Pines to Mines Regional Trail

Tahoe National Forest offers year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. From the casual hiker to the backcountry skier to a family camping under the stars, it has something for everyone to enjoy. It’s no wonder more than 1.6 million people visit this national forest annually.

At Trust for Public Land, we’re dedicated to protecting the places that bring us all outside, which is why we’re working with our partners at the U.S. Forest Service, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and Bear Yuba Land Trust to add nearly 3,500 acres—roughly the size of 7 Disneyland parks—to this recreational playground.

Protecting this land will help improve wildlife corridor connectivity, safeguard water quality, and enhance access for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, camping, backcountry skiing, and hunting throughout the Sierras. It will also close the 15-mile gap in the middle of the Pines to Mines Regional Trail, a pathway spanning from Truckee to Nevada City, and increase access to popular places like Trout Creek and Donner Lake Rim in the east, and Lake Spaulding and the Pioneer Trail in the west.

Our work along the Pines to Mines Regional Trail is part of our Sierra Checkerboard Initiative, an ongoing effort aimed at mitigating the effects of checkerboard ownership within the Sierra region. This checkerboard ownership started in the 19th century when the federal government looked to accelerate railway construction in the undeveloped West. The government struck a unique deal with railroad companies, allowing them to take ownership of every other square mile of land, while the government retained ownership of the squares in between thus creating a checkerboard pattern.

This pattern still exists in the Sierras today, which is a significant threat to public recreational access, wildlife habitat, migration corridors, and water quality. Large forests in California also play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change through carbon storage, and TPL is working to close this checkerboard for a greener future for all.