The Flume Trail is a 14-mile out-and-back (or point-to-point with a shuttle) mountain-bike route that runs along a shelf carved into the cliffs above Lake Tahoe's east shore, at elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 feet. The trail follows the path of a 19th-century wooden flume that carried water to the silver-mining towns of the Comstock Lode. For most of its length it is a narrow singletrack cut into near-vertical granite, with Lake Tahoe 2,000 feet below on one side and pine forest rising on the other.
The trail is considered one of the best mountain-bike routes in North America — the combination of terrain, views, and the long descending section on the return makes it exceptional. It is also used by hikers, though cycling captures the full experience. The trailhead is accessed from Highway 431 (the Mount Rose Highway), a short drive from Incline Village. Shuttles and bike rentals are available in town. Conditions are best from June through October; snow lingers on the north-facing sections into early summer.