Two World Hikers

Nevada doesn’t only have casinos and gambling! Incline Village is about an hour drive from Reno and worth the visit! The town is beachside to Lake Tahoe and minutes from incredible hiking within Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park! Monkey Rock is one of my favorite day hikes! The hike is relatively short and easy, yet it offers stunning panoramic views of the lake. Why is the hike called Monkey Rock? At the summit, there are fascinating rock formations including the famous rock shaped like a monkey (although it looks more like a gorilla to me). Read on to learn more about this simple yet rewarding hike!

What to Expect:

Total Distance: 2.6 miles round trip

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Elevation gain: approximately 500ft

Time: 2-3 hours

Route type: out and back

Availability: year-round

Cost: $2/person paid via Spooner Backcountry’s fee station

Summit of Monkey Rock trail with epic views of Lake Tahoe!

Getting there:

Monkey Rock Hike is about a 10-minute drive from Incline Village on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe. There aren’t parking spots at the trailhead. We parked at Tunnel Creek Café off of Hwy 28 for free, but some hikers park along the road if the lot is full. Walk behind the café up Tunnel Creek Road until you reach a dead end. From there, the trail officially begins and twists into the mountains.

Monkey Rock Trailhead

Description:

Selfie at the start of the hike

We dodged the crowds by hiking Monkey Rock at the end of January. We had the trail and summit views to ourselves…a major perk of winter hiking!:) We intended to use snowshoes but the trail was compact enough that we didn’t end up needing them. The 500ft elevation gain is not too steep, and there are plenty of easy-going flat areas along the way. The trail reaches a crossroads at about 1-mile in. There is the option to turn left for a shorter, steeper, and more direct route to the summit or to take a right on the longer less sheer path to the top.

Summit of Monkey Rock trail

The views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains are stunning! We enjoyed hanging out for awhile as the lake glistened in the sun and the snow sparkled around us. We honestly got too warm during the hike and had to remove layers!

We couldn’t miss the photo ops of the unique rock formations! There is a rock that resembles a reclining chair, the famously carved “monkey rock,” and one that looks like a frog!

Enjoying the unique rock formations!

The famously carved “Monkey Rock”

Accommodation recommendation:

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort

There are plenty of accommodation options in Incline Village. Since we visited during off-season, we got a great deal at the conveniently located Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort! The room had an amazing view of the mountains and the resort offered a hot tub and fully heated swimming pool. It was fun going for a swim in the middle of January! We also enjoyed having s’mores at the resort’s fire pits. I definitely plan on staying here again!

Final thoughts:

Monkey Rock trail is a must-do! It is easy to access, not too strenuous, and offers impressive views of Lake Tahoe! I definitely plan on hiking here again!

AllTrails is a great resource for looking into hikes, check it out here.

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