Lam Watah Historic Trail Loop Ride Details
Challenge:
Level compressed native surface with one climb mid way.
Trailhead:
From Stateline, head northbound on Hwy 50 and you will pass Kingsbury Grade SR207 and a ¼ mile you will arrive at signaled intersection, just passed Lakeside Inn, turn left here on Kahle Drive and enter the parking lot
GPS: 38.970597, -119.935699 (Kahle Drive)
The Ride:
This is one of the few green mountain bike rides in the area. It is a beautiful meadow ride passing alongside a pond, year round creeks, and a thriving forest that takes you to Nevada Beach and Campground – one of the favorite spots for swimming and watching the fireworks during 4th of July and Labor Day celebrations.
Ride Option: Lam Watah trail can also connect you to the Nevada Beach Loop.
Historical:
Lam Watah is a Washoe name for this forested meadow area that was used as one of their summer encampments. The Washoe would spend time here hunting, fishing, gathering plants, nuts and weaving baskets of which Dat So La Lee is one of the most covenant basket weavers in North America. Her baskets are showcased in the Smithsonian Museum. When silver was discovered in 1859 in Virginia City, local forests were cut for needed timber to support the mine shafts – a “quick get rich” scheme that was not sustainable. Gilman N. Folsom bought the property and set up the Hobart logging camp here – complete with housing, post office, cookhouse, slaughter house and saloon just a half mile north of Friday’s Station, a Wells Fargo Station. Folsom when bankrupt and had to sell the property that eventually landed with William Rabe, in the mid 1900’s and used it as a summer range for his cattle. A portion of the land became the Sky Harbor Airport, the first airstrip to border Lake Tahoe. The Lincoln Highway also passed through here. Now, the USFS owns and maintains this beautiful meadow and lakefront site.
Lam Watah Trail
