Shirley Lake Trail

This hike was AMAZING!!! We went with our 9 year old nephew and we all had a blast. I loved all the different terrain that you came across along the way. The hike started with a huge waterfall then turned into a more forested area. Then before you know it your back to another waterfall. The top of the hike is a little more difficult because you have to climb up boulders. We thought this part was really fun thought! My nephew and my husband enjoyed jumping around on the rocks. Overall, I would highly recommend this hike!

Great hiking trail for all ages. Big trees, nice path and the sound of the water gushing is so relaxing and beautiful!

We definitely felt like we had a good workout at the end of this hike. It was definitely a challenging hike for us. We don’t get to hike as often as we like, but we do exercise five days a week.
The hike started as a trail hike with occasional inclines. Then it turned to rock and it was all incline. For a short time it goes back to trail until the lake. After the lake it becomes like a gravel road, but is all steep incline.
Some tips for the hike would be to follow the blue markers and to bring plenty of water. The trail isn’t always obvious, but just keep looking for the blue marks on the trail. We only brought a bottle of water each and that wasn’t nearly enough water. The final leg of the hike was really difficult without water.
Once you make it to the top there is an observation deck to view the area below. The tram ride back down to the village is free if you can make it to the top as well.

This trail is a absolutely amazing hike. It has spectacular views and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike was about 4 miles and took us about 2 and a half hours.
It definitely could have taken a pro hiker or runner just 2 hours.
The top was amazing and cold and I would highly recommend this trail for a great afternoon hike.
My only complaint would be that all the cool locations were highly effected by the drought. Accept for the lake which was full to my surprise.
The waterfall was empty and at some point it was just dry brush. I can’t blame them though because sadly squaw does not control the weather. Let’s hope for a El Niño this year.

Wonderful hike.
Beautiful uphill hike through the canyon to the top of the ridge and over the saddle to a pristine alpine lake. Then just another half mile or so uphill to the aerial tram. A sandwich and beer at the high camp then a scenic free ride down to the parking lot. What more could you ask for?
We went in Early September. It was warm/​hot so needed a good amount of water. Pay close attention to the blue spray paint markings on the rocks as there are many false trails. There are markers about every fifty feet or so.
The water fall was not running (thanks global warming) but the lake at the top was beautiful and wonderfully cold. It says 2.3 miles to the lake, but it feels longer because it’s a very steep climb. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the lake going at an easy pace.
We were pleasantly surprised that the tram was running. What a treat to hike all the way up the mountain and then take a free ride down. The trams were running every twenty minutes. There is a sandwich deli and a bar at the high camp that was open.
All in all beautiful hike. Only thing to be careful about is to follow the blue markers. And bring plenty of water.

Great hike if you’re looking for something challenging, but I was sadly disappointed by the lack of scenery and waterfalls like I was expecting. I basically forced my friends to do this hike with me during our weekend trip to Tahoe. Based on the reviews and photos, we were expecting a moderately difficult hike with great views of waterfalls along the way up. However, all we saw were dried up creeks and a swampy lake :(
I still enjoyed the hike because the really steep rock climbing portions of the hike were really challenging, but it was sad to see how much the drought has affected this area.

