Tahoe’s ‘Magical’ East Shore Trail Opens to the Public

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is planning to build trails around the 70-mile shoreline of Lake Tahoe, and they made significant progress recently with a magical 3-mile paved trail from Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park.

Hundreds gathered at the opening of the East Shore Trail this week, as Nevada Governor George Sisolak cut a ribbon celebrating the brand-new trail consisting of gorgeous views of Big Blue. The 10-foot wide trail, available to non-motorized bicycles and pedestrians, consists of six bridges and sees a gradual 150-foot rise in elevation.

“This pathway is much more than three miles,” Governor Sisolak said to the Tahoe Daily Tribune. “It is a true success story of all those who came together with a shared vision to create a safer, more accessible and brighter future for ourselves, our communities and our environment. I know that this path will provide an opportunity for our hard-working Nevada families to enjoy beautiful Lake Tahoe for decades to come.”

The $41 million project, with money raised exclusively by the TRPA through 550 donors, also includes ninety-one new parking spots.

“Basically the project team looked at it and said, we need to improve safety, we need to improve the environment,” Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry said to KOLO8. “And we just lucked out that the solution was this amazing new path.”

The trail is expected to improve the safety of outdoor enthusiasts in the area, giving the popular stretch of lake an alternative to the highway. Nearby State Route 28 saw 107 crashes in the area between 2006 and 2013 and 2,000 pedestrian and bicyclists are expected to use the trail on peak days.

The trail’s opening is a milestone for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s planned 70-mile trail surrounding the lake. The new 3-mile path nears the half-way point for the loop, hitting mile 33 at the end of the East Shore Trail.

The trail is also expected to improve the clarity of the lake, with storm drains and pipes cutting down on unwanted sediment in the famous blue waters of Lake Tahoe.