Video: How Lake Tahoe Cope With Too Many Tourists

The forecast for Lake Tahoe this weekend is 85 degrees and sunny, which would seem to make it a perfect destination for Sacramento Valley residents baking in high temperatures reaching well into the 100s.

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Crowds are predicted, too.

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How large of crowds? So many people are expected to head to the 72 miles of shoreline around the picturesque lake that travel guide Fodor’s in November put Lake Tahoe on its list of places not to visit, The Sacramento Bee reported.

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A Reno Gazette Journal headline screamed: “Fodor’s got it right: Tahoe needs a break.”

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“Fodor’s No List 2023” came out a week before the region’s ski season kicked off. Although the “don’t go” warning for 2023 was a blow to local tourism officials, long-time Tahoe residents say the news came as no surprise. The number of complaints about the region being overrun by tourists is growing, according to the Associated Press.

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About 40,000 people live in the Tahoe area year-round. Millions of tourists visit the area every year.

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“I can’t go to my own beaches anymore,” longtime Lake Tahoe resident Sue Daniels told the AP in the video above. “I cannot go to Sand Harbor where I grew up unless I get in line at seven in the morning.”

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Tahoe officials are responding.

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In June, a multi-agency coalition released the new Lake Tahoe destination stewardship plan, aiming to address problems caused by overtourism: traffic congestion, lack of parking, litter, water pollution and more, The Associated Press reported.

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This story was first published July 22, 2023 at 2:01 p.m.