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Sierra / Tahoe Traffic Cameras — Live Road Cameras & Map

All Sierra / Tahoe California Caltrans cameras — interactive map

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About the Sierra / Tahoe cameras

The Sierra passes — I‑80 over Donner Summit, US‑50 over Echo Summit to South Lake Tahoe, plus SR‑88, SR‑89 and the Truckee area. This is where chain controls and winter closures hit hardest; always check the summit before you climb.

This is the high country — the 60‑plus Caltrans cameras watching the Sierra crossings to Lake Tahoe. The ladder of passes, bottom to top: I‑80 over Donner Summit (7,239 feet, the highest point on I‑80 in California), US‑50 over Echo Summit (7,377 feet, the highest point of US‑50 in the state), SR‑89 over Luther Pass (7,740 feet) and SR‑88 over Carson Pass (8,574 feet). Every one runs under chain controls in winter storms.

The cameras serve the ski migration as much as through traffic — I‑80 for Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Sugar Bowl and Boreal; US‑50 for Heavenly and Sierra-at-Tahoe; SR‑88 for Kirkwood near Carson Pass. On a storm weekend, the summit cameras answer the only question that matters: what the road looks like up top, not down where you're starting.

Plan around the seasonal closures too. Monitor Pass (SR‑89), Ebbetts Pass (SR‑4), Sonora Pass (SR‑108) and Tioga Pass (SR‑120, the Yosemite high road) all close with the first major snow and typically stay shut until spring. And when Caltrans posts R1 or R2 chain controls on the year-round passes, carry chains — the checkpoints are enforced.

Tips for the Sierra / Tahoe cameras

  • Check the summit camera, not just Truckee or Placerville — conditions at 7,000 feet routinely have nothing in common with the valley floor at either end.
  • Carry chains from late fall through spring even when the forecast looks clear — controls can go up mid-drive, and getting turned around at a checkpoint costs hours.
  • Storm-weekend ski traffic peaks Friday evening and Sunday afternoon; the cameras show whether the climb is moving before you join it.
  • Favorite the summit cameras for the pass you actually use — Donner and Echo especially — so a storm-morning check takes seconds.
  • Chain controls change by the hour in a storm; the posted level lives on Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) and 511, so pair it with what the cameras show.

More California cameras

The statewide map and the other California regions.

I-80 Donner Pass — conditions & cameras
Live chain-control status and every camera over Donner Summit (7,239 ft), in drive order.
US-50 Echo Summit — conditions & cameras
Live chain-control status and every camera over Echo Summit (7,377 ft), in drive order.
CA
California Caltrans Cameras — statewide map
Every California camera on one interactive map, including the roads beyond Sierra / Tahoe.
SF Bay Area Traffic Cameras
Dense coverage of the Bay Area's arteries and bridges
Los Angeles Traffic Cameras
The LA freeway network
San Diego Traffic Cameras
I‑5, I‑8, I‑15 and I‑805 through San Diego, plus SR‑163, SR‑52, SR‑94 and SR‑78
ALL
All Road Cameras — every region on one map
See every state and province we cover at once on a single map.

California road camera guides

In-depth guides to the highways, passes and destinations we cover here.

Is the Grapevine Closed? I-5 Tejon Pass Cameras & Detours
Check the I-5 Grapevine in seconds: live Tejon Pass cameras, real-time Caltrans closure status, why the pass shuts for snow, fog and wind, and the detours that actually work.
California Road & Traffic Cameras: A Live Caltrans Map Guide
See 3,000+ live California Caltrans traffic cameras on one fast map. Check the LA and Bay Area freeways, I-5 and the Grapevine, Donner Summit, and the coast before you drive.
Lake Tahoe & Donner Summit Road Cameras: I-80 and US-50
Live Caltrans cameras for the drive to Lake Tahoe — I-80 over Donner Summit and US-50 over Echo Summit. Check chain controls, snow and pass conditions before you climb.

Frequently asked questions

Should I take I‑80 or US‑50 to Lake Tahoe?
Match the road to your shore. I‑80 over Donner Summit lands in Truckee — closest to the North Shore, Palisades Tahoe and Northstar. US‑50 over Echo Summit drops straight into South Lake Tahoe for Heavenly and Sierra-at-Tahoe. I‑80 is an interstate and usually the more resilient road in a storm; US‑50 narrows to a two-lane mountain highway near the summit, so a single spinout can stall the whole route.
What do R1, R2 and R3 chain controls mean?
R1: chains required unless your vehicle has snow tires (and is under 6,000 lbs). R2: chains required unless you're driving a 4WD/AWD vehicle with snow tires on all four wheels — and you must still carry chains. R3: chains on every vehicle, no exceptions — in practice Caltrans usually closes the road before posting R3. The current level is on QuickMap.
Which Sierra passes close for the winter?
Four in this view close seasonally: Monitor Pass (SR‑89), Ebbetts Pass (SR‑4), Sonora Pass (SR‑108) and Tioga Pass (SR‑120) into Yosemite. They shut with the first heavy snow — usually November or December — and can stay closed into May or June. Donner (I‑80), Echo (US‑50), Carson (SR‑88) and Luther (SR‑89) stay open all winter, with chain controls as needed.
Can I see Truckee and the lakeshore?
Yes — coverage follows the highways, so you'll find frames through Truckee on I‑80 and along the US‑50 and SR‑89 corridors toward the South Shore. These are road cameras first: expect pavement, weather and traffic rather than postcard panoramas.
What about the Nevada side of the lake?
That's NDOT territory — cameras for the Mt. Rose Highway, I‑580 toward Reno and the Nevada shore live on the Nevada page at /ndot-cameras. Between the two pages you can check both states' approaches to the basin.
Where's the rest of California?
Every Caltrans camera — 3,000‑plus — is on the statewide map at /caltrans-cameras. Sacramento is the natural companion view: it's the staging ground where Tahoe drivers make the I‑80‑or‑US‑50 decision before the climb begins.