When famed femme fatale Lola Martinez visited the area in 1853, she named Independence Lake during a 4th of July picnic. Mount Lola, north of the picnic site, was named for her.
Despite its name, Tahoe National Forest has little to do with Lake Tahoe. Much of the forest, like in the drainage of the Yuba River, where miners once used pans, picks and hydraulic cannons to extract gold from the hillsides.
Today, visitors pass the remnants of mining camps reclaimed by the forest as they drive along Highway 49. Recreational opportunities include downhill and cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in winter, as well as hiking, camping, horseback riding and fishing in summer.
