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Tahoe's busiest summer weekend is almost here, and the choices people make over the next few days will have an outsized impact on the Lake. As visitation ramps up around the Fourth of July, Keep Tahoe Blue is asking everyone to practice good stewardship: pack out litter, travel thoughtfully, and Clean, Drain, and Dry your water toys every time to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species like golden mussels. 

One of the best ways to start the holiday weekend is by joining our Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Cleanup on July 5. Volunteers will fan out across Tahoe's beaches to remove any leftover litter from the holiday festivities before it can wash into the water, threatening the Lake's famous clarity. 

North Shore volunteer spots are still open, and we'd love your help filling them. If you'll be on that side of the Lake, sign up for the cleanup and help protect the Lake when it needs all of us. 

POSITIVE STEWARDSHIP STARTS WITH THE BASICS

Tahoe does not need you to be perfect. It simply needs more people to build a few simple habits into every beach day, paddle, and road trip. 

Pack your Tahoe go-bag before you leave home, so you are ready for a full day outside without leaving trash behind. Pick up litter, even if it is not yours.

If your gear touches the water, Clean, Drain, and Dry it every time to stop golden mussels and other aquatic invasive species from spreading. And if you can leave your car parked and choose a lake-friendly ride instead, even better. 

They are small choices, but over a busy holiday weekend, they can make a real difference for Tahoe. 

Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe

Getting around Tahoe without your car just got easier. 

The Emerald Bay Shuttle is back in action, giving visitors and locals another easy way to reach one of Tahoe's most iconic destinations without the stress of parking, traffic, or added pollution. 

Its launch comes on the heels of this month's Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe event at Heavenly Mountain Resort, where Keep Tahoe Blue and partners unveiled a new gondola cabin wrap inspired by the shuttle and the growing movement toward lake-friendly transportation.

Thank you to Vail Resorts Epic Promise Foundation and Heavenly Mountain Resort for their generous support. 

A Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe means parking your car once and using the connected transportation options already available on the South Shore, from Lake Link and public transit to bikes, e-scooters, and the Emerald Bay Shuttle. If you are heading out this holiday weekend, challenge yourself to leave your car parked and try a different way to explore. 

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHTS

Phil Metting van Rijn's waders usually come out for fly fishing, but every spring, they have another job to do. 

Since 2016, Phil has returned to Snapshot Day as a team lead, helping volunteers collect water quality data across the Tahoe watershed. His curiosity and energy has carried into nearly every corner of Keep Tahoe Blue, from volunteering with Pipe Keepers and restoration projects to shoreline cleanups, Keep Tahoe Blue Board Member service, and early planning for the Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center. 

For Phil, protecting Tahoe has never been just one kind of work. It is science, stewardship, and showing up wherever the Lake needs him. 

Shannon Flynn adopted Fallen Leaf Lake Road and Kiva Beach because she has seen what busy recreation days can leave behind. 

Since launching the Sierra Nevada Alliance Crew earlier this year, she and her volunteers have focused on the kind of pollution that is easy to miss until you start picking it up by hand: broken sled microplastics, dog waste, and litter left behind in two of Tahoe's most heavily loved places. 

Her approach is simple: know your impact, and do the small things that keep pollution out of the Lake. 

Loretta Friedel has spent more than a decade helping people understand one of Lake Tahoe's most urgent threats, aquatic invasive species. 

Since first taking an Eyes on the Lake training in 2014, Loretta has submitted hundreds of volunteer surveys at citizensciencetahoe.org, pop-up outreach booths, and shown others how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species that threaten Lake Tahoe's world-renowned clarity.

Loretta loves Tahoe for its beauty and the people she meets here, and she brings that passion to her volunteer work every time she helps someone understand what is at stake. 

STAFF SPOTLIGHTS:

ALEXXA CERVANTES

If you have browsed the Keep Tahoe Blue store, opened a merch email, or spotted a fresh product photo online, there is a good chance Alexxa Cervantes helped make it happen. 

Alexxa keeps our merchandise program moving from the store floor to the screen, supporting product photography, ecommerce updates, email marketing, and social media while helping run our brick-and-mortar shop, the Kerrigan Family Boutique. 

One of her current store favorites is the Trash Isn't Wild Cap, a plastic-free, Tahoe-ready hat that translates Keep Tahoe Blue's mission into a style you can wear proudly. Just like the cap, Alexxa's creativity and commitment to Tahoe shine through.  

Long days, scenic rides, and summer adventures start with the right gear. Explore a few of our favorite bike-friendly essentials that help protect Lake Tahoe with every purchase. 

• Bike Gear Hoodie: Our Bike Gear Hoodie is made from 100% recycled content with a butter-soft feel and features our custom Tahoe bike gear design. 
• Plant-based Bike Lube: Biodegradable and petroleum-free, it's an easy way to care for your bike while helping protect the Lake we love.
• Vintage Tahoe Bike Bell: Add a touch of Tahoe to your ride with our vintage-inspired bike bell. A quick ring helps alert fellow trail users while showing your support for Lake Tahoe.  

Open Thursday–Saturday, 11 am–5 pm | 2877 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Thank you for being part of this community and for showing up for the Lake in ways big and small. We’re grateful to protect this place alongside you.

2026 UPCOMING EVENTS

TAHOE IN THE NEWS

• This invasive species could turn Lake Tahoe’s clear water green
  SF Chronicle | June 18, 2026
• 4 golden mussels found on a boat bound for Tahoe. It could have been a disaster.
  SF Gate | June 17, 2026
• Can you get around Tahoe without a car? A new campaign says yes
  KUNR | June 23, 2026
• Car-Free Care-Free: Keep Tahoe Blue launches initiative to reduce vehicle use
  Tahoe Daily Tribune | June 23, 2026

Keep Tahoe Blue

2877 Lake Tahoe Blvd,

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Kerrigan Family Boutique

Open Thursday–Saturday, 11am–5pm

 Located lower level, street entrance 

© 2026 Keep Tahoe Blue. All rights reserved.

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