All Forest Service land in Lake Tahoe Basin, including its beaches and resorts, temporarily close

USDA Forest Service is temporarily closing nine Northern California national forests for public safety concerns during the current high fire danger. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), and the Tahoe National Forest are included in this order which is in effect from Sunday, August 22 at 11:59 p.m. to September 16 at 11:59 p.m.

This temporary order includes all USFS beaches, campgrounds, resorts, trails and trailheads in the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to Lisa Herron of the LTBMU. The order does not include recreation areas operated by the City, County and State. Lake Tahoe is open, and this order is strictly for USFS land.

Included in the closure order: Baldwin, Pope, Kiva Beaches on SR89, Camp Richardson Resort and Campground, Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, Nevada Beach and Campground, Round Hill Pines, Zephyr Cove Beach and Campground, Chimney Beach, Secret Cove, Meeks Bay Resort and Campground, William Kent Campground, Kaspian Campground, Taylor Creek, Tallac Historic Site and Valhalla.

“Fires are running very quickly due to the drought conditions, dry fuels, and winds. This makes initial attack and containment very difficult and is even more challenging with strained resources who are battling more than 100 large fires across the country,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “We do not take this decision lightly and understand how this impacts people who enjoy recreating on the National Forests. These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts. I want to thank the public for your patience during this challenging situation.”

The closure order can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xF7EM. Affected forests include:

Modoc National Forest
Klamath National Forest
Plumas National Forest
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Lassen National Forest
Six Rivers National Forest
Mendocino National Forest
Tahoe National Forest

The following persons are exempt from this Order:

Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order
Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the Performance of an official duty.
Persons with a Forest Service non-special-use written authorization to conduct non-recreational activities, such as harvesting timber or forest products, or grazing livestock.
Owners or lessees of land, to the extent necessary to access their land.
Residents, to the extent necessary to access their residences.
Persons engaged in a business, trade, or occupation are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above but may use National Forest System roads to the extent necessary to carry out their business, trade, or occupation.

Additionally, the Eldorado National Forest is currently closed due to the Caldor Fire until Sept. 30 and has a separate list of exemptions. You can find more info here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado.

More than 6,500 wildfires have burned 1.2 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the Northern California Geographic Area has been at Preparedness Level 5 since Aug. 5, 2021 – indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity.

The Forest Service thanks its partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this extreme fire threat. Citizens with specific questions within their area should consult their local forest website or social media pages for more information.