Hiking the Incline Flume Trail, Nevada

Yesterday we had perfect hiking weather, it was chilly outside but the sun was warm.  Matt and I set out to hike the Incline Flume Trail, located above Incline Village, Nevada. We parked off of Mount Rose Highway (NV-431) at a dirt pullout with several other cars (across the highway is a much larger paved area that was completely full when we left 3 hours later).  The trail is not marked but is very visible from the parking area.

Early in the hike (maybe 1 mile in), the Incline Flume Trail intersects with the Tyrolean Trail.  There’s no signage, but to stay on the Flume, you’re supposed to head left towards the boulders.  We turned right, away from the boulders.  The Incline Flume Trail is pretty flat and maintains an elevation of 7,600 feet, so when we started heading down a rather steep hill, we realized our mistake… And kept going for a while anyway.

A mile later, and back on track, we hiked through gorgeous fall foliage, crossed several small creeks, and enjoyed expansive views of Lake Tahoe.  Dotted along the side of the trail are remnants of the original flume used by loggers in the late 1800’s.

There is not much information anywhere about this hike so I think it’s about 5-5.5 miles one way from Mount Rose Highway to Diamond Peak Ski Resort.  Matt and I turned around before we reached the end, but according to the GPS on my fitness app, we hiked nine miles (and then went to Great Basin in Reno for a beer).

This hike is going on my “things to do in Tahoe when people visit” list.  It’s easy, it can be long or short, you can make it a more challenging hike by adding on some of the Tyrolean Trail.  The lack of signage is the only downside, but it appears that a group in Incline Village is working to get that sorted out.