Stateline Fire Lookout Trail

Project Partners: US Forest Service – Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Funds Granted: $40,000

The Stateline Fire Lookout Trail in Crystal Bay offers beautiful panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. Named for its location – straddling the Nevada-California line – this trail has benches for hikers to rest and enjoy the scenery and interpretive panels that tell the history of the lake. The interpretive panels were installed in 1996, and wind and weather had left them unreadable.

Thanks to a generous matching donation from the Spence and Wylie Families, the Tahoe Fund and USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) created and installed new signs. The brand new panels share insights into the history of the fire lookout, local wildlife, and the importance of preserving Tahoe’s delicate environment. 

In addition to the new interpretive panels, the Tahoe Fund and LTBMU also beautified the vault toilets along the trail as part of a region-wide restroom mural project. The murals at the Stateline Fire Lookout Trail were painted by local artist Ian Blackhall Scott and show scenes of the iconic views from Crystal Bay with the goal of encouraging responsible recreation while celebrating Tahoe’s landscapes and wildlife.