An ‘Epic' New 12-Mile Trail is Being Carved Through Tahoe's Hidden Old-Growth Forest

An 'Epic' New 12-Mile Trail is Being Carved Through Tahoe's Hidden Old-Growth Forest An 'Epic' New 12-Mile Trail is Being Carved Through Tahoe's Hidden Old-Growth Forest Photo via the Tahoe Fund There's a stretch of Lake Tahoe's West Shore so rugged and remote that even lifelong locals have never laid eyes on it. That's about to change. Trail crews are actively building the Meeks Ridge Trail, a route that will climb from Meeks Bay to a secluded alpine gem called Lost Lake, passing granite boulders and rare pockets of old-growth forest along the way. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a local couple, Kyle and Jessica Aster, donated $250,000 to fully fund this year's construction season and push the project toward the finish line. The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association calls it one of the most ambitious builds in its history. The trail revives a historic route that faded into the forest decades ago from lack of maintenance, and it creates a rare east-west connection over the peaks west of the lake. Once finished, the route will form a tough 12-mile loop starting at Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, linking with the General Creek and Lost Lake trails and plugging into both the Pacific Crest Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail. Hikers, mountain bikers and Class 1 e-bike riders will all be welcome, no car shuttle required. The project is also the first major build to move forward under the Forest Service's Basin Wide Trails Analysis, the blueprint expected to reshape trail access around the entire lake in the coming years. Crews expect to finish the job in 2027. Until then, some of the best views on the West Shore remain a well-kept secret.