How to Hike the Monkey Rock Trail at Sunset

Monkey Rock in Lake Tahoe was our favourite Lake Tahoe sunset spot during our Lake Tahoe trip! It is a short hike, making it a great option for families and people with not a lot of spare time, and not only do you get an epic view of Lake Tahoe from the top but you also get to see a monkey-shaped rock!

Sorry no real monkeys at this viewpoint. 😉

Dave and I did this hike after a big day of bike riding around Lake Tahoe and I’m so glad we did because it was very worth it! The rock is shaped like a monkey sitting looking out at the view and someone has added a monkey face to it.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend spending sunset up at Monkey Rock because the view of Lake Tahoe from the top is truly stunning at sunset but if you are just there to see the monkey, then it’s also a great hike to do during the day.

In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about Monkey Rock Lake Tahoe, including how hard the hike is, how to get there and where to park and where the best photo spots are once you reach the top. There is more than one! 📸

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Everything You Need to Know About Hiking to Monkey Rock

Hike Stats

📍 Where is Monkey Rock Located

The Monkey Rock hike is located in Lake Tahoe, Nevada on the East side of the lake. The trailhead can be found just behind the Tunnel Creek Café.

How to get to the Monkey Rock Trail

To get to Monkey Rock from Incline Village, it is only a 4 minute drive. If you are coming from South Lake Tahoe like we were, it will be about a 40 minute drive but will also depend on where in South Lake Tahoe you are coming from.

From Tahoe Blvd, you will need to turn onto Ponderosa Ranch Road.

📌 Where to Park for Monkey Rock

Once you have turned onto Ponderosa Ranch Road, you will see a parking lot on your left. Parking is paid and you will find the kiosk in the parking lot. There is no overnight parking allowed from 11pm-5:30am.

🥾 How hard is the hike to Monkey Rock

The Monkey Rock Trail is an easy-moderate hike. It is short, however it is straight uphill for the entire hike. The way back down, however, is a breeze! The steepness increases towards the end of the hike when you have almost reached the viewpoint. The trail also gets a bit narrower.

What shoes to wear on the Monkey Rock Trail

The Monkey Rock Trail is not at all technical so I would recommend wearing a pair of trail runners like the Oboz Katabatic Winds to give you some extra speed. Dave and I both have a pair of these trail runners and love wearing them for short and fast hikes like Monkey Rock.

🐶 Can dogs do the Monkey Rock Trail

Dogs are allowed on the Monkey Rock Trail.

⌚ Monkey Rock Hiking Time

Hiking to Monkey Rock will take you around 1-1.5 hours in total, unless you are hiking with kids which may take you a bit longer. There are lots of rocks to sit on to have a rest at the top so it may take you longer depending on how long you decide to stay at the top.

🐵 Why is Monkey Rock called Monkey Rock

The Monkey Rock Hike got its name from it’s awesomely shaped rock at the viewpoint. The rock looks so much like a monkey sitting there enjoying the view, that someone has now carved a monkey face into the rock.

🚻 Facilities

There are no toilets at the Monkey Rock viewpoint or at the trailhead. I recommend finding somewhere in Incline Village beforehand.

📆 Can you hike to Monkey Rock in Winter?

Yes! You absolutely can hike to Monkey Rock in the Winter. The views of Lake Tahoe are especially stunning when surrounded by snow-capped mountains. If you decide to hike the Monkey Rock Trial in Winter, make sure you bring the following with you:

• Micro spikes or snowshoes
• Layers – fleece, puffer jacket
• Beanie
• Insulated boots
• Sunglasses and sunscreen – that beautiful snow can be very bright!
• Your camera! Here is a full list of our camera gear!

🌞 Hiking to Monkey Rock at Sunset

The best time to hike to Monkey Rock, in my opinion, is at sunset. Tips for hiking to Monkey Rock at sunset include:

• Make sure you leave with plenty of time to spare so that you are not rushing (like Dave and I.. oops!)
• Bring a headlamp for the way back down.
• Eat dinner before or bring snacks with you so that you don’t get hungry.
• Bring plenty of water!
• Let someone know where you are going.

🌲 Leave No Trace

Whenever you are enjoying the beautiful nature that our world has to offer, remember to leave no trace (LNT)! Respect the beautiful places that make our world beautiful and take out everything that you take in, take only photos and respect the wildlife and other people. You can read more on the 7 LNT principles here.

Monkey Rock Hiking Trail

The Monkey Rock hike is 4.2km / 2.6 miles return with an elevation gain of 152m / 498ft and will take you around 1.5 hours in total.

The trailhead is only a 4 minute drive from Incline Village on the East Shore in Nevada and a 40 minute drive from South Lake Tahoe. Monkey Rock is popular due to it’s great bang to buck ratio so don’t expect to have the viewpoint to yourself.

Finding the trailhead

From the parking lot, you will need to continue up Ponderosa Ranch Road and follow the road up the hill to the right. At the end of the road, you will find the trailhead for Monkey Rock. The trail here turns to gravel.

Hiking up

The trail takes you up slowly. The elevation gain isn’t too crazy at first. We were able to go quite fast because we were running late (what’s new 😅). As you hike, make sure you take in the views on your right hand side of Lake Tahoe. The high you get the better the views!

Turn left

Eventually, you will come to a left turn which takes you off the main wide trail and onto a narrower steeper trail. This part of the trail only lasts for a couple of minutes until you reach the top.

Look for the Monkey!

Once you have made it to the viewpoint, it’s time to find Monkey Rock! He should be on your right hand side and slightly towards the water once you reach the top of the hike. His face is facing Lake Tahoe so that it’s as though he is looking out at the view.

Photography Spots up at Monkey Rock

There are a couple of awesome photography spots up at Monkey Rock which we noticed when we were there.

Monkey Rock

The Monkey Rock is the obvious photo spot. We enjoyed taking photos of the monkey to make it look like he was sitting enjoying the sunset.

Reclining Chair Rock

The other spot that we both loved taking photos at was a rock that looked like a reclining lounge chair! To find this surprisingly comfy rock, if you are standing at the viewpoint where the rockpile is, the monkey rock should be to your right. The reclining chair should be directly in front of you towards the view of the water.

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