This 10-mile loop run, which can be run at a shorter out-and-back, is suited for trail runners of all levels. The run can begin at either the Vikingsholm parking lot at Emerald Bay State Park or near the entrance to the D. L. Bliss State Park Campground, both along State Route 89.

If starting at the Vikingsholm Parking lot, then run north along State Route 89 for two miles to the entrance to the D. L. Bliss State Park Campground. (Please use caution while running the 2-mile stretch along State Route 89 between the Vikingsholm parking lot and D. L. Bliss State Park Campground). Once you reach the entrance to the campground, or if starting at that point, then run down the campground road towards the Lake. At the end of the road (bathrooms available) runners will find the northern end of the Rubicon Trail. This single-track trail parallels the edge of Lake Tahoe’s west shore. Runners will pass Tahoe’s deepest known depth (1645 feet) at a stone’s throw from the shoreline and several Osprey nests and a Bald Eagle Nest (all normally occupied in the late spring, early summer) and the highest (elevation-wise) lighthouse in the United States. Eventually you’ll find yourself running along the north side of Emerald Bay with Fanette Island as its centerpiece. Just as you reach Vikingsholm at the west end of Emerald Bay, you’ll take the Vikingsholm Trail back to the parking lot at SR89.