TAHOMA, Calif.— California State Parks today issued a travel notice for outdoor enthusiasts planning a trip to the Tahoe region, due to the historic snowpack in the Sierra. Many state parks still have 3-6' of snow throughout campgrounds and day-use areas. While temperatures in the forecast should assist the snow in melting, park staff still do not have the access they normally have at this time of year to begin cleaning the facility, repairing damage, and charging water systems. As a result, the opening of campgrounds Emerald Bay State Park, Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, Grover Hot Springs State Park, Plumas-Eureka State Park, and Tahoe State Recreation Area will be delayed for Memorial Day weekend. Donner Memorial State Park may be delayed in opening; staff will reassess in the coming weeks.

The Tahoe Basin is bear country and natural resource and law enforcement agencies are working diligently to remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in or visiting bear country. To help spread our message, we’ve launched a new website, TahoeBears.org, where residents and visitors can go to learn everything they need to know about living, visiting and playing responsibly in bear country. The website was made possible through a generous donation by the Sierra State Park Foundation and features an online reporting tool the public can use to report bear sightings. Collecting information about bear sightings will assist agencies in gathering better data to help Keep Tahoe Bears Wild. Submissions are anonymous and data gathered will not be used to track individual bears. This form is not to be used for emergencies. If you need immediate assistance, please contact 911.

Lake Tahoe natural resource and law enforcement agencies remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal at all times while in bear country. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears can result in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues, as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized. Become part of the solution and help us Keep Tahoe Bears Wild!    

California State Parks and the Sierra State Parks Foundation are proud to debut California’s first maritime heritage underwater trail devoted to showcasing Lake Tahoe’s historic recreational watercraft and barges that now rest below the surface of Emerald Bay. Starting today, October 1, scuba divers can explore three newly revealed dive sites under Emerald Bay in addition to the Barge Dive Site established in 1998. The new Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail (Emerald Bay Underwater Trail) is the first of its kind in California.