Tahoe-Pyramid Trail: Floriston to Hirschdale

From Floriston, this trail heads upstream, hugging the sidehill above the Truckee River's biggest rapid (Jaws). The slope is too steep for mere singletrack, so you hike on engineered boardwalk then continue up a staircase before rejoining dirt. From the top of the hogback, singletrack drops you through tight switchbacks and down toward the shoreline before climbing back up again to hug the embankment below the freeway. Eventually, you rejoin recognizable sections of old US-40, with occasional abandoned 1950s-era cars and old wooden guardrails. Snatches of pavement appear and become smoother and more continuous as you approach the Hirschdale Bridge and the end of your hike. You can park near the bridge, or a mile or so further along the road beside the freeway overpass and off-ramp. Interpretive signs along the way explain some of the history of the canyon, the railroad, the highway, and historic features as well as local ecology.