The hike is roughly broken into 3 sections.
Section 1:
Follows Squaw Creek and is mostly dirt trails through forested areas with the occasional short but steep scramble up boulders.
Section 2:
Climbs away from Squaw Creek ending at Shirley Lake. It is very steep, either scrambling up boulders or walking up granite slabs at around a 10% — 20% grade. This section is the hardest part of the hike.
Section 3:
From Shirley Lake up to the tram at High camp. This section is not as steep as before (but still steep) and is on a mostly dirt trail that roughly follows the intermediate downhill ski trail called Freeway.
I hiked this with my 2 daughters (20-​months and 4-​year-​old). I carried my 20-​month (25 pounds) the entire way, and my 4-​year-​old (45 pounds) hiked Sections 1 and 3. For Section 2, I needed to carry both kids. Section 2 is class 2 in some locations. Although you could probably get up it without using hand holds, since I was lugging along about 70 pounds of kids (plus water, lunch, and 10 essentials), I needed hand holds in some spots to progress up. Overall, the hike took my family about 4.5 hours (obviously letting my 4-​year-​old set the pace), which included frequent brief rest stops and a 30 minute lunch stop at the top of the granite before Shirley Lake. I would estimate that with no kids, it would have been about a 1.5 — 2 hour hike.
The trail for the most part was easy to follow. In places where there are many forks (Section 1 with lots of side trails over to Squaw Creek) or where the trail disappears (Section 2 with boulder or granite sections), look for the blue and/​or black paint on the rocks. It is actually really well marked if you keep your eye out for the paint. I had lots of help because my 4-​year-​old loved looking for the paint and then would yell out «There’s the blue!» Section 3 is well marked with Squaw Valley signs.
As far as water, I carried 4L (1 gallon) for my family, and we made it to High Camp with about 0.5L left. If you bring purification tablets, there is water along the trail (Squaw Creek and Shirley Lake) to fill up from.
Overall it was a great hike. Good views of Silver Peak on the way up, Tinker Knob near the top, as well as Granite Chief. Looking out to the east, you can see part of Lake Tahoe as well as Mount Rose. The tram ride back down was pretty fun too (and yes it is free).
For the average hiker, I probably would not recommend taking young kids (yes, I am kind of crazy) unless they are good hikers and/​or you are a strong hiker who can easier carry them over class 2 terrain. I would also note that if you are a beginner hiker and having trouble with the boulder scrambles in Section 1, you might want to consider turning around as these boulders foreshadow the much longer and harder boulder scrambles in Section 2.

Let’s just get the cons out of the way: you have to be in shape, the trail markings are confusing, and about the time you’re going up the solid granite section you’re cursing your decision to go on this hike.
Pros: You will be so thankful you did it. It is beautiful and exhilarating and probably the most scenic and peaceful hike you will take in the area. You will see parts of the U.S. that most people will never see and by the end of the hike, truly appreciate all Squaw Valley has to offer.
Tips: take lots of water and definitely, DEFINITELY take the tram ride down

Make sure you read all the reviews. We were not very prepared. Had read that it was an easy to moderate 2.5 mile hike. We hike must weekends, so thought this would be a cake walk. Elevation, dehydration, and a somewhat strenuous hike. Bring lots of water and plan for about 2.5 hours. We are from the bay area, so had not accounted for the elevation. Should probably come the day before to acclimate. Would have been a great hike off we had read an accurate Unilocal

Amazing hike! We love to hike and can do 4miles on flat land pretty easily, but this was a challenge. I read a lot of reviews so we knew what we were getting into but you have to go experience it for yourself.
We took about 3.5 hours, with two dogs. I’m adding to others’ recommendations to bring more water than you think you’ll need. We went through 3L, and that’s with the dogs drinking from the stream half the time. The very first part of the hike follows a creek and you’re doing quite a bit of rock hopping and climbing. Then it’s a nice flat (ish) area that goes through a forested area. Once you exit that you’re in for what we considered strenuous climb. A lot of other reviews said that the last part of the climb up the Solitude trail *after* the lake was the hard part… we considered that easier compared to the climb up the granite cliff that you have to do *before* the lake! Don’t get me wrong, the Solitude trail is pretty steep as well.
One of the most enjoyable part was finding a patch or two of snow right before hitting High camp that the dogs played around in and slid down several times.
The free Tram ride down was beautiful, but very crowded! Also I would recommend trying to arrive earlier than 4pm, because that’s when the restaurant/​bar up at the top shuts down :(We arrived 5 min too late.
The dogs are still sleeping 2 days later:)

Took the long hike up to Shirley Lake then on to High Camp. You can’t just go up all the way up to the lake and not continue, though it is strenuous! Not for the weak! Great hike and the free tram ride down is worth it! It took about 3 hours to complete. Bring your lunch and enjoy the scenery.

