Placer County, El Dorado County and NCE, a local engineering firm, will hold a community meeting to discuss planned improvements to the Rubicon Trail staging area in Tahoma.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Granlibakken Resort, located at 725 Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City.
The Rubicon Trail is an off-highway vehicle recreational trail that runs through both counties and crosses land managed by the El Dorado National Forest, Tahoe National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, as well as private property.
There are three main trailheads on the Rubicon Trail.
El Dorado County oversees the Loon Lake and Wentworth Springs trailheads, while the Tahoma staging area falls under the jurisdiction of Placer County.
“Currently, when the parking lot is full at the Tahoma staging area, parking will spill along the access road, which can lead to overcrowding and resource damage to the adjacent lands,” NCE Associate Scientist David Rios said. “Overflow parking further encroaches into nearby residential areas when the lot and road are full, so this project is designed to prevent those issues and help us create an experience we can all enjoy.”
The Rubicon Trail Parking Lot Expansion project proposes to add 32 to 34 trailer parking spaces to the Tahoma staging area by paving an additional 35,140 square feet.
After expansion, shoulder parking will be prohibited to prevent overflow.
“These trailhead improvements not only contribute to better recreational access, they help mitigate soil erosion and parking overflow as well,” Placer County’s Tahoe Engineering Manager Seth Warren said. “This trailhead is one of several being improved in the county over the next few years, including the Lower Sawtooth and Ward Creek trailheads.”
The project may also include a natural surface trail running parallel to the roadway to provide an alternative pedestrian route from the Tahoma neighborhood, depending on public interest.
The NCE project team will conduct technical studies to assess environmental impacts, and those findings will be available for public review.
A second public meeting will be scheduled at a later date to collect feedback on the project and its environmental effects.
Community members can offer input by attending the meeting, calling the El Dorado County Parks and Trails Division at (530) 621-5360, or completing an online survey.
More information and details can be found on the Rubicon trail on the El Dorado County's website.
