With Mother Nature as the chief architect, the Reno/Tahoe area is blessed with all the natural ingredients for awesome parks. Managed by a variety of governmental agencies, the plethora of area parks goes a long way toward preserving the environment and making the great outdoors more accessible for everyone to enjoy. You can hike in rugged mountain terrain and sunbathe on pristine sandy beaches in Lake Tahoe Basin parks, bike along the Truckee River and attend cultural events in Reno/Sparks parks, and relax with family and friends over a gourmet picnic in any of the dozens of neighborhood parks scattered throughout the Reno/Tahoe area.
Using the four geographical areas, in this chapter I give you a sampling of the kinds of parks just waiting your exploration. Since descriptions aren’t meant to be all-inclusive, I also tell you where to get complete lists of parks from the various parks departments and visitors bureaus. You can also let your fingers do the walking through area telephone directories for maps and parks listings. If you’re interested in the myriad programs offered by the parks departments, be sure to request their program booklets. You’ll be amazed at the variety of activities offered, from every sports adventure you can possibly imagine to a tantalizing array of arts, crafts, and self-improvement courses.
Many parks, especially the neighborhood variety, are free and accessible year-round. For others I tell you about fees, seasons, and hours as of press time. Be aware, however, that these specifics could change. Your visit to most any of the parks will be more enjoyable if you’re informed about what’s offered there. I strongly recommend getting information from one of the visitor centers or parks departments ahead of time or picking up maps and brochures when they’re available at the parks themselves. Although I describe here some of the recreational opportunities you can enjoy in area parks, the Recreation chapter gives more details, such as additional beaches for swimming at Lake Tahoe and specifics of the area’s not-to-be-missed hiking trails.
The Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) manages a variety of parks and recreational facilities in Incline Village largely for the benefit of local residents. The golf courses and ski resort are open to the public, but the recreation center is not. Access to Ski, Incline, and Burnt Cedar Beaches is restricted to residents during the summer but is available to the public the rest of the year. If you’ve booked accommodations in Incline Village, be sure to ask if it includes an IVGID recreation pass.
And last, but by no means least, before you head out to bask in nature’s glory, take proper precautions to protect yourself against the elements and the environment. Be sure to use sunscreen and to carry food and water if you’re planning to hike or cross-country ski for any distance. Be aware of the weather and wear proper clothing for the occasion. If you’re planning to swim in Lake Tahoe, you need to know its frigid waters can be dangerous. Although it’s extremely inviting, the lake’s 60-degree temperature can cause hypothermia in just minutes: Be sure to take precautions. (For more outdoor safety tips, see the Winter Sports chapter.)
Dubbed “America’s Adventure Place,” the Reno/Tahoe area serves up a mind-blowing menu of activities guaranteed to challenge your wildest expectations. The variety is huge—so huge I devote entire chapters to Winter Sports, Golf, and Fishing and Hunting. I describe other recreation in this chapter, organized alphabetically by activity rather than by geographical area.
With so much recreation to choose from, locals take it seriously. Laden with recreational goodies like bikes, skis, kayaks, or hang gliders, sport utility vehicles reign. You’ll see a higher percentage of them here than in most communities. But unlike sparkling showroom models, local SUVs are more likely to be frosted with snow or coated with mud from recent four-wheel-drive treks into the mountains.
If gambling’s your game, you can enjoy it to your heart’s content here. But don’t forget that one of the most magnificent destinations on the planet is just outside. You can best see it, feel it, smell it, and taste it from a hot-air balloon hovering over the tops of tall Jeffrey pines or from a kayak sliding silently through crystal-clear waters, or from a forest trail meandering through a meadow hip-high with wildflowers.
This chapter is chock-full of suggestions to help you make the very most out of your time in the Reno/Tahoe area. But whatever activities you choose, remember the most important thing is to relax and have fun.
When you ask winter-sports enthusiasts to describe winter in the Reno/Tahoe area, one word comes up over and over again—awesome! In some years the heavy storm fronts begin arriving from the Pacific Ocean as early as October, dumping huge amounts of that wonderful white stuff that turns the Sierra Nevada mountains into a winter wonderland. Snow is often measured in feet, not inches, and a normal winter will see accumulations of 30 to 40 feet in the higher elevations. Winter can last up to six months in the mountains, so there’s plenty of time to indulge in your favorite outdoor activity. But in spite of massive amounts of snow, the temperatures stay relatively mild, usually above freezing during the day and dipping into the 20s at night. When it’s not snowing, you can count on plenty of sunshine, making most days absolutely glorious for outdoor recreation.
Because Reno and Sparks get much less snow than the Lake Tahoe Basin (usually not more than a total of 2 feet), you can live in the banana belt but be on the ski slope in less than an hour. If you wanted to, you could play a round of golf in Reno or Sparks in the morning and ski in the nearby mountains that afternoon.
