The Mt Rose trailhead is at the top of SR-431, about 25 minutes from south Reno. The road gets there by climbing more than 4,100 feet: our camera at the highway summit reads 8,887 ft, the one at the I-580 off-ramp reads 4,723 ft.
That climb is why the trail is a road question before it is a hiking question.
Cameras on the drive to Mt Rose Summit.
The hike itself
Figures from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which manages the trail:
- Summit: 10,709 ft above sea level
- Elevation gain: approximately 2,398 ft
- Distance: about 5.4 miles one way, taken via the Tahoe Rim Trail from the Mt Rose Summit trailhead
- Difficulty: rated Hard by the Forest Service
- Dogs: permitted, on leash
- Bikes: prohibited — the route is inside the Mt Rose Wilderness, which bars bicycles and all other wheeled or mechanised transport
You will see 10,785 ft quoted for the summit on hiking sites. The Forest Service says 10,709 ft, and that is the figure used here.
Road access and winter closures
SR-431 is subject to chain controls and to closure in winter, and the trailhead has no other access. When the highway shuts, the hike is off — there is no lower approach that reaches the same trail in a day.
Check SR-431 Mt Rose road conditions before leaving, and the SR-431 Mt Rose webcams for what the pavement actually looks like. The SR-431 at Mt Rose Summit webcam at 8,887 ft is the one nearest the trailhead.
Snow lingers at this elevation well past the valley thaw. The parking area is usually clear from late June into October; outside that window, expect snow on the upper trail even when the road is open and Reno is in the seventies.
Getting there
- From Reno: US-395/I-580 south to the Mt Rose Highway exit, then west and up. Check US-395 road conditions if you are coming from further north or south.
- From Lake Tahoe: climb from Incline Village. Check SR-28 road conditions first — the lake-shore routes feed into SR-431 and close on their own schedule.
The Mt Rose Ski Area camera at 8,249 ft is a useful mid-climb check. Snow on the road there means more of it 600 feet higher at the trailhead.
Weather at the trailhead
The trailhead is roughly 4,200 feet above Reno, so it runs far colder than whatever the valley forecast says. The National Weather Service publishes mountain pass forecasts for exactly this reason; read that rather than the Reno forecast.
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August, and the final push to the summit is exposed. If the road is clear but the forecast carries high wind or an incoming storm, the summit is the part to drop — the lower trail to the waterfall is still worth the drive.
For the wider picture across the passes, see the road conditions hub.