angora lakes climb

There is an unmarked forestry rim road off Tahoe Mountain Rd that ends in a public parking lot. This lot gives much shorter hike to both Angora Lakes. Small charge to park. It fills up fast so arrival earlier in AM advised. In the summer, the upper lake has small concession selling famous homemade lemonade. Excellent swimming waters, albeit alpine coldish. With a baby to carry, this alternative was much more manageable from Fallen Leaf Lake, BTW, Fallen Leaf Lake is in CA, not NV as listed above.

Started at fallen lake and hiked up. Trailhead is unmarked and is between the chapel and the fire station. Hike is moderately strenuous and is quite steep and rocky.

We have been going to Angora for 25 years. You have to know how to get there because there are no signs. It is past Fallen leaf lake campground. turn left instead of right towards towards fallen leaf lake itself. Watch a youtube video for the directions. I used to go as a teen and took my older daughter 10 years ago when she was 7. I convinced my friend who has a 2 yo to go with me this time. I remembered that the trail was steep at first but not too long. My friend used her jogging stroller which was fine but a baby packpack would have been easier. It is only about a 15 minute hike with most of the elevation in the beginning. She would have gotten upset with me but then saw that other families with babies and small children were also hiking it. Just when she was getting tired we saw the snack shack building and then she agreed that the hike wasnt that bad. The lake is awesome! Clear water, rocks to climb on. You can rent a kayak, paddleboard or rowboat for $20/hour. We rented a paddle board and all the kids got on it and then took turns. Pit toilets only and you have to pack out your trash. No running water...bring hand sanitizer. The snack shack sells sandwiches, lemonade and poscicles. Get there early as parking is limited. The road is very high with drop offs on either side so if you are afraid of heights, have someone else drive and close your eyes. Single lane.

We took the longer hike from Fallen Leaf Lake. Hike is difficult and quite steep. But the views on the hike are breathtaking. You can see Fallen Leaf lake and Lake Tahoe. At then end of the hike you are treated with quiet and relaxing Angora lake. Take a dip in cool waters and then start back on the trail. If you are with family and kids, you can take shorter and flatter trail which starts from parking at Lake Angora. Keep 7$ in change for parking though. This trail is short and very easy. You can even take strollers on this short trail

Awesome family hike to a magical place. Rent a row boat, paddle board and get a lemonade popsicle! Get there early so you can get a parking space! They have a little cafe there with simple sandwiches. Beautiful location...in you are in South Lake Tahoe...it's a must!

We hiked up to the Angora Lakes for a day trip this week and thought it was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. My three kids, ages 12, 14, and 16, loved it as well. We found parking easy, maybe because it was midweek. Luckily we had $7 in cash, because you have to put your parking fee in an envelope, and there is no attendant to make change for you. The walk is short and not too hard, and the scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous. There was no sign for the turnoff from Fallen Leaf Lake Road, but it's not too hard to figure out where to turn if you look at a map. Drive slowly on the partly paved road up to Angora Lakes because there are some enormous potholes, and we scraped the bottom of our car. We loved the resort at the top of the hike. We'd love to stay there, but we hear that the waiting list to rent there is two years long. It's time to put our names on the list now for a future vacation! The drive along the glacial moraine ridge to the lakes is scary because there is a steep cliff on each side with amazing views of Fallen Leaf Lake far below. At the very top of this steep ridge is an old fire lookout that is no longer used, but it's a good place to stop and take pictures. Bring your swimsuits, towels and some money to the resort. Pit potties are available at the top, as well as a little store selling souvenirs, ice cream, lemonade, candy and sandwiches. Kayaks, rowboats and stand-up paddleboards are available to rent for only $20 an hour. (Bring your ID or credit card for collateral.) We used a kayak for only 45 mins. and paid only $15, which seemed like a great bargain. There are two big rock faces on the other side of the small lake that young people can swim or paddle to to jump off. The low cliff is about 15 feet high and was perfect for my two sons to jump off. The high cliff is about 55-60 feet high, and only a few crazy 20-something guys were jumping off it despite the dangers. There is a small sign at the lake warning people to not cliff dive because people have been killed jumping off the high cliff at this lake. Two people have been injured there already this July, and two young men died at this lake a year or two ago. The water was warmer than Lake Tahoe, and there were many families there enjoying the scenic beauty and secluded location. My kids also loved watching the bold chipmunks that scamper all over the beach. This hike was definitely one to do again!

