Just a Taste of the TRT
Want to experience the beauty of the Tahoe Rim Trail but don’t have weeks to dedicate to a Thru Hike? The Tahoe Rim Trail Association is now offering a “Taste of the TRT.” This 5-day guided adventure provides an intermediate backpacking experience for just about anyone.
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) is pleased to offer a 5-day intermediate guided backpacking trip. When you sign up for the Taste of the TRT, experts support you every step of the way from pre-trip planning to water caches on dry stretches of trail. This adventure offers an experience of a lifetime. It is an opportunity to meet new hiking friends, disconnect from modern life, and create lasting memories of traveling through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Northern Sierra Nevada. Different segments of the TRT will be travelled each year, so you can keep coming back for something new.
2025 Program Rate- Non Member $1200
2025 Program Rate- Member $1080 (Enter your TRTA Member Discount Code on the registration page to receive this 10% discount.)
1. At 10 AM, click on the Register Now button. Complete the initial registration and pay the non-refundable $100 registration fee which goes toward the total program fee.
2. Once you submit the registration, you will receive an email with additional information about the program and required forms that must be completed and returned to the TRTA within 30 days of registering. 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. After submitting your Cancellation and Liability forms, you will be asked for a PIN number – this comes in a new email to verify your information. Please refresh your email to find this PIN.
3. After the TRTA receives your completed forms, you will receive a notification regarding your approval into the program. Once confirmed, 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.
Click here to view the Cancellation Policy.
Funds raised from the Taste of the TRT 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:
The TRTA invites participants with prior backpacking experience to join this trip. These 5-day journeys are not for beginner backpackers/hikers. The demands of hiking a full day with a backpack 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 this training 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 a multi-day backpacking trip before registering.
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. If, in the judgment of the trip Guides and TRTA Staff, a participant cannot reasonably meet this requirement, they will be removed from the program without a refund. This is to stress the importance of training and overall preparation in order to have a successful trip. This is not meant to scare anyone away.
Click here to view the Taste of the TRT Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC).
With the right mindset and enough dedication and training, you can rock this trail!
The Tahoe Rim Trail circles more than ~165 miles around the rim of the Tahoe Basin. This trip will complete about 1/4 of it. In addition to distance, it is worth noting that the highest point on the TRT is Relay Peak at 10,338’. Some sections have significant climbs over 9,000’. Hiking distances will range between 7 and 16 miles per day, averaging 11 to 12 miles per day, depending on which trip. The trail ranges from moderate to strenuous, with a total gain/loss of 24,400’ over the entire 165 miles.
All participants are expected to carry and setup 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. Participants are responsible for all four lunches and snacks. More information related to gear and what to pack will be sent to participants after the registration process is complete.
Your guides 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 dedicate weeks of their lives to this expedition both on and off the trail. Volunteers are not paid for their guiding services. Therefore, 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 inappropriate behavior at any time before and during the hike.
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 ridge lines 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 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.
This event is located on National Forest land.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Crew Leaders | Guides | Board
