10 Great Hikes in Reno-Sparks to Enjoy While Waiting for the Sierra Snow to Melt
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Many of you, like Alicia and me, look forward to the snow in the Sierra Nevada Range melting enough to open trails in the High Sierras and Tahoe Rim. Some of you are already hiking there with show shoes and ice gear. For those less intrepid (or more snow-averse), here are ten great trails—listed in no particular order—you can enjoy while waiting for the snow to melt at higher elevations. All but one is free of snow at the time of this post. This list is not comprehensive—there are many great hikes I have not listed that are worthy of inclusion. For example, the Hunter Creek Trail is one of the most popular in the area, but I haven’t hiked it this year. But these are ten you can enjoy that I have recently hiked during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many can also be enjoyed by mountain bike and some by OHV. Click any photo for more trail information from AllTrails.com (and feel free to check out my recordings of any of the trails).
1. Lower Thomas Creek Trail
4.5 miles | moderate
I really enjoy this great suburban trail between Arrowcreek Parkway and Timberline Drive. There is a small parking lot just before the entrance to the ArrowCreek community. The trails follows Thomas Creek for much of the path. Although it passes near luxury homes in ArrowCreek and Saddlehorn, the creek, trees, views, and open spaces nonetheless lend a sense of remoteness. It is easy to enjoy a peaceful hike here. The hike features great views of the Reno-Sparks area, nice creekside hiking, and great mountain views. It is a well-traveled trail that, while often rocky, is generally easy on the feet. It is a gradual incline to the top, and a very pleasant gradual downhill on the return trip.
2. Peavine Peak Trail
8.9 miles | hard
I was born and raised in Reno, and until my most recent birthday this year, I had never hiked to the top of Peavine Peak. Peavine Peak, or Peavine Mountain as most locals call it, towers over northwest Reno. While it is possible to drive a sturdy vehicle to the top of the mountain, where would be the fun in that? The best known trail to the top begins on Peavine Hills Avenue, at the very top of Robb Drive in the Granite Ridge subdivision. You follow a nice trail with relentless uphill for the first half, then reach an area criss-crossed with OHV trails. From there, you have several options to reach the highest peak (for your info, the east peak is the summit). The northern route is steeper and more direct (and snow persists longer on its slopes); the southern route is easy road hiking but not as adventurous. Take your pick or make it a loop. You will be rewarded with awesome views of Reno and the North Valleys, plus a sense of accomplishment (at least until the maintenance guy for the towers pulls up in his truck with a 72-ounce soda in hand). It is a strenuous hike, but in good weather it is smooth hiking on a very well developed trail/road. With massive telecommunications facilities on the twin peaks, you won’t feel a sense of rustic nature at the top, but you will enjoy fantastic views.
3. Steamboat Ditch Trail
2-11+ miles | easy to moderate
Those of you who live in Southwest Reno likely know this hidden gem. Winding through the plentiful canyons of Southwest Reno is the serpentine Steamboat Ditch Trail. Getting on and off the trail is fairly easy as it crosses numerous roads. You may not fully appreciate how much open space Southwest Reno enjoys until you hike this trail. As an added bonus, find inspiration for your home or yard as you pass attractive custom homes and well-manicured backyards (as well as some cautionary tales that need some work). When I recently hiked the trail, I was feeling peppy and hiked from Manzanita Lane all the way to McCarran Boulevard, where the trail crosses safely under the road. I then continued through beautiful Caughlin Ranch, Juniper Hills, and Juniper Trails. There is one short section in Juniper Hills where a few landowners apparently did not want to play nice and blocked trail access—you simply need to walk along Plateau Road for a third of a mile and pick the trail back up on Woodchuck Circle. I followed the trail network all the way to the Truckee River at the River Park neighborhood on the far west end of Reno, where I finally solicited Alicia to rescue me. But you don’t need to hike nearly that far. It is easy to get on and off the trail at numerous locations.
