Sierra-at-Tahoe Replants Caldor Fire Burn Zone
The resort has planted more than 60,000 trees across the forest its lifts and buildings once shared with the 2021 Caldor Fire.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Skiing
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Sierra-at-Tahoe has completed a reforestation effort on land scorched by the 2021 Caldor Fire, planting more than 60,000 trees in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the El Dorado Resource Conservation District. The resort will open its 80th anniversary season on December 3.
Why it matters
The Caldor Fire burned lifts, buildings and much of the surrounding forest, and the replanting marks a long-term effort to restore the mountain's tree cover. The resort's approach also reflects an attempt to rebuild terrain features skiers have long relied on.
More than 60,000 trees have been planted, with roughly 40,000 saplings going in during summer 2025. The source does not indicate how much of the burn area remains unplanted or how survival rates are being tracked.
The players
Sierra-at-Tahoe
A ski resort about 12 miles from South Lake Tahoe off Highway 50, which traces its history to 1946 and was burned by the Caldor Fire in 2021.
U.S. Forest Service
The federal land management agency that partnered with the resort on the reforestation effort.
El Dorado Resource Conservation District
A local conservation district that partnered with the resort and the Forest Service on replanting the burn area.
The details
The trees were planted in clusters rather than even rows, a layout meant to shelter runs from wind and, over time, bring back tree skiing. Growing the forest back will take a generation.
Timeline
Summer 2021: The Caldor Fire burns lifts, buildings and much of the forest at Sierra-at-Tahoe.
1946: Brothers Ray and Floyd Barrett first run lifts at Sierra Ski Ranch.
Summer 2025: Roughly 40,000 saplings are planted.
December 3: The resort opens its 80th anniversary season.
December 21: A planned anniversary celebration marks the original opening date.
Seasonal Patterns
The Caldor Fire of 2021 destroyed lifts and forest at Sierra-at-Tahoe, and the resort's clustered replanting is now the response to that specific loss. Restoring the burned slopes is a generational project tied to that single fire.
The resort is roughly two hours from Sacramento and about 12 miles from South Lake Tahoe off Highway 50. Its new mobile app and a parking reservation requirement on weekends and holidays affect how visitors should plan trips this season.
The takeaway
Restoring a burned mountain is a long process, and planting in clusters rather than rows is one way a resort is trying to rebuild both forest and terrain. Visitors planning a trip should check the parking reservation rules before arriving on busy weekends.
What happens next
The resort opens its 80th anniversary season on December 3, with a planned anniversary celebration on December 21.
Further reading
Explore more about California skiing and how resorts there are recovering from recent disasters.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Active NorCal.
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