Tahoe National Forest

Tahoe National Forest
Castle Valley near Lake Tahoe
Map showing the location of Tahoe National Forest
Map showing the location of Tahoe National Forest
Map of the United States
LocationNorthwest of Lake Tahoe, California, U.S.
Nearest cityTruckee, California
Coordinates39°33′45″N 120°33′45″W / 39.56250°N 120.56250°W / 39.56250; -120.56250
Area871,495 acres (3,526.82 km2)
Established1905
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
Websitewww.fs.usda.gov/tahoe

Tahoe National Forest is a United States National Forest located in California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. It includes the 8,587-foot (2,617 m) peak of Sierra Buttes, near Sierra City, which has views of Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is located in parts of six counties: Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Plumas and El Dorado. The forest has a total area of 871,495 acres (1,362 sq mi; 3,527 km2). Its headquarters is in Nevada City, California. There are local ranger district offices in Camptonville, Foresthill, Sierraville and Truckee.[1]

Tahoe National Forest has many natural and man-made resources for the enjoyment of its visitors, including hundreds of lakes and reservoirs (most notably Boca Reservoir), river canyons carving through granite bedrock, and many miles of trails including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. The National Wilderness Preservation System's Granite Chief Wilderness is close by to Tahoe City, where many trails branch out into the Wilderness.

The forest also serves as the water supply headwaters for the towns of Lincoln, Auburn and Rocklin. Reno, Nevada and Sparks, Nevada also receive their water from the Truckee River which runs through both cities on its way to its terminus at Pyramid Lake. It is also home to three wolverines.[2]