TAHOE CITY, Calif. – The North Shore Trail is officially ready to receive bicyclers, walkers and other users after a ribbon cutting recognized the multi-use trail’s new life on Friday, June 6. The two mile trail reconstruction stretching from the Dollar Drive neighborhoods to the Lighthouse Shopping Center is now complete.

The trail has existed for around 50 years, and Sean Barclay, Tahoe City Public Utility District general manager said, “We are really proud to deliver this trail back to the community for another 50 years, hopefully, and even more.”

In addition to reconstruction, the trail also received safety enhancements, a realignment near Lake Forest Road and other improvements since the start of construction last June.

Project partners, including representatives from TCPUD, Placer County, and North Tahoe Community Alliance not only celebrated the project’s completion, but also the role the trail and its affiliated 23 mile network (includes West Shore Trail and Truckee River Trail) plays in the community.

“So many people use them to commute and to go shopping in place of a car ride, but how critical is that today as we watch more and more visitation and traffic in our communities,” Placer Country District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said at the event. “They are certainly part of the solution.”

TCPUD board president, Judy Friedman, also acknowledged the many uses for the community. “I am a shining example,” she said, explaining she’s used the trail for physical therapy after two knee surgeries and one hip surgery occurring within one year.

The very people who work hard to maintain the trail for residents and visitors also utilize the trail themselves. TCPUD’s Sam Harris has worked on the trail system seasonally for the past 10 years. He uses the trail to get to work and fills his bike’s saddlebags at the grocery store.

Without the trail, which hugs Highway 28, bicyclers would be forced to ride directly on the highway. The North Shore Trail and others in the network offers a safe alternative.

“This is a real transportation alternative that gets people off of the shoulder of the highway, especially during the winter,” Barclay said. The district plows the trail throughout the winter with the help of funding from Placer County.

Data shows that close to 63,000 people use the trail year-round and over 43,000 people utilized it even while under construction last year.

The reconstruction has added 125 new safety features, including blinking stop signs and painted crossings.

Safety improvements also added a retaining wall between Lake Forest Road and Star Harbor Court to flatten and support a previously sloped area. It’s a feature that TCPUD staff member, Dustin John, finds comfort in with next winter’s snow clearing duties.

The North Shore Trail was earmarked for reconstruction after a trail study conducted in 2022 reviewed all of the TCPUD’s 23 mile trail system. This trail was prioritized among system-wide improvements due to its condition, popularity and coordination with Caltrans Highway 28 construction project.

The $3.2 million project poured close to 43,000 square feet of pavement into the trail, funded by the North Tahoe Community Alliance and Placer County through Transient Occupancy Tax and Tourism Business Improvement District dollars.

Design and construction was conducted by Lumos & Associates, Aspen Developers and West Coast Paving.

The district’s is now turning resources to the West Shore Trail this summer to rebuild an over two mile stretch between Sunnyside and Idlewild Way.