about 380 feet in just under a mile on Upper Corral, and I always feel like I'm dropping elevation really quickly on this section.

You'll merge on to Lower Corral for just under a mile, then look to the right just after the bridge for the Incense Cedar turn off. Incense Cedar starts with a steep but smooth climb, but starts going downhill pretty quickly. Cedar is a fun trail to ride in this direction, mainly smooth and flowy, but with a few rocky and rooty sections. There are some fun whoops at the beginning, and it's a good place to practice popping off small features. Like all South Lake trails, it can get sandy thought. While the trail is mostly downhill, there's one punchy climb a little more than a mile in. The trail ends at Power Line Road, descending about 500 feet in ~1.8 miles. Turn left on Power Line to head back to your car. Be sure to save some energy for this one mile section - there are some steep climbs that can really sap your legs when it's sandy in late summer. Click here for my route on Strava.

Route Total ~6 miles, ~940 feet of climbing and descending.

Those are just a few of my favorite routes at the Corral Trail Network. There are lots more trails to ride here and in the South Lake Tahoe area, thanks to TAMBA. If you enjoy riding these trails, consider throwing a donation their way or help out on a trail building day.

These trails are on the Ancestral lands of the Washoe Peoples.

Corral Trail Network, South Lake Tahoe, California

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