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Copyright 2023 Visit Truckee-Tahoe
Our forests are filled with awe-inspiring trees, plants, and wildflowers that fill travelers with a sense of wonder. Take the Sugar Pine, for example, the largest of any pine with cones that can measure up to two feet long! Did you know that the Tahoe National Forest is home to the second and third largest sugar pines ever recorded? These towering giants measure 267 feet, 6 inches, and 267 feet, 1.8 inches.
Visit during the spring or early summer to see wildflowers in all their glory, entire meadows and hillside turn yellow or purple. During fall, another color display is at its peak, this time aspens and other plants turn gold, red, and orange.
Wildlife that can be found in Truckee-Tahoe includes mammals such as mule deer, coyotes, black bears, and yellow bellied marmots; birds such as mountain chickadee, stellars jay, western tanager, osprey, bald eagles, red tailed hawks; and native fish like Lahontan cutthroat trout, Paiute sculpin, Tahoe sucker, and mountain whitefish.
Truckee and Lake Tahoe support many unique species of birds, and opportunities for bird watching is endless! Avid birders will enjoy exploring Truckee's variety of habitats from the banks of the Truckee River to high elevation meadows on Donner Summit. Not sure where to start? Check out this list of ten Truckee River Watershed Council restoration sites - beautiful streams, meadows, creeks and trails that make for excellent birding and wildlife watching.
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Truckee-Tahoe is bear country! We share our home with black bears who, despite their name, range in color from blonde to black, even reddish cinnamon. Bears are beloved by both visitors and residents, and seeing one in the wild is a special experience. Please remember that these wild animals deserve respect and care, so please be bear aware during your visit. Never leave food attended, dispose of all trash in bear-proof containers, and pack out what you pack in!
Help us protect special plants like delicate wildflowers and towering Sugar Pines. Stay on the trail to avoid trampling sensitive vegetation and if you need to step off trail to pass others, choose durable surfaces like rocky terrain. Leave what you find for others to enjoy. Instead of picking flowers, take a picture and carry the memory with you forever.
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You’re in! Thanks for joining, stay tuned for news and updates.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form
Copyright 2023 Visit Truckee-Tahoe