$250,000 donation completes iconic 12-mile Lake Tahoe mountain bike loop

A mountain biker navigates a winding trail through lush green foliage and tall trees, with a clear blue sky and a lake visible in the background. The rider is wearing an orange shirt and a helmet, focused on the path ahead. — Photos: Goldfin Photography

Two popular points on Tahoe’s West Shore have been separated for decades — Meeks Bay and Lost Lake. The Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA) will soon be changing that by completing roughly five miles of new singletrack. Not only will the section finally reconnect the classic Tahoe spots, but it will also complete an iconic 12-mile loop.

Trails are expensive, and surely TAMBA would rack up a significant bill completing the loop. Fortunately, a significant donation — $250,000 — to the trail club is funding the build.

A serene forest landscape featuring tall green pine trees, large rocks scattered across the ground, and a dirt pathway winding through the greenery. The scene is set under a clear blue sky, highlighting the natural beauty and tranquility of the area.

Meeks Ridge

“Meeks Ridge is a flowy and fun trail that offers a steady climb toward the top of the ridge,” Drew Bray, Executive Director at TAMBA, told Singletracks. “The switchbacks to climb the steep pitch will be an exciting path to the incredible views across Tahoe from the high point of the trail.”

Adding Meeks Ridge serves a couple of purposes. As a climbing trail, it will provide access to a 12-mile loop for those riding the loop clockwise. Riding it as a descent offers a slightly easier down-trail alternative to the other black and double-black options in the area. That said, the surrounding terrain is still fairly technical, rugged, and relatively remote, with quite a bit of granite slabs and large boulders. “Intermediate” is always relative, so perhaps “Tahoe intermediate” is a better description.

As a climb or a descent, Meeks Ridge will have roughly 1,400 feet of elevation gain/loss over about five miles. It will also be open to class 1 e-bikes.

“The trail will showcase breathtaking views of Desolation Wilderness, expansive granite landscapes, and rare old-growth forest that few visitors have ever experienced,” Bray added. “This trail will have beautiful panoramic views of Meeks Bay and Meeks Meadow.”

A rocky path winds through a forested area, featuring large boulders and surrounded by lush green vegetation. Towering trees create a backdrop against a clear blue sky, and distant mountains are partially visible in the background.

A serene forest path winding through tall trees, surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain, with a distant view of a lake and hills under a clear blue sky.

Riders looking for an easier descent will likely need to ride Meeks Ridge as an out-and-back. For those looking to ride the 12-mile loop, Meeks Ridge will serve as a welcome relief as the initial climbing trail, knowing the terrain that is to come.

The 12-mile loop will consist of three trails, two of which are already on the ground. General Creek starts with a dirt-road climb before transitioning to singletrack. For the first two miles (the Sugar Pine section), the trail is intermediate. After Sugar Pine, General Creek turns black and gets quite a bit punchier for roughly one mile, before switching to double black for roughly a quarter-mile.

The double-black section of General Creek connects to the Lost Lake Trail, a 2-mile black diamond offering. All of these trails can be ridden in both directions, but riding them clockwise is the primary descending route. Doing so provides a roughly 1,600-foot descent.

Connecting Meeks Bay to Lost Lake via singletrack has been an idea for quite some time. Bray told us that the project moved from idea to reality in 2022, when construction officially began with volunteer-led efforts. In 2023, the project was officially supported by The Tahoe Fund, bringing professional trail crews into the mix. The crews, along with the support of volunteers, helped add the first four miles of Meeks Ridge, teasing the day when the loop would be completed.

Bray told us that the entire Meeks Ridge project is currently 75% complete. TAMBA expects the project to be wrapped up by the fall of 2027.

A winding dirt path surrounded by lush green shrubs and trees, leading towards a scenic view of a lake and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.

A $250,000 gift

“Over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how trails provide refuge to so many. Turn your phone off, go for a short hike, bike, or ski, and come back grounded in a better reality. I’ve always been amazed at how much nicer people are on the trails — everyone’s out trying to have a good time. And how special is that? A place where everyone is trying to have a good time,” Kyle Aster wrote on his website.

Kyle, along with his wife Jess, donated $250,000 to TAMBA to complete the Meeks Ridge project.

“Kyle and Jessica Aster have been incredibly generous supporters for TAMBA since 2019,” Bray shared. “This donation will support the 2026 work season on the Meeks Ridge trail.”

Bray said that they met with Aster several times in the early part of the year to discuss the most appropriate trails and projects to support with the donation. It seemed like it was time to complete Meeks Ridge.

A scenic view of a forested path leading down to a lake, surrounded by tall pine trees and boulders, with clear blue skies above. The lake is visible in the distance, framed by rolling hills.

And the timing was perfect, as TAMBA and the greater Tahoe community have much bigger trail plans for the area.

The Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project is a significant overhaul of many of the trail systems in the Tahoe Basin. The goals of the project are to improve and increase connectivity, add trails, and invest in trail infrastructure. It has also been the driving force behind the adoption of e-bikes on more than 100 miles of trails in Tahoe.

“Thanks to Kyle and Jessica’s incredible generosity, we’re not only completing one of the most exciting trail projects in the Basin — we’re demonstrating what’s possible as we begin bringing the vision of the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project to life,” Bray said. “Completing Meeks Ridge is the first step on that journey.”