Truckee River Canyon  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  39.2219, -120.201 Map Page Views:  41,207. Good page? (3 likes)    Administrators:  Aron Quiter, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Aron Quiter on Oct 7, 2002 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Description 

Containing many basalt formations holding many fine routes in the Tahoe Area, this region Located above highway 89, you will find an excellent view of the large ski areas on the eastern rocks of the canyon.

You will find a diverse range of climbing here, including some of the best sport climbing around. There are also a fairly large selection of traditional routes as well.

Being high up in the Sierra, this area will only be climbable when the snow resides on the approach in the spring, usually in April or May, and continuing through late december, depending on the year. On a dry year, you might find this area climbable year-round.

NOTE: The mapquest map will just show you the best representation of the entire Truckee River Canyon area. This is not intended to give you the exact location of any single rock, since this area is about 15 miles long. So - Ignore the star.

Getting There 

For access to Big Chief:

Exit the central truckee exit and take a right. Go into the traffic circle, and take your first right, which will wind down to West River Street, where you should take a left. Follow this about 1/2 a mile to Brockway drive (the sign MAY still say highway 267), where you should go right.

Note that this is NOT the NEW 267, which has an exit off of the freeway. There has been a lot of construction in this area recently, and they've renamed some roads...

Less than a mile later, turn right on Palisades Drive. Go over the hill, and turn right on Silver Fir, and shortly afterwards turn left on Thelin Street.

Within a block, hang a right onto the dirt road just after a gate, which is set back from the road about 30 feet. Drive 5.2 miles on the main road, which is numbered as National Forest Road 06. Stay straight on the road past the turnoff to the ranch (which has a sign stating "horseback riding" or something like that), and you will see a large dirt turn around inside the most prevalent right turn, which actually has a full right turn, and also sharper right turn 30 feet later in case you miss this first one. This leads you about 100 feet into a traffic circle type thing, which is the parking area for the Big Chief area.

For the Trueckee River Basalt Area: Head South down Highway 89 out of Truckee towards Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. You will see the Basalt cliffs of the Truckee River Basalt Area on the left, and you can park in the campgrounds in front of the rocks, yet still on the west side of the Truckee river.

For The Ampitheatre:Head South down highway 89 out of Truckee towards Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. Park just before the turnoff to Alpine Meadows. You will be able to see the Ampitheatre just before the bridge heading over The Truckee River.

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