Evolutions of a Name: Tahoe National Forest

By Sophia Hamann
Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Tahoe National Forest
Feb. 29, 2024

“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.  

From the Washoe word Da ow a ga, to Tahoe, to Forest Reserve and finally, Tahoe National Forest, the name has evolved and changed along with the land itself.   

View of Lake Tahoe from Alpine Meadows, a ski area in the Tahoe National Forest. Photo by Julia Bonney, Public Affairs Specialist

Da ow a ga Morphs into Tahoe 

The Washoe tribe call Lake Tahoe Da ow a ga or “edge of the lake.” Da ow, or lake, is the heart of the Washoe territory, connecting the Sierra Nevada mountains with the western Great Basin.  

By the late-1850s, Da ow a ga had been part of Washoe territory for millennia. But like many places throughout North America, the arrival of settlers meant irrevocable changes for tribal communities and the land at the edge of the lake. It was from this arrival that resulted in the mispronunciation of the Washoe word Da ow, which was garbled and distorted into a word that better suited the Euro-American pronunciation and became Tahoe.  

Washoe family, circa 1866. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Lawrence and Houseworth Collection 

Timber in Tahoe Brings Mining and Displacement  

With a new name came a new era — one of major economic growth and development with little regard for environmental consequence or tribal settlements. 

Over the next several decades, dynamite blasted through the surrounding mountains to make way for a transcontinental railroad. Tribal communities were violently displaced from their homes as mining settlements became permanent towns. Resorts began sprouting up along the shores of the alpine lakes, drawing wealthy visitors and marking the beginning of Tahoe’s thriving tourism industry. 

As development expanded throughout the region, similar exploitation of the land had been well underway on a national scale. The very visual use and destruction of forest lands sparked public outcry on a local and national level, while the scientific community spoke out in support of forest conservation.  

Despite conservation efforts, the towering pines and cedar that framed the edge of the lake continued to fall, along with much of California’s ancient forests. The once lightly touched land had been altered forever, inspiring action that would evolve into a new era of management and a new name: the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve. 

Team pulling loaded logging wagon near Lake Tahoe, 1898. Photo courtesy of Donner Summit Historical Society 

Tahoe Forest Reserve: Reclaiming Timber and Water 

Out of necessity to maintain what was left of the Nation’s resources, the Forest Reserve Act was passed in 1891, giving the United States President authority to “withdraw,” or set aside and reserve lands under the management of the Department of the Interior. While this act eventually gave way to cherished public lands like Yosemite National Park, much of the forests in the northern Sierra Nevada were left unprotected. 

Following nearly a decade of debate around public land policy and the continued concern for the destruction of forest lands, President William McKinley established the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve in 1899. This establishment reserved 136,335 acres of what remained of the forested lands, including a portion of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.  

As the reserve grew, so did the need for it to be managed on a larger scale that allowed for multiple uses such as timber, grazing, mining, irrigation and recreation. Soon, the name of the forest would evolve again into the Tahoe National Forest. 

An example of recreation on the Tahoe National Forest. Snow Ranger and Ski Patrolman with Lake Tahoe in background at Alpine Meadows. Tahoe National Forest, California. Forest Service photo Gerald W. Gause

Tahoe National Forest for Future Generations 

In the early 20th century, conservationists found support in President Theodore Roosevelt, whose progressive efforts became a cornerstone for the conservation of land, forests and water. The belief that natural resources exist for the benefit of the public dominated Roosevelt’s conservation policies and motivated the creation and expansion of Forest Reserves.  

It was during this time that management of the Forest Reserves had been transferred from the Department of the Interior to the newly named U.S. Forest Service with Gifford Pinchot at the head. In his publication “The Fight for Conservation,” Pinchot emphasized that conservation of natural resources is the basis of national success. In line with this philosophy, Pinchot managed the forests for both production and preservation, a multiple-use concept that is still in use today.  

Under Pinchot and Roosevelt’s leadership, more protection came to northern California’s forests and watersheds with the expansion of the Tahoe Forest Reserve and the creation of the Klamath, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Trinity and Yuba Forest Reserves. In 1906, Roosevelt combined the Yuba Forest Reserve with the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, forming the Tahoe National Forest.  

Finally, the forest received the name that it is known as today. Yet, as leadership and priorities changed over the decades, the Tahoe National Forest boundaries evolved and split, combined with other forests and watersheds, all the while losing and gaining acreage.  

• Parts of the Tahoe National Forest became the Eldorado National Forest in 1909.  

• After World War II, the lands in reach of the Nevada border were transferred to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. 

• In 1973, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit was formed to consolidate Forest Service land around Lake Tahoe into a single unit to protect the unique watershed. 

The shifting boundaries within the Basin resulted in Lake Tahoe no longer residing within the Tahoe National Forest. 

Now encompassing over 850,000 acres of public land, the Tahoe National Forest is a mix of private, state, federal and tribal property. It is recognized as a popular year-round recreation destination and home to thousands of residents, including the Maidu-Miwok, Nisenan and Washoe tribes. Remnants of the past remain across the forest, with mining and lumber towns preserving the once booming industry.  

Much like the landscape itself, the name of the forest has gone through changes, evolving like a lake carved out by glaciers or a forest shaped by fire. Though this forest no longer shares boundaries with the shores of Lake Tahoe, the name remains as a testament to its history. 

The Sierra Buttes covered in snow, nestled within the Tahoe National Forest. Forest Service Photo by Sophie Hamann, Public Affairs Specialist

Verdi Ridge in the fall, Truckee Ranger District. Forest Service photo by Jonathan Fisher, Truckee District Ranger