Hole in the Ground
Hole in the Ground Trail is a 8.3 miles trail in Tahoe National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Tahoe National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 39.3507, -120.3594 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.3513, -120.4221 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 8.3 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 14E25 |
| Forest | Tahoe National Forest (unit 0517) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 01/01 to 12/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireFloriston
19 mi from the trail midpoint · 610 acres · 4% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Hole in the Ground Trail?
8.3 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Tahoe National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Hole in the Ground Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Hole in the Ground Trail start?
The line begins at 39.3507, -120.3594 and ends at 39.3513, -120.4221. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Hole in the Ground Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Hole in the Ground Trail?
Sterling Lake Campground (3.8 mi) and Hampshire Rocks Campground (5 mi) are within five miles of the trail.
How developed is the Hole in the Ground Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Hole in the Ground Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Hole in the Ground Trail?
Tahoe National Forest, Forest Service unit 0517. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Hole in the Ground Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Floriston at 19 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named HOLE IN THE GROUND in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0517. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.