Burnt Cedar Beach

Breakwater point at Burnt Cedar Beach (2008)

Burnt Cedar Beach is a community-operated private beach located at 665 Lakeshore Drive in north Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in the United States, managed by the Incline Village General Improvement District.[1][2] There are four beaches in the district: Burnt Cedar, Incline Beach, Ski Beach, and Sand Harbor Beach.[3] Visitors must have an IVID access card to enter; access is limited to property owners within the 1968-era boundaries of the district, although the boundaries have since expanded.[4] Amenities of the beach include a large heated swimming pool with a lifeguard and water slide, a toddler pool, a snack bar, a lawn and playground, picnic tables, and barbecues.[5][6] The beach has approximately 1,300 ft (400 m) of shoreline, and a 200 ft (61 m) jetty.[7][8]

History

There was a trailer park at the site before the area was developed beginning in the 1960s.[9] Developer Art Wood of Oklahoma bought the Incline land in 1960 from San Franciscan George Whittell for US$5,300,000 (equivalent to $57,679,978 in 2025).[10] Wood and Harold Tiller created the Crystal Bay Development Company that developed and marketed the project.[10]

The beach was named, circa 1961, after "a large fire-killed, moss-covered tree found on the property."[7] There were "huge trees" left in place during the development; underbrush and rocks were moved, and beach sand was added.[7] The pool was added in 1963.[11] Parking for 200 automobiles and boat trailers, and green belt plantings between the road and the beach, and between the beach and neighboring properties, were installed at the same time.[12]

A new pool house/bathroom building was constructed in 2000.[13] As of 2011, Burnt Cedar Beach was known as the local "mommy beach," since it was usually packed with parents and small kids.[14] In 2018, the Incline Village General Improvement District received a $81,000 federal grant to improve local water quality in the vicinity of Burnt Cedar Beach.[15] The beach has ongoing issues with urban stormwater runoff and sedimentation.[16] Burnt Cedar Creek Beach lies within the 579-acre (234 ha) Burnt Cedar Creek sub-watershed.[17][18]

Residents with homes outside the 1968 perimeter have sued for access to the beach through both the federal courts and Nevada state courts, but the access limits were upheld in both cases.[19][4][20][21]

Tree attacks

The beach has been the site of a series of tree poisonings in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2026.[1][22] Someone has drilled holes in the trees and poured something that smells like diesel in the tree wells of mature Jeffrey pines and Douglas firs.[22] In addition to the diesel-smelling liquid, a "separate unknown substance was found in the holes" in the trunks of the trees.[22] According to a press release from the Washoe County Sheriff's Department, "Soil samples have been collected and submitted for testing to help determine what substance was used and whether the same substance was involved in each incident. Investigators have also confirmed that holes were not drilled near the roots in every case."[23]

Twenty-eight trees have been attacked in total. Six trees died as a result of the 2022 attacks.[24] Five of six trees attacked in 2024 died.[25][26] The trees attacked in 2022 and 2023 were all located "near the parking lot closest to the park and restrooms."[24] There have been three distinct incidents in 2026.[27][26] Workers have removed contaminated soil and attempted to dilute the substance through heavy watering.[28] The shade provided by the trees is considered one of the amenities of the beach.[29] The beach has no security cameras.[26] Investigators suspect the poisoner(s) work at night.[1][22] According to one account the "estimated losses" are $300,000.[30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Meehan, Jeffrey. "Sheriff investigates tree poisonings at Burnt Cedar Beach in Tahoe". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  2. ↑ "Incline Village Data". Reno Gazette-Journal. April 27, 2001. p. 205. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  3. ↑ "Giant trout among many lures to Lake Tahoe [advertorial]". The Modesto Bee. April 26, 1992. p. 72. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  4. 1 2 "Limits on beach access constitutional, court says". The Sacramento Bee. Associated Press. December 28, 2011. pp. B2. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  5. ↑ Misuraca, Karen (May 3, 2011). Fun with the Family Northern California: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Simon and Schuster. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-7627-6878-3.
  6. ↑ Misuraca, Karen (2003). San Francisco: 26 Weekend Getaways from the Bay Area. Globe Pequot Press. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-7627-2426-0.
  7. 1 2 3 "Underbrush Cleared Away: Two Wide Sandy Beaches Cleared". Nevada State Journal. January 8, 1961. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  8. ↑ "Alterations Agreed Upon for Burnt Cedar Beach Jetty". Reno Gazette-Journal. May 29, 1969. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  9. ↑ Association, Mountain Plains Library (1993). MPLA Newsletter. Mountain Plains Library Association.
  10. 1 2 Pridgen, Andrew (September 1, 2005). "Father of Incline Village dies". Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  11. ↑ Severkrup, Art (May 22, 1963). "Tahoe's Incline Village Starts to Burgeon". Nevada State Journal. p. 18. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  12. ↑ "Burnt Cedar Beach Grading Starts at Incline Village". Auburn Journal. May 30, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  13. ↑ O'Driscoll, Holly (January 2, 2000). "Kids, dogs, love beaches in winter". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 16. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  14. ↑ Voyles, Susan (July 31, 2011). "Incline residents grateful that a handful went to bat for them". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  15. ↑ "$1M in Clean Water Act grants approved for Nevada waters". Elko Daily Free Press. October 17, 2018. pp. A2. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  16. ↑ "Burnt Cedar Water Quality Improvement Project - Nevada Tahoe Conservation District". Nevada Tahoe Conservation District -. March 24, 2025. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  17. ↑ Dougan, Sean M. (September 2, 2001). "Priority Watersheds" (PDF). Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
  18. ↑ Murphy, Dennis D.; Knopp, Christopher M. (2000). Lake Tahoe watershed assessment: volume II (Report). Albany, California: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture. p. A-5. doi:10.2737/PSW-GTR-176. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-176.
  19. ↑ MacMillan, Kevin (November 17, 2014). "Nevada Supreme Court strikes down Tahoe beach lawsuit (w/ updates)". Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  20. ↑ "Wright v. Incline Village General Improvement Dist., No. 10-16043 (9th Cir. 2011)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  21. ↑ "KATZ v. INCLINE VILLAGE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (2018)". FindLaw. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Graham, Andrew (August 12, 2026). "Why would anyone poison trees in Tahoe? Residents and officials are horrified". Sacramento Bee.
  23. ↑ "Update – Washoe County Sheriff's Office Investigates Intentional Tree Poisoning at Burnt Cedar Beach" (Press release). Washoe Life (washoecounty.gov). August 6, 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  24. 1 2 Jacobson, Miranda (August 26, 2023). "Burnt Cedar trees poisoned, Incline Village staff look for answers". Tahoe Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  25. ↑ Karlamangla, Soumya (August 5, 2026). "Someone Is Poisoning Trees Near Lake Tahoe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  26. 1 2 3 Pridgen, Andrew (August 6, 2026). "Lake Tahoe's Incline Village aghast after trees criminally poisoned". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  27. ↑ Marcos, Coral Murphy (August 10, 2026). "Nevada authorities investigate dozens of mysterious tree poisonings in Lake Tahoe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  28. ↑ Wigglesworth, Alex (August 8, 2026). "A Lake Tahoe murder mystery: Who is poisoning towering pine trees?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  29. ↑ Seifert, Todd (October 24, 2014). "Tahoe". The Daily Spectrum. St. George, Utah. pp. D3. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  30. ↑ Fahrney, Megan (August 6, 2026). "Trees intentionally poisoned on Lake Tahoe beach, officials say". ABC News. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
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