The Lake Tahoe area is home to many recreational experiences, including hiking, skiing, snowboarding, stargazing, and more. The Frog Lake huts from the Truckee Donner Land Trust are a recent addition, which have strategic access to backcountry terrain ideal for outdoor activities.
Felix Smith acquired Frog Lake and its environs many years ago for his family to have somewhere to visit and enjoy summer holidays in a different environment. He passed on, and his sons continued to care for the property. The land remained as it was from the time Smith bought it, and the only significant alteration was a stone house that they built to have somewhere to stay.
https://www.truckeedonnerlandtrust.org/frog-lake-huts
The family owned the private property, which included Frog lake, cliffs, and vast land acreage until about 15 years ago when they put the land in a trust. Perry Norris, former executive director of the trust says the family genuinely cherished the property and took good care of it over the years. Norris acknowledges this area as a top destination to visit, ranked against other properties he has come across during his many years working in conservation.
The huts at Frog Lake are a unique addition to the property, and they are not too far from the rest of civilization. However, the serenity of being out in the wilderness makes it feel like it is miles away from any urban setting. There is peace at the huts, which is what most people desire when they take trips to such areas. The huts officially opened doors in December 2021, a valuable addition to the already spectacular location. The site is still predominantly a wilderness with much snow in winter, but the house built by the Smiths still stands to date.
Anyone who enjoys backcountry skiing terrain would love it here. The scenery is beautiful, with unbeatable views of mountains all around the huts. The snow gets thick, but a getaway at these new huts is worth the trip to this area, irrespective of how snowy it gets. You can ski along the trails and go out towards the mountain. There is a better route back to the huts on the sunny side of the mountains that is less hectic, leading up to the front of the huts.
If you need a relaxing break from civilization, plan a visit to the Sierra Nevada, where hidden gems such as the new hut system will blow your mind.