Tahoe National Forest

Site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the Tahoe National Forest offers fishing, water sports, horseback riding, hiking, camping, skiing and scenic drives through historic gold mining towns.

The forest, near Lake Tahoe, has 341 miles of summer hiking trails, 979 miles of trails for off-road vehicles and 295 miles of winter trails for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

The many streams, lakes and man-made reservoirs offer fishing, boating, sailing, waterskiing and swimming. Boat launches can be found at most of the larger lakes and reservoirs. Rafting, kayaking and canoeing are also popular.

The forest contains the Granite Chief Wilderness that surrounds the headwaters of the American River and a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.

There is a visitor center at I-80 at Rainbow-Big Bend in Cisco Grove.