Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

Dogs

Dogs on a 6' leash are allowed on paved areas, in the campground, and in the historic zone of the day use area. Dogs are not allowed on beaches, unpaved trails, or in undeveloped areas.  Leashed dogs are allowed on the General Creek Fire Road during the summer.  Dogs are not allowed on ski trails in the winter. Dog regulations are enforced YEAR-ROUND.

Celebrate Winter With Us!

The ski trails are not being groomed at this time.  Grooming updates will be posted on this website as well as on the snow phone. Please be advised that dogs are NOT allowed on snow trails or any other undeveloped areas in the park.

All grooming is sponsored by the Sierra State Parks Foundation, and donations for the ski trails are appreciated. For information on special events, guided snow shoe tours or donations, visit the Sierra State Parks Foundation located on the related pages link to the right.

Cross Country Skiing

In the winter, visitors to the park can enjoy 11 miles of cross country ski and snowshoe trails. Follow the path of the Nordic events of the 1960 Winter Olympics that occurred in what is now Sugar Pine Point State Park. Starting at the Blue Trailhead, located at the day use parking on the campground (west) side of the highway, you will come across a series of interpretive panels that share our Olympic and Nordic skiing history. Free snow trail maps are available at the park entrance stations.

The cross country ski trails on the Day Use side of the park (lake side, east of Hwy 89), including the Yellow and Orange trails, are not machine-groomed. Snowshoers and hikers, please do not walk on the ski tracks. Be prepared for changing weather conditions.  $5 parking fee.

Winter Camping

OFF-SEASON: WINTER - Showers and dump station close October 14, 2019

Throughout the winter season, the campground will have a limited number of sites that will remain open.  During the winter season the campground is on a first come / first serve basis.  Winter fees are $25 per night.  Fees include one vehicle.  Extra vehicles are $5 per night each.   The showers and dump station are closed for the season.  The campground has a centrally located heated restroom with potable water.  Fees are due by self-registration immediately after selecting a vacant site - Cash (Closest ATM at Obexers Homewood) /Check (CA DPR).  Maintenance will plow campground roads and parking areas as available.  Campers are responsible for shoveling out fire rings, food lockers, and picnic benches. All camping regulations are in effect year-round. Closest firewood sales are in Tahoe City (10 miles north on Hwy 89).

Camping

DUMP STATION IS CLOSED. SHOWERS CLOSE ON OCTOBER 14TH, 2019.
 
The campground (Sugar Pine Point SP) is currently on first come/first serve camping.  Dump Station is now closed.  Showers close on October 14th, 2019 and we will move to our winter camping schedule.  For information on SUMMER camping reservations, call Reserve California at 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or visit www.reservecalifornia.com. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance of the date you would like to arrive. The Lake Tahoe area is a popular destination and reservations are recommended.

During on-season, there are 10 group campsites and 120 family campsites.  Fees for on-season camping are $35 per night.  Fees include one vehicle.  Extra vehicles are $10 per night. Group sites are $165 a night and include 10 vehicles in the fees. The campground does not have hook-ups, but there are showers and a dump station for registered campers.  

Check In     - 2 pm                                                                   Check Out   - Noon
Generator Hours   10am - 8pm                                            Quiet Hours           10pm - 6am       
2 Vehicles allowed per campsite                                          Children must have helmets for bicycles/scooters/skateboards
8 people allowed per campsite                                            Dogs must be leashed and never unattended
Vehicles must be parked on pavement                               Amplified music is only allowed with a permit
Food must be stored DAY and NIGHT                                  All CA vehicle regulations apply - no passengers in truckbed

Food Storage Locker Information - Important and required.

All food, beverages, toiletries, and trash containing food/smells are required by law to be stored in provided food lockers except when food is being prepared or eaten. Black bears are currently very active at Sugar Pine as they are just waking from a long winter and are very interested in ALL items that smell like food.  Metal bear-resistant food lockers are provided in each campsite.  Ice chests may NOT be stored in vehicles and shall be stored in the food storage locker. The inside dimensions of the food lockers 36" deep, 43" wide, and 22" high.  Violations will be cited.

