Forest Service closes portions of Lake Tahoe areas including PCT, Rubicon and Tahoe Rim Trail

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has closed areas of the forest on the west side of Lake Tahoe for public safety during the Caldor Fire. Backcountry areas in Desolation Wilderness, Meiss Country, Barker Pass and McKinney/Rubicon will be closed, along with portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.

The closure is in effect from August 19 to September 19, 2021.

Forest Order:

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety, the following acts are prohibited within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. This Order is effective from August 19, 2021 through September 19, 2021.

1. Going into or being within the Desolation Wilderness Closure Area. The Desolation Wilderness Closure boundary begins at Lost Corner Mountain. The closure boundary travels generally east, south, and then west along the marked Wilderness Boundary until it meets the forest boundary on the southwest. From that corner, the closure boundary travels north along the forest boundary back to the beginning, as shown on the attached map
(Exhibit A). 36 C.F.R. § 261.53(e).

2. Going into or being within the Meiss Backcountry Closure Area. The Meiss Backcountry Closure boundary begins at Hwy 50 and the Hawley Grade Trail (18E10) and travels southeast to the junction of the Hawley Grade Trail and the southern end of Hawley Grade Road (Forest Road 1110). The boundary then travels north to the junction of South Upper Truckee Road then travels east along this road to the junction of Highway 89. The closure boundary then travels along Highway 89 to the forest boundary where it then travels
southwest, west, then north to the junction of Hwy 50, then east along Hwy 50 to the starting point, as shown on the attached map (Exhibit B). 36 C.F.R. § 261.53(e).

3. Being on the Barker Pass Road (Forest Road 3) and Blackwood Creek Road (Forest Road 15N38) west from their mutual junction, as shown on the attached map (Exhibit C). 36 C.F.R. § 261.54(e).

4. Being on any of the following trails: the Pacific Crest Trail (2000) north from Barker Pass to the junction of the Tahoe Rim Trail; McKinney/Rubicon Trail (14N34); the 14N40 trail; the 14N40B trail; the 14N54 trail; the 16E01 trail; the 16E03 trail; and the 16E12 trail as
shown on the attached map (Exhibit C). 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(a).

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit of Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order.
2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
3. Persons with a permit authorizing ownership of a recreation residence located off of Hawley Grade Road (Forest Road 1110) and Bridge Rd (Forest Road 1111) in the Meiss Backcountry Closure are allowed to access their properties but may not travel outside of the footprint of the property as specified in their special use permit.

These prohibitions are in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 C.F.R. Part 261, Subpart A.

A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 18 U.S.C. § 3559, 3571, and 3581.

Done at South Lake Tahoe, California, this 19th day of August 2021.