Whether you're baking in the dry heat of a Sacramento Valley summer or languishing amid the rain showers of a San Francisco winter, the heights of the Sierra Nevada, straight to the east within Tahoe National Forest, can seem like Shangri-La. In summer, Tahoe's deep river canyons and high peaks beckon adventurers in search of cool air and waters, panoramic views, meadows of wildflowers, and forest of firs, hemlocks and hardwoods. And in winter, when the conifers groan under the weight of hundreds of inches of"Sierra cement" - the moisture-laden snow the California mountains rob from Pacific storm systems - the greatest concentration of ski lifts in the country is just a straight shot on I-80 away from the Bay Area.
The sapphire shimmer of Lake Tahoe - the nation's largest and deepest alpine lake - is the hub of this part of the Sierra Nevada, and the Tahoe National Forest extends deep into the mountains north and west of the lake. While the Tahoe doesn't include any Lake Tahoe frontage, the blue-within-blue lake is certainly part of the allure of the forest's high-country views. Elevations climb from about 1,500 feet in the forest's western foothills to more than 9,000 feet at the Sierra Crest. Landscapes in the Tahoe run the gamut. In the western foothills, dry woodlands dominate, with patches of chaparral brush here and there; from about 3,500 and 8,200 feet you'll find montane forests of ponderosa pines and red and white firs. Heading higher toward the Sierra Crest is subalpine country with stands of lodgepole and whitebark pines, low shrubs such as greenleaf manzanita, and primrose-dotted meadows. And in the rarified air above timberline, you'll find windblown grasses and sedges, monkey-flowers, dwarf huckleberry, and mountain sorrel amid the stark rock of exposed volcanic plugs. The forest supports wildlife including mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, badgers, and gray fox.
Tahoe is one of the most historically significant of our national forests, having hosted the Gold Rush of 1849 and served as the gateway through which most emigrants entered California. Native Americans have used Donner Pass for thousands of years, and from wagon trains to the first transcontinental railway and highway, this break in the wall of the Sierra has served as a natural turnpike. (And yes, it was the scene of the grisly demise of the Donner Party in 1846-47.)
Given its scenic glories and proximity to large population centers, it's not surprising that Tahoe is one of the most heavily visited of all national forests. More than 5 million people a year come here to hike, mountain-bike, pitch a tent, play in whitewater, cross-country ski, and launch off cliffs on snowboards or alpine skis. Chances are good that you'll find a lifetime's worth of the big outside within these borders.
Return to 
Top
RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP California Resources
GORPtravel Adventure Vacations
from Away.com