During normal snow years, many ski resorts are open by Thanksgiving, but when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, ski resorts compensate by making snow. Occasional droughts have caused most resorts to install sophisticated snowmaking equipment on a large percentage of their terrain. Often the diehards, like Squaw Valley USA and Alpine Meadows, operate through July 4. As the ski season extends into the summer months, you can combine skiing in the morning with river rafting in the afternoon for an especially invigorating day. The first skiers in the Reno/Tahoe area were gold miners from Scandinavia who introduced the long, wooden boards as a means of transportation in the mid-1800s. With deep snow blocking roads and trails during winter, even the mail was carried on skis in those early pioneer days. Between 1856 and 1876, the legendary Snowshoe Thompson made the trip from Placerville, California, to Genoa, Nevada, twice a month, lugging about 100 pounds of mail. During the winter months, Thompson was able to get through the rugged mountainous terrain by strapping on hefty 10-foot-long skis that weighed about 25 pounds. Although skiing was simply utilitarian in the beginning, it wasn’t long before it evolved into a recreational sport with lifts, competitions, and established resorts. To find out more about the history of skiing in the West, you can visit the Western SkiSport Museum at Boreal Mountain Resort near Truckee, California. (See the description of Truckee in the Day Trips chapter.)
Today the Reno/Tahoe area has the largest concentration of ski resorts in North America, with 15 alpine resorts and 11 cross-country resorts. Because these resorts offer such a diverse variety of terrain and amenities, it’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with them before you decide where to ski or snowboard. For the ultimate in vertical, you can dive off the heart-stopping chutes at Squaw Valley. For all-out cruising you can burn down the meticulously groomed slopes at Northstar-at-Tahoe. For a fun first time on skis, you can snowplow without fear on the gentle runs at Tahoe Donner. To help you decide where it’s best for you to ski or board, I give you vital statistics about area alpine and cross-country ski resorts in this chapter. I also give you Insiders’ tips, such as where you can find the deepest ungroomed powder, which resorts have the most exciting snowboard terrain, what mountains offer the greatest views, which trail systems are the most interesting, and much more.
Since the weather influences the quality of your ski experience, you need to consider it when choosing where to go. To avoid the wind on stormy days, one of the best places to go is Northstar, because its tree-lined runs will shield you from the gusts. Resorts with high wind exposure include Mt. Rose, Squaw, Alpine, and Sugar Bowl, where it’s not unusual to have upper lifts on wind-hold on windy days. If it’s raining and you still want to ski, try resorts at the higher elevations, such as Mt. Rose or Boreal, since it may be snowing rather than raining there. For maximum sun exposure you can ski the open bowls at Squaw and Alpine and the upper runs at Diamond Peak Ski Resort and Heavenly Ski Resort, where you’re sure to get a winter tan (or burn) after just a few trips down the mountain.
If you’re a first-time or novice skier or snowboarder, I strongly recommend you take lessons at one of the resorts. Although your friends may be well-meaning in volunteering to teach you, learning the basics from a professional instructor is the fastest and best way to go. All the resorts offer packages that include rental equipment, lift tickets, or trail passes along with lessons. You can choose from individual or group instruction. If you plan to be at the resort for a full day, try to get a lesson first thing so you can use the rest of the day to practice your new skills.
If you’re unfamiliar with a resort, be sure to carry a trail map. It’s very easy to become disoriented on the mountain, especially if the weather turns stormy. Many resorts also have large trail maps at the tops of chairlifts, so you can get your bearings without fumbling for the map you’ve stashed in the inside pocket of your parka. To avoid injury, it’s a good idea to stretch before hopping on the lift and to make your first runs easy warm-ups to get the feel of the snow. Also be sure to follow the Skier Responsibility Code that is printed on most trail maps and lift tickets.
To beat the crowds, Insiders ski the major alpine resorts like Squaw, Alpine, Heavenly, Northstar, Diamond Peak, and Kirkwood during the week rather than on weekends. You can try smaller alpine resorts and cross-country locations on the weekends. To avoid being shut out, consider buying your lift tickets online at the resort Web sites. Many offer that option along with special rates for teens, seniors, and small children.
But winter isn’t just about skiing and snowboarding; it’s also the jingle of sleigh bells on horse-drawn sleighs, the swoosh of skates skimming on ice, the zooming of snowmobiles zigzagging through the forest, the plopping of snowshoes in deep powder snow, and the barking of dogs pulling fur-laden sleds. In this chapter I tell you where and how you can enjoy these other winter activities as well.
Now let’s get back to skiing and boarding and take a look at the eclectic variety of resorts you can choose from. The ski resorts in the Reno/Tahoe area are scattered in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin, so they’re listed by the two geographic areas at the lake. Prices are quoted as of press time for all-day adult lift tickets and trail passes, but keep in mind that they could be slightly higher because some resorts raise them each ski season.
Fishing and hunting inspire almost religious devotion among Insiders here in the Reno/Tahoe area. Hang around any of the sports bars, and you can’t help but overhear folks talking about the four-pound trout that got away or the huge mule deer that bounded into the shelter of the woods before they could fire a shot. As a testament to the importance that sports play in the area, Scheels and Cabela’s invested millions in developing huge retail stores in the Reno/Sparks area. See the Shopping chapter for details.
In this chapter, I’ll give you a quick overview of the fishing and hunting scenes in the Reno/Tahoe area. I’m not going to make you experts, but I will give you a few tips and hints to get you started and help you have an enjoyable time. In addition to everything else the area offers, it is a rare paradise that includes many opportunities for anglers and hunters.