We did this hike this morning after my wife found it on-​line (last time I don’t verify!). The reviews she read said it was an easy or moderate hike of about 2 hours and 2.5 miles. (It looks like most of the reviews on Unilocal are more accurate.)
This is a GREAT hike, but make sure you know what to expect (we didn’t). Once you get to Shirley Lake, it’s still another 50 – 60 minutes and another 800+ feet elevation gain to get to High Camp. So it’s about 4 miles plus little detours like visiting Shirley Lake to soak your tired feet. In that 4 miles, you have over 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
The trail is not obvious and you have to keep an eye out for the blue paint marks that tell you you’re on the right path. Almost all of the trail is uphill and quite steep, often requiring you to scramble over rough trails and granite boulders. I would definitely classify this as a ‘strenuous’ hike. Although, you can do the first mile and see some great waterfalls with relative ease if you’re there at the right time. (I’m told they often dry up by the end of June. They were beautiful today.)
Once you make it to High Camp, the BLTA sandwich at the café is the best I ever had and we downed a lot of iced tea (we only carried half as much water on the hike as we should have because we were mislead as to it’s difficulty.) Carry water! The high elevation and strenuous climbing will require it. And yes, you can take the gondola down for free if it is running. Last run is at 5:00PM in summer.
One last thing… after hours of climbing this mountain until we were exhausted we came to the last 50 yards and almost had to turn back. We knew High Camp was right over the ridge, but there was slushy snow covering the trail at about a 30 degree angle. It was nearly impossible to walk on with slipping, and if you slipped on the last 15 yards you could easily fall to your death. I got half-​way across then crawled back. Other hikers arrived and felt it was too dangerous too. A few people made it across but they had rugged boots and poles (and still almost slipped). This was a horrible accident just waiting to happen. Fortunately, we found it was easier to backtrack a hundred yards and climb the ridge face (between the slush piles) where we found the alternate tiny trail. This still required caution, but did not threaten your life. (By the way, the sign for this last leg was lying on the ground so we had no idea which was was the preferred way.) The good news is that this snow will probably be gone a week from now, but it will be back next year. Use extreme caution at this last 1% if the ground is not dry!
If you know what to expect, this is a somewhat challenging, but awesome hike.

It’s a «moderate to difficult» hike. Be sure your body have adjusted to the altitude before take on this hike. 4 miles up took us about 3+ hours. The view is worth it though. Bring plenty of water on a hot day! A dog friendly trail too!

Hiking poles and waterproof shoes are recommended!
I came at the end of April right after the snow melted and got my feet wet while trying to cross a few creeks.
There are also lots of trees and tree trunks on the way and not a very clear hiking path so the poles were very helpful.
I saw many dogs and babies so it’s not a very strenuous hike but not the easiest either.
Beautiful view of the mountains and mini waterfalls!

This hike is rated as moderate purely because of its mileage. For all intents and purposes this is NOT a moderate hike. In only a few miles you will be climbing well over a thousand feet. I would not recommend doing this hike if you’re really out of shape. Take plenty of water and watch your footing because there are many steep slippery parts where it’s easy to fall.
A significant portion of the hike involves climbing up a steep granite slope. Some parts feel more like rock climbing than hiking!
Hiking back down, while easier, is no picnic. Our knees were killing us by the end from stepping down all those rocks. Also it’s a lot easier to slip and fall going down.
All that said… you will feel a huge sense of accomplishment afterwards. Looking down from the top of that granite slope… feels good, man. No waterfalls because of the drought — sad face — but still very pretty and great views from the top. My husband and I hiked up to the lake and back down in about 3.5 hours (including lots of stops to catch our breath, and about ten minutes at the lake).
Minus one star because the trail isn’t very well marked. You have to watch really carefully for the faded blue spray paint marks. I mean REALLY carefully. We lost the trail several times.
But all in all a great adventure of a hike if you’re up for it!

Great hike! Took us 3 hours from leaving our car to getting back to our car. We stopped at the lake for around…45 minutes to swim and hang out. Lots of people had snacks with them. We didn’t bring water or food on the hike, but we were fine — it was nice to have our hands free to scramble up rocks! Of course, taking water is recommended.
HOW TO GET THERE: Put «Squaw Valley Resort» into your GPS. As you approach the resort, you will have to either turn right or left. TURN RIGHT. There will be big olympic rings. Then, either go up the road that says «No entry» or make a sight right, to the parking lot, and right at the lot is the trail head. As you go up the trail, follow the blue markers on rocks. There are multiple paths to the top, but they all weave amongst each other and intersect, so you’ll make it fine. Lots of cute dogs heading up with their people.
DIFFICULTY: Not that hard, you will get winded, but you can just find a shady spot to rest. The first part is in the forest, and very shaded. The last part is more on sheer rocks, and not so shaded. It’s a safe hike, not really any crazy sketchy stuff.
VIEW: Very nice all along the hike. Lake is nice and shady. FREE SHUTTLE DOWN, but be SURE to call ahead because it is closed sometimes during the week on off season! Shuttle leaves around every 15 minutes.

