Tahoe National Forest
A cool experience with 6 to 10 mile hikes
Trek into the wilderness and sleep in the backcountry
Ideal for first-timers
Pups are welcome at camp and on hiking trails
Places we've visited and fallen in love with
Trip · 3-day backpacking trip
For · Friends and new backpackers
Vibe · Moderate and fun
Distance · 19 miles and 2,995 feet of elevation gain
Permits · Nope, just apply for a CA campfire permit online
Drive · 3.5 hours from SF
Ideal dates · May to September
Pets · Welcome on trails and campgrounds!
Tahoe National Forest (THN) is 871,400+ acres of breathtaking mountains, wildflower meadows, and crystal clear reservoirs. It's one of the most popular national forests in the country, and you don't need a permit to explore its backcountry. TNF is located northwest of the popular Lake Tahoe, but swap the crowds for climbing the Sierra Buttes, hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, or swimming in the Yuba River. TNF has it all.
Official Forest Service Website
Latest Forest Alerts and Notices
Main image credit: Reddit
Tahoe is one of eight national forests along California's Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Washoe and Maidu Native American tribes were the first to traverse Tahoe National Forest, before the Gold Rush brought thousands of emigrants to CA.
Black bears roam TNF all year, but keep your site clean and store food and scented items properly, and you'll rarely spot them. Learn more.
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
