USFS readying Tahoe sites for summer

The U.S. Forest Service recreational facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin will start to open this month.

Kiva picnic area, Baldwin and Nevada beaches, Big Meadow trailhead, the McKinney Rubicon off-highway vehicle area and Sawmill Pond, Eagle Falls, Chimney Beach and Secret Harbor parking areas open April 30.  The Sandpit OHV area opens May 10. William Kent, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Bayview, Fallen Leaf and Nevada Beach campgrounds open May 13. Luther Pass Campground opens May 25, and Pope Beach opens May 27.  Blackwood Canyon and Watson Lake campgrounds open June 1.

The Taylor Creek Visitor Center parking area, grounds and restrooms open May 14. The Tallac Historic Site opens April 30, and will be staffed beginning May 21.

Before recreation sites fully open to the public, the Forest Service must hire crews and staff to manage the sites, clean up from winter, remove safety hazards and wait for the danger of a freeze to pass before turning on water systems.