Discover History
The Tahoe National Forest was first traversed by the Washoe and Maidu Native Americans and later by many of the early pioneers in search of gold from California. These trails were traveled by thousands of emigrants until the late 1860s, when the Transcontinental Railroad was built over the snowy summit. The rich history of the Forest is still much in evidence today.
In the more remote areas, age old Native American sites, Gold Rush mining camps, and dwindling traces of emigrant trails are among the thousands of sites being protected and managed by the Forest Service for the benefit of both current and future generations.
Hundreds of historic and prehistoric sites dot the forest, representing human influences that have had a profound influence on the development of California. Historic events and sites found within or near the Tahoe include:
Transportation routes and development are major factors in the cultural history of the Tahoe National Forest. To some people, the history of the area begins with pioneer emigrant wagons, crossing Donner Pass on their way to California. However, human use and occupancy of what is now the Tahoe National Forest goes back many thousands of years. Peoples of the Washoe and Nisenan tribes and their predecessors utilize these lands for food, water, and recreation. Many of the routes we travel today across the Forest have been used for thousands of years.
The first large influx of emigrants from the United States came into the area began in the 1840s, crossing the mountains in covered wagons toward a better life in Mexican California. Donner Pass, the main emigrant route, was named after the ill-fated Donner Party, who wintered in 1846-47 at camps near the present day Truckee.
The Gold Rush of 1849 resulted in a veritable flood of emigrants seeking their fortunes in California, many of whom prospected the lands of the Tahoe. Many of the foothill towns, such as Foresthill, Nevada City, Downieville, Sierra City, and others, date from Gold Rush days with many reminders of those times throughout the Forest.
Between 1862 and 1868, the western portion of the first transcontinental railroad was constructed over the Sierra Nevada at Donner Pass by the Central Pacific Railroad, meeting the tracks of the Union Pacific on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point Utah. The trans-Sierra route remains a remarkable engineering feat, with roadbed built into granite walls, bridges that cross deep gorges, and tracks that pass through a series of tunnels and snow sheds as they cross the mountains. This rail link with the rest of the United States enabled gold and agricultural products from California to be easily shipped east, as well as bringing manufactured goods and even more settlers west, which fueled the rapid growth of the Golden State. Products such as lumber, agricultural goods, automobiles, imports from overseas and products destined for export continue to be shipped over this route today.
The rugged beauty of this route makes it one of the most scenic passenger routes in the United States, and the towns of Truckee and Colfax have Amtrak stops adjacent to the National Forest. Today's Interstate 80 is roughly parallel to the railroad, and travels the same basic route that people have taken for thousands of years.
Legacy
Over 150 years ago, Chinese Railroad Workers blasted and chiseled their way through the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains near Donner Summit on the Tahoe National Forest in California while completing the Transcontinental Railroad. Despite this monumental achievement, the Chinese Railroad Workers’ contribution was excluded, ignored and forgotten from history. Today, grassroots groups including the USDA Forest Service are working together to retell this story.
The first coast to coast highway, the Lincoln Highway, crossed the Sierra Nevada on its way from New York City to San Francisco, roughly following the route of today's Interstate 80. In this area, the Lincoln Highway was actively maintained between approximately 1913 and 1930, when it was replaced by US 40. This highway was, in turn, replaced by today's Interstate 80 in the mid-1960's. Portions of old 40 and the Lincoln Highway in the Big Bend-Donner Lake area are still open as a scenic route during the summer months.
Timber harvest and mineral extraction began on these lands along with the first influx of settlers. Outdoor recreation and ecotourism have emerged as a more recent economic influence. Visitors from all over the world travel to this area for camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, sightseeing, and other recreation opportunities.
Evolutions of a Name: Tahoe National Forest
“Tahoe National Forest—is that the one by Lake Tahoe?” A logical question asked by many visitors, it is often assumed that Lake Tahoe lies within the forest that it shares a name with. Though it is home to similar alpine lakes, stunning peaks and rugged terrain, Lake Tahoe hasn't shared shores with the Tahoe National Forest in over 50 years.
The story of how the Tahoe National Forest got its name starts well before gold or silver were discovered in the Sierra Nevada mountains, before the establishment of the USDA Forest Service and before Lake Tahoe became a popular vacation destination...