taylor creek visitor center

The Park was closed for the winter but you can still get to the trails by parking on the road and walking to the creek, then go downstream on a path to the main trails. You can walk along the boardwalk and see the expired coho in the creek. We saw a beaver and some mallards eating the coho bodies. The circle of life!

it was a short drive from our hotel. my husband, 2 year old and I walked the rainbow trail. We saw the tail end of salmon swimming upstream. the visitor center was closed. we were able to walk to the beach. make sure to bring food. there are picnic tables. we missed the bears feasting on the fish.

To see nature at its best. We go each year at the end of Sept or early October. The Kokanee come back to spawn and die where they were born. It is interesting to see the females make their nest. As they are dying they turn a bright red. We have even seen bear in the creek. The colours of fall are gorgeous and the wind through the suspense is phenomenal. Lake Tahoe and Mt Tallac as backdrops complete this breathtakingly view

Beautiful fall colors at Taylor Creek on the Rainbow Trout Trail! Stream Profile Chamber is awesome! Kokanee and Rainbow Trout Spawning bringing bears to the area to eat fish! Water a little murky.

I read about this place somewhere that it had an underground viewing area where you can watch the fish spawn. It was something I just wanted to see especially when I discovered October is spawning season!!! It was beautiful day. The parking lot was not completely filled so we found a place to park no prob. (I find lack of parking sucks the fun out of many activities in more crowded places in California.) We took off on the well marked trail by passing the actual visitors center. The whole trail is only 1/4 mile long. it is a quick trip, it does go down hill but not strenuous. There was a large party that had two individuals with wheel chairs. The path is not great for wheel chairs but do-able. Trail goes from Asphalt to bare ground, to wooden walk ways and then off trail is rocky and can be muddy shore line. Anyway, off we go down the trail and a woman coming back says, it you go quickly there is a bear! So Off we went. We did see a yearling bear just off the trail. He/she was sitting with the sunlight behind. This made the bear very disable. Of couse people come running with cameras and tripods and just get crazy trying to get a view. The bear moved on. They are there because the fish, I think they were rainbow trout, are spawning and then of course dying so the creed was full of both dead and living fish. It was a bear smorgasbord! A park Ranger finally showed up and kept people from being totally stupid and chasing the bear, throwing things at the bear and throwing food at the bear. The collection of Stupidity was amazing. The goodness from park rangers. Wild bears are still wild bears, they can and will kill you. Lots of people had brought dogs on this trail. Some owners wisely walked out of the trail or kept their dogs from seeing and smelling the bear. Others, not so much. The bear ambled on down the creek with a throng following it. We walked the other way, and immediately saw another yearling bear picking up fish in the creek aways down. Like I said this is a very short trail. We watched a huge school of fish attempt to jump up the creek but the water was very low. It was pretty cool looking. Then we walked along to the underwater viewing area. You walk into what looks like a tunnel, and there is the creek against a glass wall. The DD was taking pix of above and below water. Suddenly a bear pops out of the woods directly in front of her! She kept right on shooting pix. The bear stared right at her. I will try to attach a pix. Anyway it was very cool! So be bear aware. Also, most people did not continue on the walk to the underwater viewing station!!! They got to creek and turned around and went back the same way!! Do continue on the walk all the way around.. And stop and read the signs and really look at the wet lands. It was all very cool! I hope you get to go on a very beautiful October day!! Oh, and it is free! There are bathrooms available. You could take a wheelchair or stroller but the path may turn into mud, so be prepared. Loved it!

Easy walking trails through different habitats so there is something for everyone who goes to Taylor Creek.Staff rangersare informative and provide lots of information in an easy going, friendly manner.There are beaver dams and chewed up trees you can witness while on the trail. We walked to Tallac Point down from the Visitors Center and enjoyed the great views of Mt. Tallac and the Lake. It was warm enough that some people and dogs were in the water. Afterwards, we walked the Rainbow Trail to see schools of rainbow trout. The stream profile facility allows you to see what is going on in the stream by viewing directly under water and through enormous glass windows – so we can see more fish. I would recommend a bug repellent, as there are mosquitos living there.

The rangers at this station took the time to orient me, provide additional literature, and give helpful hints for our visit. We walked through multiple habitats on our way to the Baldwin Beach where we casually strolled among the wetlands/marsh and Canadian geese.

Trails around the creek were easy to walk, lots to see. Nice information all about. Cut out section of the creek was a bit of a disappointment-really only an aquarium, not part of the live creek, but worth the walk nonetheless. Bathrooms needed a bit of cleaning.

Didn't know what to expect at Taylor Creek, but it is a nice, flat, peaceful hike. The trail is hard surfaced, so no worrying about sand/dirt along the way. I was disappointed that we didn't get to go down to the lake, but walking through the trees and meadows was really relaxing. Watching the trout swim in the creek through the glass wall was interesting. I would go again with a visitor who wanted to see a beautiful, easy spot to walk through.

Great spot for anyone to get a synopsis of the region. Kids, elders, mobility problems are not an issue here. The outdoors can be enjoyed by all.

This was a great place for short hikes, long hikes, camping, or just a stroll on the beach of Lake Tahoe. We even saw a bald eagle! Just a beautful place. Had never been on the south side of Lake Tahoe but it is definitely worth the trip.

We stopped at the Visitor Center 1st thing on a clock-wise drive around Lake Tahoe & were surprised that it was not open, although all our research prior to our trip indicated it should be open daily after Memorial Day. Most sites & the AAA TourBook indicate the hrs are 8 am to 4 pm while the official Forest Service site now says the hrs vary, although it will still be open daily. We found the doors closed with a sign stating that the Visitor Center will only be open on weekends. The bathrooms were open, which was a blessing.There are a number of informational signs all around the patio area before the entrance to the Rainbow Trail. We found them very helpful in explaining many features about Lake Tahoe, which was a good introduction to what we were about to see on our drive. We chose not to hike any trails, since our time was at a premium & it wasn't Fall when the salmon would be running & visible in the Stream Profile Chamber.

My Wife and I discovered Taylor Creek Visitor Center when we "overshot" the turn to Tallac Historic Site on one of our many visits to South Lake Tahoe when our Son was just a wee lad. Over the past twenty years we have spent many happy hours strolling the paved and boardwalk trail among the varied ecosystems that include Taylor Creek, a wonderful meadow, and transitional forests of aspen and pine. If you have an hour you can simply take this one trail, but be sure to take the minor detour through the Taylor Creek Stream Profile and perhaps catch a glimpse of a trout or two. If you have a bit more time, say another hour, take the trail to the beach where you are sure to see something interesting, and then on to the Tallac Historic Site. If you are brave, stick your toe in the lake and feel the chill of an alpine lake or better yet, stop by Camp Richardson and rent a kayak for the "full meal deal".

the rainbow trail is very peaceful, as well easily informative. Love the underwater view of the creek. and don't miss a walk down to the beach. Gorgeous views of Mt. Tallic, and the natural flora and fauna of the lake.

We come here every year even though it never changes. We love to see the salmon spawning this time of year and the excitment of all of the little ones as they see a ton of fish in the creek.