LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. (July 20, 2024) – Users of the popular multi-use paved trails throughout the Tahoe Basin and Truckee will find new messages stenciled in chalk along the trails encouraging trail etiquette. The messages, tested last summer on the Legacy Trail in Truckee and later on the Pope-Baldwin Trail in South Lake Tahoe, encourage users to โ€œshare the path,โ€ โ€œkeep right, pass left,โ€ and also include more tongue-in-cheek reminders like โ€œwe put a man on the moon, surely we can share this trail.โ€ Messages have been stenciled in English and Spanish.

Video by Beck Marshall

โ€œTake Care Tahoe launched the Trail Etiquette Stencil program last summer to help educate users about how to share the trail,โ€ said Nettie Pardue, Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council managing director. โ€œThe messaging was fun and effective, and weโ€™re excited to roll it out more broadly this summer. Our goal is to continue to educate residents and visitors about the behaviors we want to see so that everyone has a good experience.โ€

Truckee Bike Month Stencils
Truckee Bike Month Stencils

Some of the biggest problems the initiative aims to address are large groups blocking the entire trail by walking side-by-side, and bikes or other types of wheels going too fast around pedestrians.

The Stewardship Action Team convened by the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council is leading the expansion of the program throughout the Tahoe Basin and Truckee. Stenciled messaging will be installed and managed all summer on multi-use paved trails managed by the North Tahoe Public Utilities District, South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City Public Utilities District, Town of Truckee and Washoe County.

Spanish Stencil and Biker. Photo by Noah Shapiro
Spanish Stencil and Biker. Photo by Noah Shapiro

Implementation of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan is occurring in collaboration with over 20 regional organizations. The award-winning plan, developed with the participation of over 3,000 residents, visitors and businesses, establishes a shared vision for the regionโ€™s outdoor recreation and tourism and encourages everyone to help take care of Tahoeโ€™s cherished communities and environment. Visit www.stewardshiptahoe.org to learn more and read the plan.

About the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan

The Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan establishes a shared vision for the regionโ€™s outdoor recreation and tourism and encourages everyone to help take care of Tahoeโ€™s cherished communities and environment. The award-winning plan, developed with the participation of over 3,000 residents, visitors, and businesses, is being implemented by Action Teams convened by the Lake Tahoe Stewardship Council, and in collaboration with over 20 regional organizations. Visit www.stewardshiptahoe.org to learn more and read the plan.