We loved Angora Lakes! For a more challenging hike, we parked by the fire station down at Fallen Leaf Lake and hiked up the trailhead directly behind it. It's like a nice woodsy stair master. If you prefer to have an easy hike (stroll), you can drive up to the Angora Lakes parking lot and it's a short, relatively flat walk. Once you're at Angora Lakes, they have a little store that sells gorgeous organic lemonade, Popsicles, and ice cream. (They might have had sandwiches, but we didn't care.). They rent paddleboards. The paddleboards were easier than we expected to get used to. My teen rowed by herself and my little rode along with another person.

The trail is moderate and a beautiful hike. There is a pond with a few private cabins after about 1 mile. Then, right after that is the first lake and then the main lake is only 1/4 mile further on. The scenery is wonderful and at the main lake there are paddle boats, canoes, etc to rent. You can jump off the cliffs surrounding the lake if you can handle the cold water. There is a small "lodge" that has good food and the organic fresh make lemonade is wonderful! Only $3 a 16 oz class and worth every penny. The road leading to the parking area (fee is $7 and on the honor system) is somewhat hard to find. We had a map our concierge at the Timber Lodge did for us and we found it fairly easily. This is a good, easy hike through beautiful country.

Decided to check out Angora Lakes with our little one since the reviews made it seem like a beautiful, short, and not too difficult hike. My new criteria since I am carrying him! I brought my GPS watch since I wasn't clear on the distance. To get to both lakes, I logged 1.9 miles roundtrip. Definitely worth the hike; it is fairly flat with some mild uphill at the start. When you get the 2nd lake there is a "resort" that sells lemonade and rents out kayaks. At the far end of the lake (not too far really as it isn't a huge lake), we saw a number of guys jumping into the lake from the rocks. The water was warmer than Lake Tahoe which was nice. There are also picnic tables there but we opted for the beach. Don't miss the road, it looks like it is a dirt road but it becomes paved a bit further down. See more on my travel site with photos: http://insightfultravel.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/summer-tahoe-weekend/

We thought we could go at any time of year, as is generally the case for hikes. While we were technically able to go, we encountered a few issues because the resort was closed for the season. First, the road to it was closed. So we had to park on the road near the entrance and walk in, which ended up being a few steep miles. It felt never-ending because there were no signs indicating how much further we had to go. One of the reasons we had picked this hike was because we wanted to rent kayaks on the lake and have lunch at the cafe. Naturally, those were closed, even though it was a gorgeous spring day. So we ended up with several extra miles and nothing to eat, plus no time on the water. That said, once we actually entered the resort area where the hike is supposed to begin, it was a lovely hike with nice lakes. I'm not sure when they are open, but it is apparently NOT late April/early May. On the bright side, we didn't have to pay the fee to enter since no one was there, and we certainly didn't have a crowd. While they were officially closed, we weren't trespassing... hiking is allowed during the closed season. There is a pit toilet at the resort (which, by the way, is mostly a campsite with some cabins).

