Mount Lola Trail

The drive to White Rock Lake on the southwest side of the mountain is much longer, but the hike to the top of Lola is shorter and much easier. The hike from the south and White Rock Lake is the more scenic ascent of Mount Lola as the open slopes offer pleasant views of the lake and the Sierra Crest south.

From the Little Truckee River on the north, the trail courses through pleasant forest settings alongside Cold Stream Creek, and you usually have the trail all to yourself.

No matter which direction you climb Mount Lola if you intend to hike the entire 9 mile trail from one side to the other, arrange transportation at other end for a great trip. Most of us do a round-trip from the top of Lola coming back the way we came.

To Mount Lola Trail

Many campers and hikers like myself prefer to climb Mount Lola drive in from the north via Meadow Lake Road. To access from Truckee and the Little Truckee River, drive north of Truckee 17 miles via Highway 89. At Little Truckee Summit, turn left (west) onto Jackson Meadows / Forest Service Road #07. To reach the Meadow Lake Road travel west on the Jackson Lake Road for approximately a long-g mile past Webber Lake. Turn left on to the Meadow Lake Road and drive the graveled road to the top of the Sierra Crest. After this good road crosses the divide and Pacific Crest TrailWhite Rock Lake.

At the Crest turn left (east) at the road signed to White Rock Lake also with a large PG&E watershed management plan sign also. At the first intersection ( not signed) just a couple hundred feet, continue straight (east). Someone has sprayed “directions” with black paint an arrow pointing right (south) on a tree standing in the intersection. Ignore it.

In roughly another 3/4th mile, the unsigned Rock Lake road veers to the right (south). There is a brown plastic sign post implying the road straight ahead used to be signed, but that road continues to the large meadows in Bear Valley. Instead, turn right at the intersection. In roughly another mile, the White Rock Lake Road on a broad ridge turns a full 90-degrees to the left and a smaller logging road veers to the right. Go left.

From there continue mostly easterly and ignore any of the logging roads dropping to the right. You’ll cross the Pacific Crest Trail, but it too is poorly signed. In fact, what you’ll see is a shot-up California F&G, metal hunting sign. All shot up.

On a broad ridge in a small open meadow, White Rock Lake basin can be seen straight ahead and PG&E signs indicate you are above the lake. Veer to the right (southeast) to drop down to some old PG&E campsites and park above the concrete dam. Walk across the dam and a few feet through the brush (no real trail) and you’ll pick up the constructed Mount Lola Trail heading alongside White Rock Creek from the PCT (below to the southwest) and up to the top of Mount Lola. Turn left (north).

The trail is fairly new as it was constructed in the early 1990s, and the gradients are reasonable. Yet, it is not heavily used so you’ll need to keep your eyes open as the trail winds through the forest dodging granite boulders. In about a mile, the trail climbs above the forest into mostly open hillside. From the south and White Rock Lake, the 2.5 mile climb over good trail to the top of Mount Lola is a moderate hike. Hiking time is 1-1½ hours.

Another equally unsigned option begins as the road enters the meadow above the lake. Instead of veering right towards the dam, continue straight. When I last walked this road, 4WD vehicles had chewed up the hill dropping to the lake level. That short piece was strictly 4WD access. At the lake level, continue east along the north side of White Rock Lake by several primitive camping spots. After the road veers to left towards the flanks of Mount Lola, a metal sign (all shot up, of course) indicates the road ends shortly. Instead, of following that piece of the main road, veer right (east) that ends at a rocked fire ring on the edge of the woods. Find the foot trail continuing east and in a 100 +/- feet, the unmarked trail hits the constructed trail to the top of Mount Lola. Turn left.

From this approach the moderate climb is 7860’ to 9148’ elevation in about 2.5 miles.

In short, life can be complicated. But if you follow the majority of wheel tracks on the road, the drive into White Rock Lake is not as difficult as it sounds. Ignoring the fact that I took a wrong turn myself…but ten minutes later we were back to the right route again.

To access from Truckee and the Little Truckee River, i.e. from the north, drive north of Truckee 17 miles via Highway 89. At Little Truckee Summit, turn left (west) onto Jackson Meadows / Forest Service Road #07. Follow for 1.3 miles west, then turn left (south) on Independence Lake Road. Follow this gravel road for 0.5 mile to the junction with Sierra County Road #S301. Turn right on to #S301 and follow approximately 3 miles west to the signed trailhead on the left side of the country road near Cold Stream Creek. From this approach, the challenging climb on the trail is 6580’ to 9148’ in 5.5 miles. Hiking time is 3 hours or, for me, more.

But again, if you have a high-clearance SUV or pickup, you can let your vehicle do most of the climbing. From the Independence Lake road, after turning right (west) onto the Henness Pass county road #301, follow it only about 2.5 miles (guestimate). Turn right (south) up the hill on logging road #30175. Follow the traveled road steadily up and past where it swithchbacks west into Cold Stream Creek drainage. Stay with this numbered road as it levels and drops through logging areas to a somewhat derelict, wooden-log bridge that is slowly falling into the creek. As of 2006, my Subaru and I chose to brave it. So had several other hikers and hunters. If you don’t drive across, park and walk across and follow the road that bends upstream above the creek on the left. Soon the road crosses above large Cold Stream Meadows. Large. Continue until the road ends just above the upper end of the meadow. If you choose to walk, the trail actually drops below the road a couple hundred feet above the log bridge and stays between the logging road and the creek. Nice views of the meadow. Great spring flowers. Start hoofing where the trail begins above the meadows. It’s a guestimated 2 miles further southwest to the top of Mount Lola. From the meadows the elevation climb is 7800’ – 9148’. Nice hike.

Communities

• Truckee