4. Hidden Valley County Park
4.2 miles | hard
When Reno-Sparks residents think of hiking, they usually think of the Sierras. The Virginia Range on the east side of Reno-Sparks, however, offers some awesome trails. One of the best trails is in Hidden Valley Regional Park. There are several loops you can pursue; the trail I linked to above is the longest I know of. This trail will help you more fully appreciate the rich red colors of the park’s landscape; at times, I felt I was hiking in Bryce Canyon (without the hoodoos, sadly). The views of Reno are very good. You are likely to encounter a wild horse. If you are up for a challenge, take the up-and-back spur trail that leads to the top of double-cairned Hidden Valley Peak. This underappreciated mountain dominates the skyline of Hidden Valley and South Meadows, but is relatively unknown. The peak features some of the best views of South Reno in the area. My only complaint about the Hidden Valley trail is how steep it is going up and down. The strenuous ascent is bad enough, but the descent is even worse. You need to wear shoes with good grip on this hike or you will fall on your behind multiple times on the steep trails leading down (I have a bruise to prove it). But that minor issue is outweighed by the scenery, the views, and the solitude you can enjoy in the back half of the trail. This is a hidden gem in Hidden Valley.
5. Jones and Whites Creek Loop
10 miles | hard
I am really pushing the envelope by including this hike as a snow-free alternative. Even as I write this post, the snow has not melted at the top of the trail yet. I hiked it a week ago. Someone told me all 10 miles were free of snow and mud. He was clearly thinking of another trail. Alicia and I spent an adventurous Saturday afternoon traversing two miles of snowy side slope. It was fine; we survived; and there were ten-year-olds (albeit unhappy ten-year-olds) hiking the other direction. But the melting snow and ice does increase the difficulty. But the hike is good enough that I decided to include it anyways. It is a strenuous 10-mile loop with substantial uphill. But the canyon, mountain, valley, and creek views are phenomenal; the ambiance extraordinary; the trail is in great condition; and you will get a great workout.
6. Damonte Ranch Wetland Loop
3.1 miles | easy
If you are working off your Covid “19” (pounds) and a vigorous climb doesn’t sound appealing, the Damonte Ranch Wetland Loop is a relaxing change of pace. This bucolic wetlands trail winds around federally protected wetlands in the heart of Damonte Ranch. There are a number of access points to the trail and places you can park, but many park in Damonte Ranch Park. This is a bird-watcher’s paradise, with dozens of variety of birds, waterfowl, and birds-of-prey. I especially enjoy the red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds. This path is paved and level throughout.
7. Galena Creek Trail
4.7 miles | moderate
This is a pleasant forested hike along Galena Creek from Callahan Ranch Park to Mount Rose Highway, primarily through the beautiful neighborhoods of the gated Montrêux community and Galena Forest. The sounds of tumbling water and pine forest dominate the hike, however, especially in the last half of the hike. The trail is very well developed and offers easy walking a very gradual incline.
8. Old Geiger Grade Trail
6 miles | moderate
This is another largely unknown gem in the Virginia Range. The Old Geiger Grade Trail (which is essentially the unpaved continuation of Toll Road) is not a trail, it is a road suitable for high clearance vehicles and OHVs. It is also a popular mountain bike route. I elected to hike it, and was surprised at what a pleasant hike it was. The reddish colors of these canyons, the surprisingly abundant pine forests, and the excellent mountain views made this hike an unexpected surprise for me. Be warned that while it is a gradual incline and easy walking, this is a strenuous hike with significant incline. You could park a second vehicle off of Geiger Grade and make it a point-to-point hike to avoid the round trip.
9. Lower Whites Creek Trail
6.7 miles | moderate
This trail is very similar to the Lower Thomas Creek Trail with many of the same attributes and features. I prefer the Lower Thomas Creek Trail to this one, but this one is great. Park at the very nice park in the Galena Country Estates neighborhood off of Mount Rose Highway.
10. Rattle Snake Mountain
1.5 miles | moderate
If you want to show a visitor how beautiful Reno is, this is not a hike I would recommend. It is a rocky, desolate, and exceedingly unattractive trail. However, it is a very short (albeit strenuous) hike to the top of the mountain and it offers fantastic views of south Reno and easily the best view of the airport in all the Truckee Meadows. This is a great trail if you need to get your heart rate up but don’t have a lot of time. Don’t hike this in the heat of summer. To reach the most popular trailhead, use little known Alexander Lake Road near the junction of Longley Lane and McCarran Boulevard.
Bonus: Brown’s Creek Loop Trail
4.3 miles | moderate
