SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Spring is a time of transition in the mountains. Snow is melting and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is preparing to open national forest recreation sites in the Lake Tahoe Basin for the summer season.

Before recreation sites fully open to the public, sites must be cleaned up after the snow melts, safety hazards such as dead or damaged trees must be removed, and the danger of a freeze must pass before turning on restroom water systems. All opening dates are subject to change, due to conditions and weather. 

Interpretive Sites

• Inspiration Point – May 23
• Logan Shoals Vista Point – May 24
• Tallac Historic Site – May 24
• Taylor Creek Visitor Center – May 24

Campgrounds/Corrals/Resorts

• Zephyr Cove Stables – April 14
• Round Hill Pines Resort – May 1
• Camp Richardson Corral – May 3
• Camp Richardson Resort’s Eagle’s Nest, Badger’s Den campgrounds – May 7
• Meeks Bay Resort and Campgrounds – May 9
• Fallen Leaf, Luther Pass, Nevada Beach and William Kent campgrounds – May 23
• Echo Chalet – May 25
• Watson Lake Campground – May 30
• Blackwood Canyon and Kaspian campgrounds – June 1
• Angora Lakes Resort – June 7
• Camp Richardson Resort and RV Park – Year Round
• Zephyr Cove Campground & Resort – Year Round

Beaches/Picnic Areas/Trailheads

• Sandpit Off-Highway Vehicle Area – May 10
• Baldwin, Nevada, Pope and Secret Harbor beaches – May 16
• Sawmill Pond Picnic Area – May 16
• Mt. Tallac Trailhead – May 17  
• Bayview and Big Meadow trailheads – May 23
• Eagle Falls Picnic Area & Trailhead – May 23
• Kiva Picnic Area – May 24
• Chimney Beach – TBA

Until the sites are fully open, parking, trash service and restrooms are unavailable. Plan ahead and be prepared to pack out all trash. Where pets are allowed, clean up after them and be sure to properly dispose of pet waste bags. Where gates remain closed, always park legally, avoid parking on vegetation, and do not block gates. 

A friendly reminder that pets are not permitted at the following designated swim beaches for public health and safety reasons: Baldwin, Camp Richardson, Meeks Bay, Nevada, Pope, William Kent, and Zephyr Cove beaches. In addition, pet owners are required to keep pets on a 6-foot leash in developed recreation sites. For information on recreating with pets, visit Where Can I Take My Dog at Lake Tahoe?

National forest gate and road opening dates are determined by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Motor Vehicle Use Maps developed under the Forest Service Travel Management Plan. All dates are subject to change due to conditions and weather.

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