Now Open to the Public! 

The Tahoe Fund joined Nevada State Parks, donors and stakeholders at Spooner Lake State park for an official ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the highly anticipated completion of the new Visitor Center and Amphitheater. New facilities, which include a visitor center, amphitheater, gift shop, restrooms, warming room, interpretive atrium, group picnic pavilions, and park office, are now open for the public to enjoy. 

Spooner Lake State Park offers diverse and highly sought-after recreational opportunities for both local residents and visitors from around the world. Established in 1981, Spooner Lake is one of Nevada’s most prized recreational resources within Nevada’s system of State Parks. The park is a popular four-season destination for hikers, mountain bikers, anglers, equestrian users, snowshoers and cross-country skiers, and a wide variety of nature lovers. 

In 2018, Nevada State Parks teamed up with partners from the Nevada Division of State Lands, the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team, the Washoe Tribe and the Tahoe Fund to reimagine Spooner Lake. With more than 150,000 visitors a year, 60 miles of trails and 13,000 acres of wilderness to explore, the goal was to create a trailhead facility that matched the splendor of Spooner’s beautiful backcountry. The new one-of-a-kind facilities at Spooner Lake provide a magical environmental education venue for people of all ages.

“We are so thankful to the Tahoe Fund donors who generously provided $300,000 in private funding to help secure the public funds necessary to make this dream project happen,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Congratulations to Nevada State Parks and all the partners for breaking ground on these much needed improvements that will support the users and the natural environment.”

The new visitor center and amphitheater serve as the heart of Spooner’s natural and cultural history programs and ranger-led hikes and tours, as well as provide an immersive environmental education and science venue for students. The facilities also serve as a major portal to the expansive and spectacular non-motorized primitive wilderness within the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak expressed his support of the Spooner Lake Park improvement projects: “The completion of the new Spooner Lake and Backcountry Visitor Center and Amphitheater is a historic milestone reflecting Nevada’s celebrated outdoor heritage, and will provide all Nevadans, families and visitors with accessible, affordable, and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities for generations to come. In addition to providing new opportunities for the public to connect with nature and explore the beautiful backcountry around Spooner Lake, these facilities solidify the entire east shore of Lake Tahoe as a world-class recreation destination. As recreation demand continues to rapidly grow, programs that focus on environmental education and stewardship are key to providing a quality recreation experience and strengthening Nevada’s economy, while protecting our precious natural and cultural resources simultaneously. I thank all of the public and private partners for working together to make this project a reality. This public-private collaboration is the perfect example of how we can come together to make remarkable things happen.” 

The Tahoe Fund and Nevada State Parks are also teaming up on the third and final phase of the park improvements which will include a new wildlife viewing platform and kayak launch on Spooner Lake. State Parks will be seeking public input on design options this winter. 

Nonprofit seeks projects that will improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy

The Tahoe Fund today announced the opening of its annual call for projects. The nonprofit is seeking projects for its 2023 portfolio that will increase the pace and scale of forest restoration, improve lake clarity, expand sustainable recreation, provide innovative solutions to transportation challenges and create more stewards of Lake Tahoe. Priority projects will also break down barriers to access and increase inclusion for underserved communities in Tahoe.

Since its inception, the Tahoe Fund has supported more than 80 impactful projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin working with more than 30 partners. Projects submitted for consideration may receive immediate funding or be selected for a Tahoe Fund project campaign in 2023. 

“Our annual call for projects is an opportunity for innovative thinkers and organizations to secure the funding they need to bring their projects to life,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund Board Chair. “This year, we are excited to see how our partners are expanding access and building inclusion as they work to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.” 

Public agencies and nonprofits are invited to submit proposals for projects that require $5,000 to $1,000,000 in funding. Projects with the ability to leverage additional public funding as a result of Tahoe Fund support will be prioritized.

“In our last fiscal year, we funded 42 different projects – more than ever before,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “The generosity of our donors enabled us to distribute over $1 million in grants to our partner organizations, supporting incredible projects like the scuba cleanup of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline, the restoration of our trails destroyed during the Caldor Fire, and new technology to map forest health projects in Tahoe.” 

Previous and current projects are varied and benefit diverse users and goals in the Basin. They include the building of the Meeks Ridge Trail on Tahoe’s West Shore, support for free microtransit services offered by TART Connect, scholarships for the Lake Tahoe Community College Forestry program, “Tahoe’s Nature for All” programming for underserved community members offered by the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science, and EarthViews’ new Lake Tahoe shoreline mapping tool.

All submissions will be reviewed by the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors, which is tasked with developing the Tahoe Fund’s Signature and Premier Projects Portfolio. 

Project submissions are due by January 31, 2023. Guidelines and the request for project submission form can be found here.

Old logging roads above Incline Village, NV transformed into a new singletrack trail designed by freeride mountain bike athlete Cam Zink’s trail building nonprofit

The Upper Tyrolian Trail, North Lake Tahoe’s newest singletrack mountain bike trail featuring berms, jumps and other interesting natural features is now open above Incline Village, Nevada. The project was spearheaded by the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA) with a $60,000 grant from the Tahoe Fund. Its completion was celebrated today by the volunteers, supporters and donors who made it possible.

Together with the U.S. Forest Service and Sensus R.A.D. Trails, a trail building nonprofit by local freeride mountain bike athlete Cam Zink, TAMBA converted old logging roads into nearly two miles of sustainable singletrack trail that connects Tahoe Meadows off Mount Rose Highway to the existing Tyrolian Downhill Trail. The new upper section of the trail provides an official start trailhead with improved signage, and was designed to reduce mountain bike traffic on the Tahoe Rim Trail. 

“This trail project was a long time coming, and we’re thrilled to be officially turning it over to the public to enjoy,” said Patrick Parsel, TAMBA trails director. “Building sustainable trails in the Tahoe Basin is our priority, and we couldn’t do it without the support of partners like the Tahoe Fund and the U.S. Forest Service.”

The first part of the Upper Tyrolian Trail was built as a flowy singletrack trail that incorporates natural features to enhance the rider experience. After 0.75 miles, the trail transitions to one with professionally designed and built rollovers, tabletops, step-ups, step-downs and triple-option jumps that provide a unique and challenging experience for riders to practice and build their skills. 

The second element of the project was to decommission miles of eroded logging roads in the area where the Upper Tyrolian Trail begins. These dirt roads were used extensively by logging operations and were not designed to manage stormwater. Decommissioning included scarifying compacted areas, naturalizing the soil surface with pine duff, and incorporating erosion control features to reduce sediment runoff into creeks that flow into Lake Tahoe.

“TAMBA’s commitment to building trails that provide sustainable recreation throughout Tahoe are unparalleled, and partnering with them to complete this trail aligned perfectly with the Tahoe Fund’s mission,” said Caroline Waldman, sustainable recreation program director for the Tahoe Fund. “We’re proud to have contributed to this effort.”

Learn more about the Upper Tyrolian Trail project here.