If you're visiting South Lake Tahoe, this is a must visit area. I've described below some suggestions based on my trip out there with my wife and two kids (6 and 8 yrs) and how we pland to do things differently to make our next trip a lot better.1. Preparations: Get there early. The parking lot is small and it gets full. Plan to be there by 10am not only for the parking, but also the prime spots on the beach. The parking fee is $7 based on the honor system. You put the $7 in an envelop, drop it in a drop box and leave the receipt on your dashboard. Bring exact change. There are no rangers or guards to give you change. If the lot is full, I saw many people park at the Angora Lookout vista at the peak. It's a long trek to the lake from here. 2. If you have a lot of people with you, lugging gear is easy like coolers, chairs, etc, but if just a family, stick with the basics. On our next visit, we plan to take a picnic mat, a few towels, perhaps some snacks, sunscreen, and some inflatable beach toys. That's it. I saw many Dad's making the hike (albeit not a difficult hike) with a lot of stuff and it isn't easy. It's not a paved road from the parking lot to the beach.3. As for food, the small "lodge" has the basics. Sandwiches, drinks, etc. Prices aren't astronomical. $5-$6 for a really basic sandwich. We'll probably have the sandwiches next time.4. Getting there on is no easy task on the road. The turn off from Tahoe Mountain Road to Angora Ridge Road is hard to spot. Depending on how you're travelling, if you get to Fallen Leaf Road or into the really residential area, you've missed the turn off.5. The road is a one lane road. Literally. A lot of yielding between both sides are needed. Drive slow.6. Once you've parked and ready to hike, the trek is very pleasant. Very slight elevation. About a 15min brisk hike and perhaps 25min a leisurely stroll. You'll first hit the smaller lake. No beach, only a few cabins. I actually might picnic here with the family next time as the larger lake is less than 5 min up the trail and does get crowded.7. After the smaller lake, just a few minutes up is the larger lake. Beach is small, hence my earlier reference to getting there early. I think many go there to make it a full day trip. You can rent row boats and the like for about $18 per hour. We didn't rent any this time, but plan to the next time. It does feel like you're in another world. A real small town feel. People on the rocks getting sun, kids "cliff" jumping. Made me remember my youthful days in visiting Pine Crest, Clear Lake, etc. Have a great time.

Easy hike... But one of the better secrets up here at the lake. First time I discovered these lakes was a really cool. Cliffs to jump off, fishing if you'd like, all-around cool spot for sure. A must see, especially for families.

We visited Angora Lakes for an afternoon during a weekend family getaway to Lake Tahoe. After researching things to do away from the hustle and bustle of South Lake Tahoe, we ran across Angora Lakes Resort. It's about a 15-minute drive up the mountain from where highways 50 and 89 meet and a little ways beyond Fallen Leaf Lake. After you arrive at the parking lot (there are two of them with very limited space), you pay your $7 parking fee and it's about a half-mile hike to the resort. Even though the walk is mostly uphill, it is fairly easy. You will pass by the first Angora Lake. This one is really nice, with trees surrounding it and cabins sprinkled along the shoreline. We did not see any people in the water at this lake, but there was plenty to admire.A few minutes along the trail past the first lake, you reach the main resort area. This is a very simple resort. There are several small, rustic cabins available to rent (advance reservations required). There is also a small snack bar and store, where you can arrange to rent kayaks, rowboats, or paddle boards (all rent for $16 per hour), with full and half day rentals available). The snack bar also serves a wonderful homemade lemonade that is quite refreshing after the hike to the lake. The real prize here is the main Angora Lake itself. It's another stunning beauty with the mountain rising up along side the lake. There is a beach that offers plenty of swimming. The shoreline is a bit rocky. You would be best-suited with chairs here. Swimming the lake is very nice, but after the beach area, there are trees, branches and muck at the bottom of the lake. So either swim across, or use a water craft. We rented a kayak and a paddle board for a couple of hours. The water was calm enough to stand on the board, and paddle across the entire lake. This lake is small enough to travel across in about ten minutes. The water was perfect for a warm day. Along the right side of the lake where giant boulders rise up, daring swimmers can climb the boulders and jump into the water from a variety of levels. The water is about fifteen feet deep in that area. People seemed to love it. We graciously passed. I hear that staying at the lake is great. This time we only used it for a day. And it was time well spent. Everybody in our group, including two teenage boys and an 8 year-old girl had a blast. Angora Lakes Resort is open during the summer, and offers a great alternative to the crowded and often busy Lake Tahoe. There is no charge to use the lake except for the parking fee and any optional rentals. Enjoy!

A short hike from the car park brings you to a beautiful lake with warm shallow water. Make sure you carry on to the second lake as this is nicer and there is a small store and boats can be hired here. Be sure to have $7 in change for the carpark which is unmanned. We visited midweek in September it was so quiet but apparently it gets busier during the holidays.

I love Tahoe. I love Fallen leaf lake. But Angora..? I dont like it. Its beautiful, but theres something really wrong with it. I dont know if its something in the water or what, but its like you just stepped into another country..or the twilight zone. It scares me. I will never go back.