New Underwater Trail Offers Glimpse Of Lake Tahoe's Past

LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) — This tourist destination is a must-see spot, but you're going to have to swim a little deeper to find it.

California state parks officials announced that people can now scuba dive and snorkel along the shoreline of Emerald Bay State Park on a new underwater trail. It leads to two barges and 12 boats that rest below the surface of the bay.

The unique look at Lake Tahoe's past is now just a dive away at Emerald Bay State Park.

"This is the first time California State Parks has had an underwater maritime heritage cultural trail open for the public," Leslie Hartzell, chief of cultural resources division.

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Scuba and snorkel divers can have access to four locations in the Bay to explore the resting place for many boats, launches and barges used during the 1920s and 30s. The boast were intentionally sunk in the 1950s when they outlived their usefulness. Each spot has markers explaining the history of the vessel, what it is, and how it was used.

"Now they know where to go, they have GPS locations so they can go specifically to those sites and look at the different range of boats that are out there, sunken in the waters," she said.

Pamphlets on the trail are available at local dive shops.

"They're on a loop and they can clip them to their gear and they can go down and dive. It will show them what the markers are, give them a clue as to what they're looking at," she said.

The reminders of the golden age of recreation at Lake Tahoe is now open for the public to see.

The depths range between 10 and 60 feet and state parks officials recommend knowing your own limits and always diving with a buddy.