Covering land north and west of Lake Tahoe, Tahoe National Forest—despite its name—has little to do with the lake. Much of this 797,205-acre national forest lies in the Yuba River drainage. Here miners employed the placer pan, pick and hydraulic cannon, which utilized tons of pressurized water to blast away the hillsides, in their frantic pursuit of gold. The lake and its immediate environs are part of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Learn More...