Trail access limited, lifts damaged

Interior smoke on the Caldor fire on September 9, 2021 in Division QQ. | Photo by Kaleena Lynde, USFS, Courtesy Calfire

Most U.S. Forest Service districts have reopened in the Tahoe Sierra, but with the Caldor Fire still only 76 percent contained as of press time and fire danger still high throughout the region, some forest areas and trails remain closed to the public.

Sierra-at-Tahoe has also reported damage to two lifts at the ski area from the Caldor Fire.

“Nob Hill and Short Stuff have sustained damage to varying degrees. When the fire crews wrap up their work, we will be able to really get in and understand more about the level of repair needed and the timeline related to how quickly that can happen,” the resort reported in a post on Facebook, noting that it has been unable to do a full assessment of the property yet. Follow updates @SierraAtTahoe

Trail damage | Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association is also reporting damage to more than 20 miles of trails on the South Shore including Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Corral Trail, Sidewinder, Incense Cedar, Armstrong Connector and Armstrong Pass Trail.

“We have begun assessing damage to trails via satellite data and also from some TAMBA members/volunteers who are local firefighters and have been providing us information on some of the impacts to the trails,” said Patrick Parsel, trails coordinator for TAMBA in a Facebook post. “Some of the most popular mountain bike trails in the Tahoe Basin burned during the Caldor Fire.” Follow updates at @TAMBAtahoe

Forest closures | Portions of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are closed through Dec. 31 due to the Caldor Fire including areas around Fallen Leaf Lake and the South Shore.

Eldorado National Forest reopened on Sept. 30 to day use only with a smaller Caldor Fire Closure in effect now until March 31, 2022. This closure will be modified as conditions improve in the fire area. Maps for the closure area can be found here: fs.usda.gov

Portions of the Plumas National Forest near the Dixie and Beckwourth fires are closed until Nov. 30. Details on all closures at fs.usda.gov

State parks | All state parks around Lake Tahoe have reopened. Spooner Lake’s main entrance remains closed for parking enhancements, but trail access is open.

Trail closures | Portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail remain closed due to fire danger and Forest Service closures. | tahoerimtrail.org

Back-country | Back-country area closures have been extended until Oct. 20 for Desolation Wilderness, Meiss Backcountry, Barker Pass and McKinney/Rubicon. Visit fs.usda.gov for details and closure maps.

Check all areas in advance of visiting for up-to-date information.


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Katherine Hill
Katherine first moved to Tahoe in 1998 and has been in love with the Tahoe Sierra region since. She has been in the journalism field for more than 25 years and has worked for daily and weekly newspapers and magazines, as well as online publications and Web sites, as an award-winning writer and editor. In the fall of 2013, Katherine became only the third owner of the Tahoe Weekly magazine, and today serves as its Publisher and Editor In Chief. She also volunteers as a board member on of the Tahoe City Downtown Association, a commissioner on the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council and is a member of the TBID Advisory Committee for the North Tahoe Community Alliance. She is also a past commissioner of the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Commission.