Marlette Lake Direct

Find the old logging road that starts from the south side of the parking lot.

The first third of the hike is along this old logging road/path and varies from moderate to occasionally slightly steep. Excellent track and great views of Lake Tahoe.

There is fork in the trail -- about three quarters of the way up. You have to take the left fork (see photo), which is often blocked off by a log. From the fork to the dam, the track is on-and-off rather faint, so be attentive.

[The right fork provides an alternative (but a bit lengthy and not mapped here) opportunity to first loop to the south end of Marlette Lake (joining up with the North Canyon trail from Spooner Lake), then north up the west edge of Marlette to the dam, and then return by our "direct" route.]

Just below the dam you'll briefly join the famous Flume Trail (very popular with mountain bikers) as it departs from Marlette Lake.

Marlette Lake is one of two natural lakes (the other is Incline Lake near the Tahoe Meadows) that were deepened via small dams in the late 1800s to increase their depth. Their water was them run along flumes to Tunnel Creek to send timber through the Carson Range to the Carson Valley and ultimately used to shore up the silver mines at Virginia City.

Marlette Lake is now a government regulated fish hatchery (at the south end). Fishing is prohibited all but a couple weeks in the autumn.

On your return you'll need to be careful to get back on your track just below the dam. Keep looking left (see photo) until you find the hundred feet or so of trail ascent.