Attention: Bear-Proof Cooler Owners  BEAR-PROOF COOLERS (Yeti, Pelican, Yukon etc.) MUST be secured with locks per manufacturer instructions in order to meet Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) standards. Failure to do so may result in a Food Storage Citation and up to a $1000 Fine _{Title XIV CCR 4323(b).}  It is recommended that a cable lock is also used to attach the bear cooler to a non moveable item. Bears are known to take off with and/or toss coolers around to try to open them.  

Day Use

Sugar Pine Point Day Use Area - Hellman-Ehrman Estate

Day Use facilities, including the historic Hellman-Ehrman Estate, picnic area, beach and pier are 3/4 mile south from the campground. Day Use parking is $10 per vehicle during the peak season, $5 per vehicle in the winter, or free if you are camping at Sugar Pine Point. Fees are required year round and due by self-payment when the kiosk is unstaffed. There is a separate fee for historic tours of the Hellman-Ehrman Estate.  Please contact the Sierra State Parks Foundation for tour schedule information. The tours are available from Memorial Day Weekend (late May) to September 30th.

About the Park

Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park contains one of the finest remaining natural areas on Lake Tahoe. With nearly two miles of lake frontage, the park has dense forests of pine, fir, aspen and juniper.

Another attraction is the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion (also known as Pine Lodge), a summer home built in 1903 in a grove of pine and cedar. From the turn of the century until 1965, the lands of what is now Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park were owned by financier Isaias W. Hellman, and later by his daughter Florence Hellman Ehrman. The mansion provides an interesting view into the lifestyles of the wealthy on Lake Tahoe.

Location/Directions
The park is located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, ten miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89.

Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
Summer temperatures range from about 75-80 degrees during the day to the low 40s at night, and winter temperatures average from a high of 40 to lows in the teens or 20s. Winter temperatures may drop below 0. High Sierra weather is varied and can change abruptly. It is recommended to bring layered clothing and check weather updates.  The weather forecast is available from NOAA.gov. 
Chains and/ or 4 wheel drive are frequently required during the winter season.  For up to date road conditions, call the Caltrans road hotline at 1800-427-ROAD, or visit the Caltrans website.  

Facilities - Activities
Hiking & Swimming
Many miles of hiking trails within the park and a swimming beach provide visitors with a variety of relaxing summer activities.

Fishing
Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park is comprised of conifer forests in the General Creek drainage. The waters of General Creek are among the clearest waters flowing into Lake Tahoe and the stream is open to fishing from mid July to mid September.A fishing license is required.

Cross-Country Skiing
Winter visitors to the park will find over 20 kilometers of marked cross country ski trails and a heated restroom in the General Creek campground. Interpretive presentations on a variety of winter related subjects are presented most weekends, from January through March.

Nature Center
When you're at Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park, be sure to stop at the Nature Center located in the day use area by the Ehrman Mansion. We now have a bird display, where visitors can view several species of bird life that occur in the Tahoe Basin. In addition to birds, visitors can see most of the mammals and the four major game fish that occur here. Other exhibits include: Biology, Lake Ecology, Wildflowers, Trees, and a "Touchy-feely" table for the kids (adults also!).

About the area...
Lake Tahoe lay at the heart of the Washoe Indian territory, and Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park was the summer home for generations of Washoe Indians who came to these peaceful shores to hunt and fish. Evidence of their occupation can still be seen today in the form of bedrock mortars or grinding rocks just offshore from the Ehrman Mansion.

In 1860, the first permanent settler of record on Lake Tahoe's west shore built a cabin at the mouth of General Creek. This was the trapper and fisherman William "General" Phipps, and his cabin can still be seen today just north of the Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park pier. In 1884, a resort called Bellevue Hotel was constructed just north of what is now the South Boathouse, and remained a popular summer destination for Lake Tahoe visitors for nine years.

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