NEVADA CITY, Calif. June 30, 2017 – The Tahoe National Forest is gearing up for a busy weekend, with visitors flocking to campgrounds, hiking trails and other popular areas. Weather forecasts for Fourth of July weekend are calling for warm and sunny conditions. Have you booked your campsite yet?
“Most Tahoe National Forest campgrounds are open for the busy Fourth of July weekend,” said Eli Ilano, Forest Supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest. “Come out and enjoy the lakes, trees and mountains that make Tahoe National Forest such a special place.”
If planning to camp overnight at a designated campground, make reservations ahead of time at www.recreation.gov. A limited number of campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Access to some developed recreation sites is hindered by storm-related road damage and lingering snow. As a result, the following campground areas will not be open for Fourth of July weekend: Bowman Lake; Grouse Ridge; Jackson Meadows; Meadow Lake; and Lake of the Woods.
Campfire permits are required for campfires, portable gas stoves, charcoal stoves or wood fires outside a designated campground or picnic area. Campfire permits are available at Forest Service offices or at www.preventwildfireca.org. Campers must clear all flammable material away from the fire for a minimum of five feet in all directions in order to prevent escape of the fire, have a shovel available to prepare and extinguish campfires, have a responsible person in attendance at all times, and extinguish the campfire with water using the drown, stir and feel method.
Fireworks are not allowed anywhere on the Tahoe National Forest.
The Forest Service encourages visitors to be safe when recreating on the Forest. With warmer weather melting this winter’s substantial snowpack, rivers are running higher and colder than recent years, resulting in dangerous conditions.
Winter storms caused damage to some Tahoe National Forest roads, including two popular forest roads. The Bowman Road is closed to motor vehicles at the low water crossing for Canyon Creek and Buckeye Road is closed at Greenhorn Creek. As the snow melts, other road damage is being revealed. For current information on road conditions, view the storm damage map on the Tahoe National Forest website at bit.ly/2slRnH2 or call your local ranger station: American River (530) 367-2224; Yuba River (530) 288-3231; Sierraville (530) 994-3401; or Truckee (530) 587-3558.
For more Tahoe National Forest information, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF.