Forest Service signs off on new e-bike branches, restroom-equipped parking and wayfinding. Construction slated for June 2026.
Lake Tahoe is about to change the way people get around on two electric-powered wheels. In early January 2026, the U.S. Forest Service finalized a basin-wide plan that expands where e-bikes can go and ties loose ends in the trail network across the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The agency incorporated community input into route selection and environmental analysis, resulting in a mapped program with new access and infrastructure.
Work starts in June 2026 and will be plainly visible: new e-bike routes (including a branch off the Pope–Baldwin bike path that will allow e-bikes), new motorcycle and non-motorized trails, three new trailheads, and upgrades at existing trailheads and parking areas. Expect paved parking and restrooms at Pine Drop, Brockway Summit, and Elks Point; upgraded crossings to improve fish and stream passage; and fresh wayfinding and interpretive signs so riders don’t wander onto fragile ground.
Planners balanced route mapping, environmental reviews, and public-safety concerns to decide which corridors will change. The Motor Vehicle Use Maps (“MVUM”) will be amended to show the new e-bike and motorcycle designations; until those updates appear, e-bike use remains limited to roads and trails already designated for motor vehicles under the Travel Management Rule. Don’t assume an old GPS track is still valid — check the new maps and follow posted signs when crews are working.
Expect cones and reroutes this summer, give crews room to work, and plan for slightly longer drives and delays at trailheads while construction is underway. Update your GPS routes once the MVUM changes are posted, use the upgraded trailheads rather than ad-hoc pullouts, and obey temporary closures.
Better connectors and clearer access will spread use more evenly, reducing pressure on single trails, improving safety, and helping protect aquatic habitat during crossings upgrades.
For further information:
If you’ve got technical or environmental questions, the project’s Decision Notice and documents can be found on the Basin project webpage and on Pinyon Public.
Environmental Coordinator Ashley Sibr can be reached at ashley.sibr@usda.gov.