Little Norway no more - demolished as new owners make plans

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What was known as Little Norway for decades is now a thing of the past. Situated along US50 near the top of Echo Summit, Little Norway was a bar and restaurant, a Greyhound bus stop, and a popular apres-ski spot. It was originally established as a post office in 1961.

Over the years, there were three damaging fires at Little Norway, in 1967, 1988, and 1991. The 1988 fire was determined to be arson.

Longtime Lake Tahoe locals remember Little Norway as the place they'd stop at for a burger and beer after skiing at Sierra Ski Ranch in the 1960s, and as a nice place to hang out after working at nearby Echo Summit Ski Area.

In 2001, a couple bought the 2.3-acre property that had been abandoned for about a decade and had big plans, starting with the removal of gasoline storage tanks from its days as a gas station. They were going to create their own brand of bottled water and create a three-room inn, restaurant, bar, and recreational area.

Those aspirations never transpired, and what remained of Little Norway became "unsightly" and a "nuisance" and the property was sold.

The new owner obtained a demolition permit and the building has been removed from the site, with all trash and debris hauled to a waste facility for processing. As of Friday morning, a few chunks of pavement and a dumpster were about all that remained of Little Norway.

According to El Dorado County Planning and Building, no other building permits have been issued. They said the new owner has applied for a Design Review permit for the redevelopment of the property which includes an 8-pump gas station and a 5,000-square-foot convenience store named “Oasis Convenience Market.”

That application is still incomplete but the applicant is providing the requested plans and documents. The site is just outside the Tahoe Basin and a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency review is not required.