Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead

Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead is an access point for hiking routes near Lake Tahoe in California. It sits at the end of Fallen Leaf Road with a large parking area, from which multiple trails branch out into a landscape of lakes, forests, and granite formations.

The site developed around the Glen Alpine Spring Resort from the late 1800s, whose stone and wood buildings remain visible today. The area served as a retreat for early visitors and retained its role as a quiet destination for those seeking nature over time.

The trailhead serves both locals and visitors as an entry point into the wilderness beyond. The area carries the name from the historic Glen Alpine Spring Resort and maintains a tangible connection to the region's early settlement period.

Access is via Fallen Leaf Road south of South Lake Tahoe, with the parking lot filling quickly on busy days. Bring plenty of water as none is available on-site, arrive early for better parking, and note that overnight trips into Desolation Wilderness require a permit obtained in advance or at the trailhead.

Six of the eight buildings at Glen Alpine Springs, a mile up the trail, were designed and built by architect Bernard Maybeck in the 1920s. The resort, founded by Nathan Gilmore in 1863, became a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 1987 and is funded by donations. John Muir visited in 1890 and 1892.