Options to enjoy the north shore of Lake Tahoe were limited on the Fourth of July, and it’s all thanks to a rowdy group of teenagers.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office closed beaches in Lake Forest due to dozens of teenagers drinking, littering, and causing traffic issues along neighborhood streets for two days leading up to the holiday.
Deputies say efforts on Thursday and Friday night were focused on clearing the group out, and no arrests were made.
It's the only time deputies have had to close a beach on a holiday weekend in recent memory.
Changes to the handling of future Fourth of July holidays are being discussed, but nothing is set in stone.
Since Lake Forest beaches closed at 4 p.m. Saturday, Kings Beach received an influx of visitors that evening. For one local restaurant owner, it was a dream come true.
"This is probably the busiest [weekend] we've had over here since I've owned this property,” says Lee Kersy, owner of The Burrito Window.
Since opening the current location on North Lake Boulevard about eight years ago, Kersy says he's never seen a Fourth of July weekend quite like this one.
"The whole weekend was a record breaker,” he says. “Saturday in particular was the busiest we've had since we've been over here."
Upon returning from a catering job at 9 p.m., Kersy says there were still thousands of people flocking the area.
As of 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning, all beaches had reopened in Lake Forest. That, combined with the conclusion of the holiday weekend, means Kings Beach crowds should return to normal soon.
