About Tahoe National Forest

Welcome to the Tahoe National Forest, where you are invited to spend your days enjoying the scenic variety and clean air of the high Sierras. These lands are managed to provide a variety of recreation opportunities while restoring forest ecosystems and producing important goods and services for the American public. The Forest name, taken from the famed Lake Tahoe, is probably from a Washoe Indian word meaning 'Big Water.'The Tahoe National Forest is located northeast of Sacramento in the central Sierra Nevada mountains, west of Lake Tahoe. Federal, State and County Highways and Forest roads provide excellent access to most portions of the Forest. The Sierra Nevadas offer scenic beauty and an attractive climate that make the area an outstanding year-round center for outdoor recreation. Elevations within the Forest vary from about 1,500 feet in the foothills to over 9,000 feet at the Sierra crest.