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Opening dates for Lake Tahoe Recreation Sites

4/21/2026

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Winter is winding down, spring is in the air, and summer is just around the corner at Lake Tahoe. Over the next month, the U.S. Forest Service will open recreation sites on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit for the recreation season.
Before the recreation sites open, they 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.
The following recreation site opening dates are subject to change, based on weather and area conditions. Some sites and parking areas may open sooner.

Interpretive Sites

Inspiration Point – May 22
Tallac Historic Site – May 23
Taylor Creek Visitor Center – June 5
Logan Shoals Vista Point – to be determined

Campgrounds/Corrals/Resorts

Zephyr Cove Stables – Open
Camp Richardson Corral – Open
Round Hill Pines Resort – May 1
Meeks Bay Resort and Campgrounds – May 9
Camp Richardson Resort’s Eagle’s Nest, Badger’s Den campgrounds – May 22
Blackwood Canyon, Fallen Leaf, Kaspian, Nevada Beach and William Kent campgrounds – May 22
Angora Lakes Resort – May 23
Echo Chalet – Memorial Day, May 25
Camp Richardson Resort and RV Park – year round
Zephyr Cove Campground & Resort – year round
Luther Pass Campground – to be determined
Watson Lake Campground – to be determined

Beaches/Picnic Areas/Trailheads

Sandpit Off-Highway Vehicle Area – May 10
Sawmill Pond Picnic Area – May 16
Mt. Tallac Trailhead – May 17
Baldwin, Nevada and Pope – May 22
Bayview and Big Meadow trailheads – May 22
Eagle Falls Picnic Area & Trailhead – May 23
Kiva Picnic Area – May 23
Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor – to be determined

Until these sites are fully open, parking, trash service and restrooms are not available. Plan ahead and be prepared to pack out all trash. Until these sites are fully open, parking, trash service and restrooms are not available. Plan ahead and be prepared to pack out all trash.
National forest gate and road opening dates are determined by Motor Vehicle Use Maps. These dates are subject to change. Where gates remain closed, always park legally, avoid parking on vegetation, and do not block gates.

A friendly reminder about pets… Pets are not permitted at these designated swim beaches under public health and safety regulations: Baldwin, Camp Richardson, Meeks Bay, Nevada, Pope, William Kent, and Zephyr Cove.
Pets must be on a 6-foot leash in developed recreation sites. Where pets are allowed, clean up after and properly dispose of pet waste bags. For more on recreating with pets, visit Where Can I Take My Dog at Lake Tahoe?

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Loon Lake New Equestrian ONLY Camp Sites in Eldorado National Forest

4/16/2026

Last year, Loon Lake Campground was upgraded and is now complete and will be opening this June 19th. This includes major upgrades to the equestrian sites. Equestrian Loop has 8 pull-through campsites and now the group area has 5 group sites. Each site in the Equestrian Loop is now designed better for pull-throughs and handles larger LQ trailers. Also, each site has 2 permanent stall steel corrals.

Group sites can handle two rigs per site and each have 4 stall steel corrals. All equestrian sites also have tables, fire pit and bear boxes. Water is available in both areas. Campsites have easy access to Desolation Wilderness and the Tells Creek area trails.

Thanks go to SMUD, US Forest Service, Doug Veerkamp General Contractor for these major improvement to the previous outdated equestrian sites, and special thanks to the Elegant Ears Mule Association that provided recommendations in the design/improvements of the equestrian sites.

These are now equestrian-only sites!

Reservations required. Campsite open June 19th. Come check it out! Go to Recreation.gov for photos of site, details and reservations, or just click here:
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232070

Trump's administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from D.C to Salt Lake City and will shutter research facilities in 31 states.

4/3/2026

During a congressional hearing and public comment period on the subject last summer, more than 80% of the 14,000 public comments submitted were negative, with many tribal representatives, conservation groups and former Forest Service staffers opposing the move. Regardless, Trump's administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of the nation's capital to Salt Lake City and will shutter research facilities in 31 states.

“Nobody is asking for this,” said Robert Bonnie, who oversaw the Forest Service as a Department of Agriculture. “None of the farm groups want this. No one in conservation wants this. Nobody.”

To Bonnie and other former Forest Service staff, the plan, which will uproot thousands of employees, looks like it will only make the agency’s existing troubles worse, especially given the past year of deep cuts and chaos. Taylor McKinnon at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity described the move as "a costly bureaucratic reshuffle" that will put more power in the hands of corporations and states to log, mine and drill public lands. National forests belong to all Americans," said McKinnon, the environmental group's Southwest director. "Our nation's capital is where federal policy is made and where the Forest Service headquarters belongs."

CLICK HERE to see complete article.

Trump admin proposing 'catastrophic' cuts to the National Park Service in today's 2027 budget

4/3/2026

The National Park Service will operate with more than 25% less money, if the Trump administration gets its wish. The Trump administration’s proposed budget, which would need to be approved by Congress, also calls for cutting the Park Service’s construction budget by 72% compared to 2025. The administration is looking to cull staff, too: A new “strategic initiative” announced by the Interior Department on Thursday seeks to further slash the size of the already-reduced Park Service.

According to the administration's 2027 budget proposal, released today, funding for park operations could be reduced by $736 million.

“A cut this massive would be catastrophic," said John Gardner, senior director of budget and appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association, in a press release. "After a year of deep staffing cuts, dwindling resources, and attacks on history and science, park staff are already at the brink... This proposal would only accelerate the damage."

At the same time, the Trump administration is proposing the allocation of $10 billion within the Park Service for a new "Presidential Capital Stewardship Program" for beautification efforts around Washington, D.C. That's more than three times the annual budget of the Park Service, and nearly half of the Park Service's total deferred maintenance backlog across the entire system...

CLICK HERE for the complete article in SF Gate.

Mother Lode Trails:
Trump and his administration are actively ignoring what Americans are requesting: continue funding our National Parks and Park Service. CLICK HERE see what surveys state, "Nobody Wants This: Polls find Majority of Americans Oppose Attacks on National Parks and Park Staff." Last year, when the cuts were less onerous, more than 2/3 of Americans surveyed opposed the Trump’s proposed budget cuts, while only 16% support cutting park staff.

Opening dates for Lake Tahoe Recreation Sites

Loon Lake New Equestrian ONLY Camp Sites in Eldorado National Forest

Trump's administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from D.C to Salt Lake City and will shutter research facilities in 31 states.

Trump admin proposing 'catastrophic' cuts to the National Park Service in today's 2027 budget

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