While it’s still possible to hike the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, work on it and guided hikes have stopped.

Mary Bennington, executive director of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, sent an email saying, “… due to the government shutdown all TRTA activities on USDA Forest Service are postponed until further notice. This impacts our trail construction and maintenance, guided hikes, ambassador programs and our trailhead outreach/Where’s McCleod? Trail Challenge Give Away Days. Stay tuned for additional updates.”

U.S. Forest Service campgrounds are closed, however some South Shore concessionaires are operating.

“USFS properties at Lake Tahoe that are operated by private concessionaires, such as Round Hill Pines, Zephyr Cove and Camp Richardson, were open through last weekend and continue to be open indefinitely until further notice. The private concessionaires were originally slated to be closed, but we worked with the USFS and other local agencies to keep them open,” Steve Mokrohisky, Douglas County manager, told Lake Tahoe News.

This means weddings can continue, rum runners will flow and the Dixie will churn.

The Tahoe Tallac Association has been told it’s OK to have weddings at least through this weekend. Officials there expect another update from the Forest Service next Monday, assuming one is needed, in regards to what can happen the following weekend.

A beneficiary of the shutdown is state parks. California and Nevada state parks are reporting an influx of visitors because of the shutdown.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report