Forest Order closes Taylor Creek and land around it; Rainbow Trail still open

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Just as the throngs of visitors head to Taylor Creek to watch the annual salmon run up Taylor Creek, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has issued a forest closure to last through the spawning season, October 27.

The public, including photographers, cannot enter Taylor Creek or be within 400 feet of the creek from the Fallen Leaf Dam and continuing north to the high-water mark on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

The salmon can still be seen from the Rainbow Trail at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, one of two trails that can be used in the closed area. The other is the Pope Baldwin Bike Path. Use of any other National Forest trail within the closure area is prohibited.

Forest officials said the closure is the provide a safe environment for both visitors and wildlife during the Kokanee salmon spawning season. The closure includes October 5-6, the dates of the annual Fall Fish Festival. All activities will still take place around the Visitor Center, as usual.

In the past, visitors climbed over fences and walked through the forest to get "selfies" and close-up photos of bears that come to the creek to feed. Signage and staff had a strong presence in the area since then to keep people on the trail,

During the closure, no parking will be allowed on the shoulder of Highway 89 near the bridge that crosses Taylor Creek.

The Forest Closure Order is available for viewing online at https://go.usa.gov/xVfjp under the “Taylor Creek” heading.

Violation of the Forest Closure Order is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both (16 USC 551 and 18 USC 3559, 3571, and 3581).