The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile route encircling Lake Tahoe at high elevation, maintained by a dedicated volunteer organisation and open to hikers, mountain bikers (on most sections), and equestrians. Tahoe City sits on the western shore segment, with trailhead access a short drive or bike ride from the town centre.
Day hikes from Tahoe City can head north toward Burton Creek State Park — 1,890 acres of mixed conifer forest with 6 miles of unpaved trails — or south toward the Emerald Bay area along the western shore. The Burton Creek trails are particularly good for a quieter walk away from the main tourist circuits.
For the serious hiker, the 40-odd miles of trail between Tahoe City and Truckee on the north shore is one of the more rewarding multi-day segments: above-treeline views, alpine wildflower meadows in July and August, and enough distance from the road that you start to feel genuinely remote.
In winter, Burton Creek and adjacent areas convert to cross-country skiing. The trails are ungroomed but follow consistent terrain; snowshoes work as well as skis.