The Tahoe Blue Beach Program

Raising the bar for beach management

There is no better place than Lake Tahoe during summer. Clear skies, warm sand, and clean, blue water greet hundreds of thousands of fun-seekers. But Tahoe’s beaches don’t stay that way by themselves. Large crowds can leave impacts. That’s where the Tahoe Blue Beach program comes in. It makes the right choice—enjoying the beach responsibly—the easy choice.

The Tahoe Blue Beach program is a collaborative program between the League, land managers — including the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS) and California State Parks — as well as beach concessionaires and businesses to “raise the bar for beach management in Tahoe” by improving the facilities, staffing, signage, and enforcement at beaches around the Lake.

New Blue Beaches Coming Soon!

Several new beaches will participate in the Tahoe Blue Beach program in the summer of 2025, including Kings Beach, thanks to the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program. This North Tahoe Community Alliance program reinvests funds generated in North Lake Tahoe to support community vitality, environmental stewardship, and economic health.

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EARLY SUCCESS: As a result of Tahoe Blue Beaches, volunteers found 97% less trash during the League’s July 5 cleanup in 2024 than they did in 2023 at Zephyr Cove and Shoals. Learn more here.

Signs and maps help beachgoers recreate responsibly at Tahoe Blue Beaches.

A Customized Approach for Each Beach’s Needs

Since 2014, the League has organized litter cleanup events where volunteers gather not just trash but also data about what they find and how much. You can explore that data here. The compiled data from more than 2,000 cleanup events revealed that each beach faces its own challenges during the busy season – from parking constraints and too few permanent bathrooms to litter. So, each beach needs a customized solution.

In the summer of 2024, the League and USFS rolled out a new program built around a flexible approach to upgrading beach management, with solutions tailor-made to each Tahoe Blue Beach’s unique location and challenges. The pilot dubbed the Tahoe Blue Beach program hit the sand at Zephyr Cove and Shoals in partnership with the Forest Service site’s concessionaire, Aramark Destinations after several years of planning. Several other beaches are also participating in the pilot program with more in the pipeline to join.

A robot plucks litter from below the sand at a Tahoe Blue Beach.
Katy Jo Caringer, ECO-CLEAN Solutions

The USFS and League deliver a beach stewardship PSA to Tahoe-lovers.
June 2024

“With millions of visitors per year, it’s increasingly important that people do their part in practicing sustainable recreation while enjoying their public lands. The Tahoe Blue Beaches program will help people do just that.

This goal is one of the core pillars of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan, and one way we’ll reach our shared vision for Tahoe as a healthy, thriving, and welcoming place.”

– USFS Forest Supervisor Erick Walker

The “Three E’s” of Tahoe Blue Beaches

Education

Proactive outreach prior to and during high-use times, combined with physical signage that gets people’s attention and clearly communicates the “Tahoe way” to responsibly enjoy the outdoors and prevent harmful impacts.
Engineering

Adding trash cans, dumpsters, restrooms, and the staffing required for upkeep, along with designing access points that fit the natural contours of the site, because paved roads and buildings are not right for everywhere in Tahoe.
Enforcement

Enforcing rules and regulations to ensure public lands aren’t misused or abused, following education and engineering.
And More

Microtransit shuttles and bike rentals allow visitors to keep their cars parked and prevent emissions and erosion that harm the Lake. Tahoe Blue Beaches won’t offer single-use plastics, like cups or utensils, which are some of the most common types of litter in the Basin. Beach-cleaning robots remove tiny trash hidden beneath the sand. Learn more about the “BEBOT” in this StoryMap.

Early Success

Tahoe Blue Beaches was debuted in 2024 at Zephyr Cove and Shoals, managed by Aramark Destinations. Some of the management changes implemented included a ban on outside alcohol, temporary fencing, managed parking, extra staffing, maps and informational signs, and dozens of added trash receptacles and portable restrooms.

As a result of Tahoe Blue Beaches, volunteers found 97% less trash during the League’s July 5 cleanup in 2024 than they did in 2023. Learn more here.

Tahoe Blue Beaches in the news

Become a Tahoe Blue Beach

Reach out to learn how the beach you manage can join the program.

Sponsor a Tahoe Blue Beach

Keep Tahoe Blue by sponsoring a beach near you.

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