Lola Montez Lake Trail

Lola Montez Lake Trail is a hiking and mountain biking trail, which connects its trailhead next to the fire station at the Soda Springs exit of Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Truckee with the Lower and Upper Lola Montez Lakes—and also with the Hole in the Ground trail. Since there are two lakes, both named for the legendary gold-rush actress and dancer Lola Montez, the trail name also occurs in plural form: Lola Montez Lakes Trail, as the trailhead sign on the page Lower Lola Montez Lake, Sierra Nevada, California shows (see paragraph Getting to Lola Montez Lakes Trailhead).

The new signpost shown above is located about half a mile from the trailhead, where the beginning single-track trail meets a gravel road. This road descends to Lower Castle Creek. A short distance past the creek crossing, another single-track section ascends from a marked junction to the next gravel-road section. Following this road, which passes by private property and no-trespassing signs, will take you into Tahoe National Forest territory and therein to a junction, at which the Hole in the Ground Trail branches off to the right, connecting Lola Montez Lakes with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). A short westbound walk from the junction, Lower Lola Montez Lake comes into view. The upper lake can be reached via the single-track trail along the northwest shore, from where one needs to climb and cross the granite landscape seen in the back of the picture.