Now Open to the Public!
The Tahoe Fund joined Nevada State Parks, donors and stakeholders at Spooner Lake State park for an official ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the highly anticipated completion of the new Visitor Center and Amphitheater. New facilities, which include a visitor center, amphitheater, gift shop, restrooms, warming room, interpretive atrium, group picnic pavilions, and park office, are now open for the public to enjoy.
Spooner Lake State Park offers diverse and highly sought-after recreational opportunities for both local residents and visitors from around the world. Established in 1981, Spooner Lake is one of Nevada’s most prized recreational resources within Nevada’s system of State Parks. The park is a popular four-season destination for hikers, mountain bikers, anglers, equestrian users, snowshoers and cross-country skiers, and a wide variety of nature lovers.
In 2018, Nevada State Parks teamed up with partners from the Nevada Division of State Lands, the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team, the Washoe Tribe and the Tahoe Fund to reimagine Spooner Lake. With more than 150,000 visitors a year, 60 miles of trails and 13,000 acres of wilderness to explore, the goal was to create a trailhead facility that matched the splendor of Spooner’s beautiful backcountry. The new one-of-a-kind facilities at Spooner Lake provide a magical environmental education venue for people of all ages.
“We are so thankful to the Tahoe Fund donors who generously provided $300,000 in private funding to help secure the public funds necessary to make this dream project happen,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Congratulations to Nevada State Parks and all the partners for breaking ground on these much needed improvements that will support the users and the natural environment.”
The new visitor center and amphitheater serve as the heart of Spooner’s natural and cultural history programs and ranger-led hikes and tours, as well as provide an immersive environmental education and science venue for students. The facilities also serve as a major portal to the expansive and spectacular non-motorized primitive wilderness within the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak expressed his support of the Spooner Lake Park improvement projects: “The completion of the new Spooner Lake and Backcountry Visitor Center and Amphitheater is a historic milestone reflecting Nevada’s celebrated outdoor heritage, and will provide all Nevadans, families and visitors with accessible, affordable, and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities for generations to come. In addition to providing new opportunities for the public to connect with nature and explore the beautiful backcountry around Spooner Lake, these facilities solidify the entire east shore of Lake Tahoe as a world-class recreation destination. As recreation demand continues to rapidly grow, programs that focus on environmental education and stewardship are key to providing a quality recreation experience and strengthening Nevada’s economy, while protecting our precious natural and cultural resources simultaneously. I thank all of the public and private partners for working together to make this project a reality. This public-private collaboration is the perfect example of how we can come together to make remarkable things happen.”
The Tahoe Fund and Nevada State Parks are also teaming up on the third and final phase of the park improvements which will include a new wildlife viewing platform and kayak launch on Spooner Lake. State Parks will be seeking public input on design options this winter.