Disclaimer — this should actually be called the Shirley Canyon Trail. This is a wonderful, challenging trail with 2.5 miles straight up to the summit. I highly recommend trekking poles and very good hiking shoes! The trail is inside Squaw Valley Resort. Parking is free and you don’t have to be staying at the resort to hike this. You have 3 options of how you can approach the trail: a) hike up and down b) hike up and take tram down for free (squaw valley high camp) c) pay to take the tram up and hike down. The last option is don’t hike at all and take the tram up and down.
We opted to hike up and take the tram down. The hike spans several types of terrain — dirt trail, rocky trail and massive boulders/​mountainous (all granite). It’s a strenuous hike with inspiring views as you climb higher and higher. Follow the blue markers so that you don’t get lost on the trail. We went at a time where the creek was dry but like most reviewers noted that you should stay to the right of the creek bed. Although the hike was challenging, we saw lots of families with young kids and dogs doing the hike as well. You don’t have to be an expert hiker; go at your own pace. We got to the top in 2 hours, while the lady at the info booth said it would take 3. The majority of the trail is unshaded so you definitely need a hat and spf.
When you get close to the top at Lake Shirley, the lake is nothing spectacular. The water was very muddy and pretty much a huge breeding ground for mosquitoes. Didn’t stick around there too long. It’s a catch and release lake as well. I’d say the toughest portion is the last mile bc I was lower on energy and the altitude was getting higher and higher. My thoughts — push through!!! At the top, you’re about 8100 feet high and it’s so beautiful and serene up there. Can’t beat mother nature — magnificent mountains, pine trees galore, wild flowers, fresh air and little critters all in harmony.
It is rewarding getting to the top. Plus, you reach high camp and there’s just a big party going on. You can stay and hang out where they have a rock wall, swimming pool, ice skating rink, gift shop or just chill on the deck. When we took the aerial tram back down, the views along the way were just as amazing. In my opinion, hiking up is more challenging than down, but hiking down is more dangerous. A lot of the trail, especially the portions where you have to climb the boulders can be difficult. You have to be cautious bc it would be easy to slip, fall or twist your ankle since it’s very steep. Overall, my first Tahoe hike was a success! I’d do this one again!

I’ve only partaken in a handful of legitimate hikes, and out of all the ones I’ve done, this is, by far, the best experience I’ve had — quite challenging, yet so enjoyable.
The farther up you hike, the better the view gets. Spectacular horizons, especially during that «magic hour». The few miniature waterfalls along the trail provides a great rest stop to catch your breath, and of course, take your selfies ~
The terrain goes from flat to rugged, and soft to rocky. The paths go from straight to zig-​zagging, and gradual to steep. Dogs are allowed, as long as they’re leashed. I’ll be taking my mine if I get a chance next time.
Once you’ve reached Shirley Lake up top, I recommend having your long lunch break there. We opted not to use their aerial tram, even though it was free, and an undoubtedly less strenuous trip back down. So, considering we were expecting a rather adventurous return back to the starting point, we took our sweet time enjoying the lake’s scenery and its landscape by the peak.
Such a wonderful hiking trail. Worth every breath you lose ~

Beautiful trail with a variety of plants along the way — pine, thimbleberry, manzanita, ceanothus/​squaw carpet, native currants, mule ears, etc. Follow the blue arrows and stay to the right to be closer to the waterfalls (which kids and dogs love!). Shirley Lake is a nice place to have lunch. Squaw runs a free tram down from the top at High Camp.

Just hiked this trail again on the July 4^th weekend. This time there were lots of hikers on the trail and this time took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes, 20 min less than last year. Squaw added some route markers on the trail so that you won’t get lost. But like I mentioned on my last review, just follow the blue marker painted on the stones throughout the trail you will not get lost for sure. Great hike and we are gonna do this every year now.