Incline Flume Trail

Overview

TAMBA partnered with numerous organizations to help complete the Incline Flume Trail. Construction of the years-long project, led by the Friends of Incline Trails, was completed in 2018. The 6-mile trail connects Mount Rose Highway outside of Incline Village to Tunnel Creek road in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park.

Project Profile

Despite being a popular trail, The Incline Flume Trail was not recognized by the Forest Service as an official trail because it traveled through private property. Friends of Incline Trails spent a number of years doing the foundation work necessary to create an authorized route. The first steps involved obtaining the environmental approvals and commissioning historical studies, which were paid for by donations made through The Tahoe Fund, Incline Tahoe Foundation, and The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation. Then, The Tahoe Fund secured a $130,000 Recreational Trails Program grant to fund the construction of retaining walls and to create way-finding signs. The RTP funds will also aid in the transfer of the historic bull wheel from the Nevada Land Trust to the Forest Service. This would not have been possible without the generous donation of private land from David and Cheryl Duffield to the Nevada Land Trust.

TAMBA stepped in to help the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and Friends of Incline Trails with the necessary trail work improvements to create a sustainable, multi-use trail. The route starts on Forest Service land and runs along what used to be a “v-flume” for commercial logging in the late 1800s. The trail crosses the Diamond Peak ski area before traveling back onto Forest Service land. The old trail traveled through a small section of private property before connecting to Tunnel Creek Road in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. The trail is popular with mountain bikers, trail runners, walkers, and hikers, and users can enjoy spring wildflowers and amazing views of Lake Tahoe.

The project was recognized with a TRPA “Best in Basin” award in 2019.