The trail to Cascade Falls is a short (2 miles round trip), easy hike to a beautiful location with gorgeous views of the falls, Cascade lake and Lake Tahoe. The low/high elevations are 6800'/6910' and the trail is not difficult even if there has been some snow. The trailhead is off Hwy. 89, 7.5 miles south of South Lake Tahoe. Turn left into the Bayview Campground which is across from Emerald Bay Inspiration Point overlook. Drive to the far end of the campground to the trailhead parking area.

The trail is open to people and dogs. It parallels Cascade Lake until you reach the 200' falls. The trail disappears as you get to the falls but you can wander around the whole area. There are many lovely pools and short falls surrounded by wide shelves of granite. Kids love it.

For the creaky knees crowd: While it is an easy trail, it is uneven with a lot of steps up and down over the rock and it can be difficult for those with bad knees.

While there is no trail, it is easy to continue up the mountain for even better views. The granite is not slippery so you can go up a fairly steep slope without fear of falling. You can't get lost as the lake is always below you.

The only negative to this little hike is that it is so popular that it can be quite crowded although the crowd tends to stay in the area right above the falls.