State Parks near Lake Tahoe to remain closed

Popular campgrounds pounded by snow from winter storms in need of repairs

Popular State Parks campgrounds in the Lake Tahoe region will not open in time for Memorial Day as they recover from lingering snow and damage from the winter's near-record snowpack.

Campgrounds at Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park along the southwest side of the lake, Tahoe State Recreation Area in Tahoe City and Plumas-Eureka State Park 65 miles northwest of the lake had been expected to open for the Memorial Day weekend May 26-29, the unofficial start of summer.

Instead, the campground at Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point will open June 14, and those at Tahoe State Recreation Area and Plumas-Eureka will open June 16, State Parks said May 5.

“We've certainly had delays in the past when we've had big winters. This is probably the biggest one that I've seen, anecdotally, in the last 15 years, in the length of time and the number of campgrounds,” said Scott Elliott, acting superintendent for the parks department's Sierra District.

The campground at Grover Hot Springs State Park near Markleeville south of the lake is expected to open June 2, and Emerald Bay State Park's Eagle Point Campground is set to open June 16.

Donner Memorial State Park's campground might still open as scheduled May 26, but one or more loops may be delayed because of snow and standing water, State Parks said.

The snowpack statewide in the Sierra Nevada was measured at 254% of its historical average last week, the second-highest May 1 reading since modern recordkeeping started in 1950, behind only 1983, when it was 289%.

“It's a little unusual,” Elliott said. “We just had 3 inches (of snow) last night in Tahoe.”

Campground opening dates depend not just on when snow melts but on what's revealed when it does, Elliott said. “We need time once that snow melts to get in and deal with fallen trees, bear lockers that are broken, picnic tables that are broken,” he said. “A campground will have a water line broken invariably.”

At Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point, 3-6 feet of snow remains in the 175-site campground and water valves and other facilities are inaccessible to staff, according to the parks department. Tahoe State Recreation Area, with 23 sites, is still under several feet of snow and needs repairs to water systems. Plumas-Eureka's 67 sites are under more snow than at any other state parks campground in the Sierra, and “there is still unassessed damage under snow,” the department said. Grover Hot Springs, with 76 sites, has some snowdrifts remaining, plus standing water, and water system repairs are underway. Emerald Bay's campground, with nearly 100 sites, “still has significant snowdrifts and a large melt pond in the roadway,” the department said.

Reservations are highly recommended for the Tahoearea State Parks campgrounds, although cancellations can result in some sites becoming available for a limited duration on a firstcome, first-served basis, Elliott said.

Those who had reservations for the Memorial Day weekend will be contacted by the parks department about their refunds, Elliott said.

Campground openings could be further delayed depending on the amount of damage or weather conditions, State Parks said.

Stymied would-be Tahoe state parks campers do have another recreation option, however: skiing. All that snow has made for an extralong ski season, and some of the region's winter resorts have extended their seasons. Alpine plans to be open for skiing and snowboarding Wednesdays through Sundays this month; Fridays through Sundays next month, and also from July 1 through the Fourth of July. Palisades plans to be open for skiing and snowboarding Fridays through Tuesdays this month.

Kirkwood plans to remain open Friday through Sunday.