Van Sickle Bi-State Park

Forest trails a short walk from Stateline

Van Sickle Bi-State Park sits immediately above the Stateline / Heavenly Village commercial strip on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. Nevada Division of State Parks manages the unit in partnership with the California Tahoe Conservancy. There is no entrance fee. Pedestrians may enter year-round from sunrise to sunset. Vehicles are allowed on the park entrance road only from May 1 through October 31, also sunrise to sunset; from November 1 through April 30 the road is closed to cars and the park becomes a walk-in / ski / snowshoe access from the lower trailheads.

Location is the main draw. From Heavenly Village or the casino core, the trailhead is a short climb — far closer than the basin-crossing drive to Spooner or Sand Harbor. Easy-to-moderate forest trails thread fir and pine, granite outcrops, and viewpoints over the lake. A connector links into the Tahoe Rim Trail for longer outings. Hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians share the system; motorized vehicles stay off the trails. Dogs are allowed on leashes of six feet or less. No overnight camping. Drones are prohibited.

Ranch buildings and how the park formed

Jack Van Sickle donated 542 acres to Nevada in 1988 as a memorial to his grandfather Henry Van Sickle. California later acquired the adjacent Crescent V Ranch lands so the park would connect into South Lake Tahoe. Relocated to their present setting in 1960, the ranch barn, a circa-1914 log cabin, and 1930s housekeeping cabins from the old Three Pines Motel still stand as historic fabric. The family ran Stateline Stables here until 1993, with as many as sixty horses on area trails. The park opened to the public in summer 2011.

Picnic tables sit under natural forest shade. Two restroom facilities serve day use. This is a trailhead into Tahoe backcountry — forest and slope, with no shoreline swimming. Gathering firewood is prohibited. Removing or damaging historic structures, plants, rocks, or other features is illegal. Commercial and special-event use requires a Special Commercial Use Permit (SCUP); applications are accepted only between October 1 and April 15 each year.

Construction and temporary access (check before you go)

As of mid-2026, Nevada State Parks began multi-year improvement work expected to run through fall 2027. During construction the main park road closes after the California day-use area, cutting vehicle access to the Nevada day-use area, Nevada parking lot, and state-line monument. Trails on the Nevada side west of the Vista Spur Viewpoint are closed. Tahoe Rim Trail access should use California-side trailheads and the California day-use area, which remains on normal hours with limited parking. Entering closed zones is prohibited. Check the current parks.nv.gov construction map and news posts before planning a TRT connector day from this portal — conditions will change as work phases complete.

Seasonality and trip pairing

Summer and early fall bring full vehicle access (when construction allows), wildflower edges, and heavy weekend use from the casino and Heavenly crowds. Arrive early for parking. Winter walk-ins get quiet forest and lake views without the road; ice and snow on trails require traction. Spring mud season can close soft segments informally even when the gate is open.

Nearby public options include Cave Rock State Park for lake access east along US-50, Spooner Lake & Backcountry for a larger trail network north of the junction, and Sand Harbor for beaches when a swimming day is the goal. Van Sickle is a walkable forest gate on the south shore that skips the long car ferry across the basin. Treat construction notices as controlling. The historic ranch cluster is exterior heritage; interiors stay closed. Stay on signed trails so the bi-state partnership can keep this edge of the basin open.