Tallac Historic Site and Rainbow Trail – Lake Tahoe Hiking Trails

One of the only trails accessible to persons with disabilities, Tallac Historic Site is an informative walk down Lake of the Sky Trail. The trail is a 0.3 mile flat, easy, scenic hike beginning at Kiva Picnic Area or the Lake Tahoe Visitor’s Center. Brimming with romantic, historical stories, the turn-of the century summer homes are as interesting and beautiful as they come. Tallac Historic Site serves as the only cultural arts site in Tahoe. Buildings on the site include the three large homes of wealthy San Franciscans; the Baldwin, Pope, and Heller families. After the transcontinental railroad was built in the late 1800’s and the gold prospectors were gone, the area became popular for the upper crust families. The Baldwin estate was built by Dextra Baldwin in 1921. The Baldwin estate is now home to a museum containing Washoe Indian artifacts and exhibits on the Baldwin family. The Pope estate, built in 1894, houses constantly changing art exhibits and is open for guided tours. The Heller estate, often referred to as Valhalla, was built in 1923 and features concerts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Valhalla’s grand hall boasts beautiful wood floors, an open wood beam ceiling and a magnificent 20 foot high fireplace. A wide variety of events take place at Tallac Historic Site, and on any given day you’ll probably witness anything from a Native American festival to a bluegrass concert.

 

Also handicap-accessible, the Rainbow Trail starting at the Taylor Creek Visitor’s Center covers the creek and is an easy paved trail and a self-guided tour through Tahoe’s water ecosystem. In autumn the creek plays host to the tragic mating ritual of the kokanee salmon. Kokanee and other fish can be seen in the stream profile, which takes you underwater for excellent viewing of what’s really going on down there. The quarter mile trail winds through the meadow and marsh, with many informative signs along the trail (audio is also available).

To contact the Tallac Historic Site, call (530) 541-5227 or visit the Valhalla Tahoe website for further information on concerts and events. To get to the start of the Tallac Historic Site trail at Kiva Beach, head just north of Camp Richardson and turn right at the Forest Service Visitor Center turnoff. Follow the road past the Visitor’s Center (this is where parking is located for the Rainbow Trail) to the beach parking lot.