Located: Between Incline Village and Carson City.

Distance: 5.9 miles, out and back.

Difficulty Level: Moderate.

Know Before You Go: Recent reports say the parking lot is closed, so plan on street parking. The state park has a $15 day-use fee for non-Nevada vehicles. With autumn’s arrival, expect cooler temps and varying alpine weather; be prepared for heat, cold, rain, and sunshine, as weather conditions at this altitude (8,200 feet) often change quickly.

 Why We Love It: Thanks to picture-perfect scenes of Lake Tahoe as you ascend the somewhat steep trail, the route offers a solid workout, wildlife (can you spot the bald eagles?), and a rewarding view at the end when you arrive at Marlette Lake.

Fuel Up: Satisfy all your senses while enjoying expansive South Lake Tahoe views, live music (weekend afternoons), and a scratch-made meal at The Grove Beach Bar & Grill (camprichardsonresort.com/thegrove). Stunning setting aside, the cocktails and creative plates, including fried chicken and beignets, can’t be beat.

For more information, visit alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/nevada/marlette-lake-from-chimney-beach.

Lightning Safety
Avoid lightning-related injuries with these top tips.

1. Avoid the storm. This should be obvious, but not planning correctly is an oversight, not an accident. Avoid this critical mistake in planning and don't go into the Sierra with a potential storm coming.

2. Move to lower ground. Your first course of action should be to MOVE. Lightning strikes the tallest object, so you want to get low as fast as possible.

3. Begin evacuating at the first sign of a storm. You can be struck by lightning, even with a storm up to 10 miles away.  Don’t wait for the storm to be directly on top of you before moving.

4. Find a grove of shorter, uniform trees. Finding shelter among smaller, uniform trees may help protect you as a last resort. Avoid standing near isolated, large trees, as lightning will be attracted to this object and travel into the ground and into you.  Most lightning injuries come from lightning traveling through an object and then into the victim.

5. Don’t hide in caves. Lightning always looks for the shortest path. If it does pass through a cave and you’re in it, you’re now the shortcut from the roof to the ground and it will pass right through you. Getting wet as you retreat is far safer.

by Ryan Martinez
Photo 1 by @nurs_nightingale. Photos 2 & 5 by Cathleen Allison of Nevada Momentum (c) Visit Carson. Photo 3 by @sweatin.with.sam. Photo 4 courtesy of Visit Carson City. Grove Beach Bar & Grill photos courtesy of Grove Beach Bar & Grill.

Do you have a favorite trail in the region you’d like to see featured? Tell us all about it by emailing [email protected].