Mount Tallac is a mountain

Mountain

Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

 peak southwest of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...

, in El Dorado County

El Dorado County, California

El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The peak lies within the Desolation Wilderness

Desolation Wilderness

The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, just southwest of Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California, United States. It is a popular backpacking destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the...

 on the Eldorado National Forest

Eldorado National Forest

Eldorado National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada mountain range, in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S. National Forest]] located in the central [[Sierra Nevada |Sierra Nevada]] [[mountain range]], in eastern Eldorado National Forest is a [[U.S...

. It is quite visible from State Route 89

California State Route 89

State Route 89 is a California State Highway that travels in the north–south direction, and is the major thoroughfare for many mountain communities. It starts from U.S. Route 395 near Topaz Lake, winding its way up to the Monitor Pass, down to the Carson River, and up again over the Luther...

. A "cross of snow" is clearly visible on the mountain's face during the winter and spring months.

Of the several trails leading to the summit, the Mount Tallac trailhead is the most-frequented. This 5 miles (8 km) one-way trail with elevation gain of 3250 feet (990.6 m) is rated "difficult" by the United States Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

. The trail takes hikers past Floating Island Lake and Cathedral Lake on their way to the summit. On the southern side, next to Lilly Lake, is Glen Alpine trailhead. While providing a slightly longer route to the summit, (5.7 miles (9 km)), this trail brings hikers to Gilmore Lake

Gilmore Lake

Gilmore Lake in California is a backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness. It can be reached by hiking west out of the Glen Alpine Springs trailhead near the town of South Lake Tahoe. This lake offers great fishing for Lake trout.-...

. At approximately 8300 feet (2,530 m) this lake is only 1400 feet (427 m) below Tallac's summit.