YOUR AD HERE »

Snow blocks some access to Tahoe National Forest for holiday weekend

Tribune News Service

GRASS VALLEY, Nev. – On the unofficial first weekend of summer, winter’s grasp on the Tahoe National Forest remains tight in some popular recreation areas, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

“Our recreation crews and campground concessionaires have been working hard to get the campgrounds ready for the Memorial Day weekend,” said Forest Supervisor Tom Quinn. “The heavy snow and rain received this past winter and spring has delayed the opening of many campgrounds, roads, picnic areas and trails. Considerable snow can still be found at 6,000 feet and above, especially on north facing slopes or in shaded areas.”

The following Memorial Day status report of area campgrounds, roads and trails is listed by major transportation corridor or area.



Bullards Bar Reservoir – Yuba County: All campgrounds, picnic areas, boat ramps and trails are open.

Sierra Buttes area – Sierra County: Open with some snow drifts. Packer Lake Road is not open to the lake or lodge due to snow.



Highway 89 North – Sierra and Nevada counties: Most of the campgrounds are open including Cottonwood, Cold Creek, and Upper and Lower Little Truckee.

Jackson Meadows Area – Sierra County: The Jackson Meadows Road is only open 6 miles to the Perazzo Meadows Road intersection. Snowmobiling continues along the road.

Reservoirs East of Truckee – Nevada County: Most of the sites are open around Boca, Stampede and Prosser reservoirs. The Boca Dam Road has been closed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Boca campground is only accessible from Highway 89 north.

Interstate 80 – Nevada and Placer counties: The Pacific Crest Trail and other trails along the Sierra Crest are still very snowy. More than eight feet of snow was recorded in mid-May at Donner Summit. Campgrounds including Hampshire Rocks, Indian Springs, North Fork, Tunnel Mills and Onion Valley are all closed due to snow.

Rattlesnake Road is closed due to snow and a large slide and may not be open for a while. Loch Leven trails are very snowy.

Big Bend Visitor Center is not expected to open due to snow damage over the winter. A visitor information office is expected to be available later this summer at Big Bend.

Highway 20 – Nevada County: White Cloud Campground is open. The Pioneer Trail is open from Chalk Bluff to the west. The Burlington motorcycle trails are open from Chalk Bluff staging area to the west. Trails to the east are still blocked by snow. Rock Creek Nature Trail is open.

Bowman Lake Road has been plowed to the Fuller Lake dam.

For information, see the Tahoe National Forest website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe or call Tahoe National Forest Headquarters in Nevada City at (530) 265-4531.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.