The Lola Montez Lakes Trail starts by pushing through dense forests of spruce and pine and ponderosa. It's actually on the main forest access road, which can be reached off the I-80 for Soda Springs, over an hour's drive from the shores of Lake Tahoe. After leaving the carpark, the trail turns to sections of gravel path and then boulders doused in the mud.

The oneway route is 6.3 miles in total back and forth, so you should reach the lakes themselves. They're small by Tahoe standards, but shimmer like mirrors under the gaze of rugged Andesite Peak. It's possible to keep going and turn this one into a mega, multi-day trek by connecting with the Hole in the Ground Trail and, eventually, the Pacific Crest Trail.