Tahoe National Forest

Located in the northern Sierra Nevada, Tahoe National Forest covers 871,000 acres of rugged terrain from the Sacramento Valley foothills to the Sierra crest, encompassing a landscape steeped in gold rush and railroad history. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the forest along the high ridgeline, while historic Donner Pass -- site of the tragic Donner Party winter of 1846-47 and later the first transcontinental railroad crossing of the Sierra -- provides dramatic scenery and world-class rock climbing. The American River's North Fork and Middle Fork offer excellent whitewater kayaking and rafting through steep granite canyons, while numerous reservoirs including Stampede, Boca, and Bowman Lake provide fishing and camping. Gold rush-era mining towns such as Downieville and Sierra City anchor a network of legendary mountain bike trails, with the Downieville Downhill recognized as one of the premier mountain biking rides in North America. The Granite Chief Wilderness protects 25,000 acres of alpine terrain near the Palisades Tahoe ski resort, while the forest's heavy snowfall -- averaging over 400 inches annually at higher elevations -- supports extensive cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and backcountry touring. The forest's mixed conifer stands of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, Douglas fir, and white fir support healthy populations of black bear, mule deer, mountain lion, and the sensitive California spotted owl.