Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park contains one of
the finest remaining natural areas on Lake Tahoe. With nearly two miles of lake
frontage, the park has dense forests of pine, fir, aspen and juniper.
Another attraction is the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion (also known as Pine Lodge), a
summer home built in 1903 in a grove of pine and cedar. From the turn of the
century until 1965, the lands of what is now Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State
Park were owned by financier Isaias W. Hellman, and later by his daughter
Florence Hellman. The mansion provides an interesting view into the lifestyles
of the wealthy on Lake Tahoe.
Location/Directions
The park is located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, ten miles south of Tahoe
City on Highway 89.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
Summer temperatures range from about 75 degrees during the day to the low 40s at
night, and winter temperatures average from a high of 40 to a low of 20 degrees.
Facilities - Activities
Hiking & Swimming
Many miles of hiking trails within the park and a swimming beach provide
visitors with a variety of relaxing summer activities.
Fishing
Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park is comprised of conifer forests in
the General Creek drainage. The waters of General Creek are among the clearest
waters flowing into Lake Tahoe and the stream is open to fishing from mid July
to mid September.
Cross-Country Skiing
Winter visitors to the park will find over 20 kilometers of marked cross country
ski trails and a heated restroom in the General Creek campground. Interpretive
presentations on a variety of winter related subjects are presented most
weekends, from January through March.
Nature Center
When you're at Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park, be sure to stop at
the Nature Center located in the day use area by the Ehrman Mansion. We now have
a bird display, where visitors can view several species of bird life that occur
in the Tahoe Basin. In addition to birds, visitors can see most of the mammals
and the four major game fish that occur here. Other exhibits include: Biology,
Lake Ecology, Wildflowers, Trees, and a "Touchy-feely" table for the kids
(adults also!).
About the area...
Lake Tahoe lay at the heart of the Washoe Indian territory, and Ed Z'berg -
Sugar Pine Point State Park was the summer home for generations of Washoe
Indians who came to these peaceful shores to hunt and fish. Evidence of their
occupation can still be seen today in the form of bedrock mortars or grinding
rocks just offshore from the Ehrman Mansion.
In 1860, the first permanent settler of record on Lake Tahoe's west shore built
a cabin at the mouth of General Creek. This was the trapper and fisherman
William "General" Phipps, and his cabin can still be seen today just north of
the Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park pier. In 1884, a resort called
Bellevue Hotel was constructed just north of what is now the South Boathouse,
and remained a popular summer destination for Lake Tahoe visitors for nine
years.Telephone:
530-525-7982
Operating Hours:
Call for park hours
Hellman-Ehrman Mansion
Open from July through Labor Day
Daily Tours from
11:00am to 4:00pm
Other:
Beach access is restricted to foot traffic only. |
