Pats Knob Hike

Open year-round, impressively scenic, and heart-pumping, the Pats Knob Trail checks all the right boxes when it comes to hiking trails. Wander through mixed pines, red firs, and quaking aspens before the route opens into the high country. Let the anticipation of the breathtaking views motivate you as you climb up the vertiginous terrain. When hiking in the winter, be sure to strap on a pair of microspikes or snowshoes! Additionally, no matter the season, we encourage you to wear sun protection, and layers as the climb up to the summit is exposed—warranting extreme conditions.

Embark on your adventure along the Pats Knob Hike from the trailhead off Mount Rose Highway. From here, the Pats Knob Hike follows the Incline Lake Road east. Soon after your departure from the trailhead, you will merge briefly onto the leftmost BP Trail before hooking onto the Gray Lake Trail at Third Creek. The Gray Lake Trail will guide you more intensely up the mountainside of Pats Knob, through mixed woodlands and up switchbacks. As you near the summit, the path will be increasingly exposed. Soon you will have to divert up the marked path and head south up to the summit of Pats Knob.

From atop the craggy peak, you will be rewarded with jaw-dropping views of Lake Tahoe in the south. Revel in the beauty and grandeur of the encompassing wilderness, and when you are ready, retrace your footing along the path back to the trailhead.