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Tahoe Blue Beach Program

Raising the bar for beach management

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About

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 an impact. That’s where the Tahoe Blue Beach program comes in. Making the right choice — enjoying the beach responsibly — is the easy choice.

This first-of-its-kind beach management initiative brings together land managers, concessionaires, businesses, nonprofits, and cutting-edge technology to make responsible, Lake-friendly recreation the easy and obvious choice. And it’s working, based on our data collected at the July 5th “Keep Tahoe Red, White and Blue” cleanup event. 

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” to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected from the impacts of recreation. The three essential concepts for success are education, engineering, and enforcement. This includes improvements to facilities, staffing, signage, and enforcement at beaches around the Lake.

Tahoe Blue Beach Logo
NTCA Logo
TOT-TBID Dollars At Work Logo

The goal is to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected from the impacts of recreation. The three essential concepts for success are education, engineering, and enforcement. This includes improvements to facilities, staffing, signage, and enforcement at beaches around the Lake.

What Makes a Beach “Blue”?

The Tahoe Blue Beach program offers a bold, science-driven blueprint for better beach management through the Three E’s framework:
  • 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 help beachgoers understand how to recreate responsibly before stepping on the sand.

  • Engineering

    Adding trash cans, dumpsters, restrooms, cigarette or dog waste receptacles, water refill stations, bike racks, and the staffing required for upkeep. Designing natural access points and utilizing wayfinding signage helps guide people to the nearest amenities, preventing erosion.  

  • 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 enable visitors to keep their cars parked, helping to prevent emissions and erosion that harm the Lake. Tahoe Blue Beach members won’t offer single-use plastics, such as cups or utensils, which are among 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. 

Members and Participants 

We are proud to collaborate with our Tahoe Blue Beach Members and Participants to create a more sustainable Tahoe.  

Members 

Members of the program meet all the Engineering, Education, and Enforcement requirements and are also striving to do more.

Zephyr Cove Resort and Shoals, Tahoe Blue Beach memberZephyr Cove Resort and Shoals

Zephyr Cove Resort and Shoals is managed by Aramark by special use permit from the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin.

 

 

 

Tahoe Beach Club, Tahoe Blue Beach program member

Photo credit: Tahoe Beach Club

Tahoe Beach Club

Tahoe Beach Club is managed by Tahoe Beach Club by a special use permit from the USFS.

Participants 

Participants of the program are piloting a select combination of Engineering, Education and Enforcement that is a starting point best suited for the site. Progressive efforts over time will push participants into membership.

Kings Beach, Tahoe Blue Beach Program participantKings Beach

Kings Beach is managed by California State Parks, and the pilot is possible through a TOT-TBID Dollars at Work grant through the North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA). The pilot at this location is successful due to collaboration with the North Tahoe Public Utility District and the surrounding business community.

Camp Richardson Resort, Tahoe Blue Beach Program participant.

Camp Richardson Resort

Camp Richardson Resort is managed by GoExplorus by special use permit from the USFS.

 

 

 

 

Meeks Bay Resort, Tahoe Blue Beach Program participant

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California operates the Meeks Bay Resort

Meeks Bay Resort

Meeks Bay Resort is managed by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California by special use permit from the USFS.

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

A Model for Stewardship, Powered by Community 

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.

“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 Beach 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

A Growing Movement, North and South

Led by Keep Tahoe Blue, in partnership with the USFS and concessionaire Aramark Destinations, the Tahoe Blue Beach program launched in 2024 at Zephyr Cove Resort and Shoals beaches during the July 4th holiday weekend. The program was effective and the results were clear: 97% less litter was collected during the League’s 2024 July 5th cleanup event than the previous year.

“Through the Tahoe Blue Beach program, our guests last summer enjoyed a clean, pristine beach and they did their part to keep it that way. That’s the beauty of this program. Our staff worked with Keep Tahoe Blue and the Forest Service to create an experience where taking care of the beach — while you enjoy it — just feels natural.”

— Aramark Destinations Tahoe District Manager, Kevin Schiesz

Thanks to this success, the Tahoe Blue Beach program is expanding in the summer of 2025 to Kings Beach on the North Shore thanks to a $75,000 grant from the NTCA and partnership with CASP who manage the beach.

At the heart of the Tahoe Blue Beach program lies a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. The TOT-TBID Dollars at Work funds programs that understand the health of our natural environment is crucial for the long-term vitality of the Tahoe region. This project takes significant steps to protect and nurture our natural surroundings, ensuring they remain a source of joy and pride for generations to come.

Kings Beach isn’t the only new site joining the effort. Camp Richardson, Tahoe Beach Club, and Meeks Bay Resort will participate in various ways, increasing the momentum and providing a model for broader implementation throughout the Tahoe Basin. These partnerships show the true strength of collaboration in protecting our home and shared treasure.

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.

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

A Cleaner Lake Starts at the Shoreline

The Tahoe Blue Beach program is more than a cleanup initiative. It’s a model of what’s possible: a cleaner and more welcoming experience for residents and visitors alike. The League, its partners, and the public each have a role in creating a better Tahoe.

If you are a land manager or concessionaire and would like to join the Tahoe Blue Beach Program, please contact us at:

Here’s how you can individually make a difference:

  • Donate to support the Tahoe Blue Beach program
  • Support participating beaches
  • Leave the beach better than you found it.
  • Encourage your favorite beach to join the program.
  • Explore the program data and impact.
Your pristine Tahoe beach awaits… it’s up to you to Keep Tahoe Blue

Become a Tahoe Blue Beach

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

 

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Sponsor a Tahoe Blue Beach

Keep Tahoe Blue by sponsoring a beach near you.

 

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