Program Cost – A non-refundable $150 registration fee is due upon applying.

2024 Program Rate- Non Member $2,840
2024 Program Rate- Member $2,550 (Receive 10% off by entering your TRTA Member Discount Code on the registration page to receive your discount.)

Registration Process

1.   At 10 AM, click on the Register Now button. Complete the initial registration and pay the non-refundable $150 registration fee which goes toward the total program fee.

2.  Once you submit the registration, you will receive an email with additional required registration forms that must be completed and returned to the TRTA within 30 days of receipt. These forms include a Cancellation Policy, Liability Waiver, Health History Form (to be completed by your primary care provider), and a survey of your past hiking experience. Make an appointment for a physical by a medical care provider as soon as possible.

3.  After the TRTA receives your completed forms, you will receive a notification regarding your approval of the program. If you are approved, you will receive an invoice for the remaining program balance.

4.  Once your final payment is completed, you’ll receive all of the remaining details for the program in the program Welcome Packet along with a TRT map and guidebook.

Click here to view the TRTA Thru Hike Cancellation Policy.

Funds raised from the Annual Thru Hike are used to support the organization’s mission: To maintain and enhance the Tahoe Rim Trail system, practice and inspire stewardship and preserve access to the natural beauty of the Lake Tahoe region. This program fee provides participants with the following:

• 15 day guided trek around the Tahoe Rim Trail
• 165 Mile Club membership, certificate, pin, and wicking shirt
• Binder with pre-hike preparation materials
• Pre-trip Thru Hike Coach
• Tim Hauserman’s “Tahoe Rim Trail: The Official Guide for Hikers, Mountain Bikers, and Equestrians“
• Waterproof Tahoe Rim Trail Map (by National Geographic)
• Experienced and knowledgeable guides
• Breakfast and dinner each day of the hike (occasional lunches also provided)
• Trail Angel resupply stops every 1-3 days with access to your personal resupply duffel bag and fresh meals
• Water caches on dry sections of trail
• Permits for wilderness travel
• Cookstove fuel (4oz. isobutane/propane blend canisters)
• Free rental of TRTA gear and backup gear
• Bear canisters
• Special surprises along the way
• Post-hike celebration with awards
• Trip of a lifetime with new like-minded friends

Program Requirements

12 participants will be selected for each trip. The TRTA invites participants with prior backpacking experience to apply for this trip. This 15-day journey is strenuous and not for beginning backpackers/hikers. The demands of hiking a full day with a backpack and sleeping in tents each night above 6,000′ to 10,000′ cannot be overstated. Consequently, it is critical that participants are well-prepared for this expedition through proper training, nutrition, and self-care. The program binder given to participants will provide information to assist with training and preparation before the hike. The TRTA will help you fully prepare for this experience, but we ask that you please consider the level of commitment it takes to train, prepare, and complete the Thru Hike before applying.

IMPORTANT: Due to the high demands of backpacking the TRT and group management, participants are required to hike at an average pace of 2.5 mph, including breaks over the course of each day. Over the course of the first three days, each hiker must show they are capable of meeting the average 2.5 mph pace and reasonably understand how to backpack. If, in the judgment of the Thru Hike Guides and TRTA Staff, a participant cannot reasonably meet the said requirement, they will be removed from the program at the end of day three without a refund. This 3-day period stresses the importance of training and overall preparation in order to have a successful hike. It is not meant to scare anyone away.

Click here to view the Thru Hike Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC).

With the right mindset and enough dedication and training, you can rock this trail!

The Trail

The Tahoe Rim Trail circles more than ~165 miles around the rim of the Tahoe Basin, albeit thru hikers typically hike closer to 177 miles. In addition to distance, it is worth noting that the highest point on the TRT is Relay Peak at 10,338’. There will be significant climbs over 9,000’. Hiking distances will range between 7 and 16 miles per day, averaging 11.75 miles per day. The trail ranges from moderate to strenuous, with a total gain/loss of 24,400’ over the entire hike.

Gear 

All participants are expected to carry and set up their personal gear while on the trail. TRTA Guides carry some group gear and backup gear. Participants are invited to select their own backpacking gear, although recommendations will be provided. Participants can also rent gear from several places including REI or from the TRTA (for free). The TRTA provides freeze-dried breakfast and dinner to be cooked while backpacking by boiling water unless the group is at a Trail Angel resupply stop and is fed either a fresh lunch or dinner; depending on the time of day. Participants are responsible for 11 of the 15 lunches and snacks to be stored in the participant’s personal resupply duffel bag. More information related to gear and what to pack will be sent to participants after the application process is complete.

All participants can expect to pack a personal duffel bag with personal resupply items to greet them at each trail angel stop. This provides participants the opportunity to swap out gear, clothes, and personal items based on weather, desired cleanliness, and personal needs. As a result, you can swap out all of the fresh pairs of socks you’d like!

Guides/Coaches

Your guides, who will also serve as your pre-hike coaches, consist of our highly experienced and dedicated volunteer TRTA Guides. Guides are certified in CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and trained by the TRTA. In addition, they love to hike and share their backcountry and trail knowledge with others. These volunteers and staff dedicate two weeks of their lives to this expedition. Our volunteers are not paid for guiding the Thru Hike so please show them respect and some love every day of the hike. We have much esteem for our volunteer guides and want this to be an amazing experience for them too! TRTA Guides and Staff reserve the right to terminate a hiker’s participation for lack of experience, training, and/or inappropriate behavior at any time before and during the hike.

Once you are accepted into the Thru Hike Program, you will be assigned to a coach/guide who will be available to you during your pre-hike training and preparation. They will be available to give you advice on gear, packing and anything else that you might have questions about. Their combined knowledge and skills equal decades of backpacking and hiking experience, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of this resource.

Trail Angels

Participants can expect six trail angel resupply stops throughout the trip in addition to three water caches. Trail Angels are incredibly special volunteers who take the time to support participants on this journey. They provide incredible spreads of food throughout the journey including fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, and sometimes some extra special treats. Trail Angels haul participants’ self-packed duffel bags with their lunches/snack and extra gear/clothes to resupply stops along the way.

Tahoe Backcountry and Wilderness

Most importantly, the TRT should be considered a harsh mountain environment! This 165+ mile, single-track trail is open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers (in most areas). The trail circumnavigates the ridgelines of the Lake Tahoe Basin, crossing six counties, four National Forests, three wilderness areas, two states, and one state park. Frequently, the trail leads through very remote areas without cell reception and road access. At all moments during the trip, participants are required to actively engage in understanding and managing their own safety and the safety of those around them. The Thru Hike group will be required to stick together as a team, use proper equipment, not exceed the abilities of the reasonably weakest link, and always exercise good judgment.