This has to be one of my favorite hikes of all time. The skill level is moderate, scenery is…read morebeautiful and best of all - this place is dog friendly! The first part of the hike is a steady climb but with well worn and designated paths. We took a couple quick water and photo breaks but it was early enough in the morning that it was a bit cooler. Coming here around 8 AM also meant that there was only a few others on the trail and barely anyone coming down. The paths are narrow in some places so you have to wait for incoming traffic to pass. Our dog loved this climb and got pretty tired from the upward trek. You make your way up through a forested/shaded area until you reach some rock formations and a small canyon. By the time you finish this bit, you're at the flat forested level to the lakes! The first lake is easy to find but the rest are a bit difficult to navigate. There are no clear marked signs so we relied on maps and made sure directionally we headed towards the lakes. Our pooch took a quick dip in the first lake but there wasn't really a good clearing to enter and stay for humans. We then went to the second and then made a stop at the third lake which is definitely the biggest and best! It had a good spot for dogs to enter the water and play fetch. The scenery was beautiful and the water was so clear, clean and refreshing. I think a few of the lakes were connected so we technically saw them but it was hard to distinguish between the different ones. We started the trail back down and saw lots of people start to come up. It took us about 2 hours because we walked fairly fast. There were lots of dogs on the trail and a great hike overall with lots to see!

Thought it was going to be way easier than it actually was, so definitely not for a novice hiker…read more It's all incline up until you're halfway done with the trail. It was all worth it though because the views are AMAZING and chillin by the lakes is so relaxing. Definitely take some water and maybe a small snack for energy.

Located along the Donner Pass Road near the Donner Summit Historical Society, this marker points…read moreout some of the history of the area as travelers came and went, passing through here prior to the superhighway being built. Since then, the roadway is mostly used for local traffic and access to the ski resorts. "Before the coming of the hotels and ski areas, the only Summit industry was the railroad. There had been a few dairies, two ice houses, sheep and some lumbering, even a still on the hill, but the railroad was key to the Summit." "After the Summit Hotel burned along with a few hundred feet of snow sheds in 1892, there were few accommodations for travelers from Colfax to Donner Lake. That didn't much matter because most people, traveling over the Summit, came by train and were headed elsewhere. With the coming of the automobile, people wanted to travel and they wanted to travel freely. Hotels began springing up along popular routes." "Oscar Jones saw what was coming and took advantage. In 1924 he bought the land for the Soda Springs Hotel for $5,000. On December 10, 1927 the hotel opened to the public (top picture). Oscar's brother, Herstle, opened the Rainbow Tavern (Lodge) at the same time (and he would later open Nyack Lodge). With a railroad stop at Soda Springs, the popularization of skiing and the coming of ski resorts (Beacon Hill, Clair Tappaan, Lake Mary/Signal Hill) Highway 40 would be packed with fun seekers and the Soda Springs Hotel would do a good business. The railroad was no longer the chief Summit industry." "The coming of I-80 in 1960 took traffic away. People could go faster and farther. There was less need for Summit lodging." If you do decide to explore, be careful crossing the railroad tracks as there are more than one track so look both ways. [Review 17671 overall - 462 in California - 1192 of 2022.]

"Bittersweet Story."…read more Right off the interstate, you can check out the history of this former town. There's not a lot to see, but the History Trail is mildly interesting, and also not too long. There's a rough little parking area right at the history trailhead. The trail is paved, and only slightly steep. It will probably take you 30 minutes round trip. I found the trail mildly interesting, but honestly, probably not worth repeating. There's a bathroom right at the parking area, but besides that, there are no facilities.

To experience 61 years of history in one hour, we stopped alongside Interstate 80, between Reno and…read moreTruckee, to explore the old Boca town site. From 1866 until 1927, the hard-working people of Boca labored on the railroad, milled local timber, harvested clear mountain ice, and brewed their famous Boca beer. Walking an easy quarter-mile long trail with interpretative signage, we saw the old school house flag pole rusted and bent by time. On our way to the hilltop cemetery, we found flattened cans, bedsprings, square-headed nails, broken whisky bottles and chips of porcelain littering the entire area. Boca, meaning "mouth" in Spanish, was originally established in 1866 as a Central Pacific Railroad construction camp, at the confluence of the Little Truckee and Truckee rivers. To process nearby timber for railroad ties, telegraph poles, and snow sheds, a lumber mill was set up in Boca in 1868. When the millpond froze in the winter of 1869, the Boca ice harvesting industry was born. Large blocks of clear ice, cut from the pond were used to air condition the deep Comstock mines and refrigerate railroad box cars full of fresh California produce heading east. We wandered around the crumbling foundation of one former ice storage house still standing alongside the railroad tracks. Boca ice was also used for the low temperature fermentation of lager beer, the town's greatest claim to fame. In 1876, Boca Brewery started a lager revolution on the west coast with its release of the first true California-made lager. The brewery was lost to fire in 1893, over-harvesting closed the saw mill in 1908, and modern refrigeration technology ended the ice industry. In 1927, the town of Boca was permanently dismantled. Our visit to the old Boca town site to experience its industrious 61-year history was an accessible stop and great value, costing us only one hour of our time. Directions: Take I-80 to Hirschdale exit, 6 miles east of Truckee. Follow the sign toward the Boca/Stampede Recreation Area. Go north 0.3 miles and turn right on the road immediately after the railroad tracks. The trail begins next to the restrooms.

Got an early weekday start this morning on the trail. Started from Truckee Regional Park (free…read moreparking) and headed east to Glenshire parking. 4.53 miles with 213' vertical gain at approximately 5700' elevation. A popular ride along the Truckee river. The City has a lot of pride in this trail. Fully paved and well maintained. This trail has a lot of bike riders, families and dog walkers. Just note: lots of dogs off leash. Bike or walk the trail and then meander into downtown nearby for lunch or dinner. A perfect plan to enjoy a beautiful day in the Truckee area.

"Great place for a run, bike ride, or stroll."…read more This is one of the more well-known trails in Truckee. I call it a trail, but it's really paved. There is a nice little parking area at the trailhead off Glenshire. You can take the trail all the way to downtown Truckee. It's a beautiful vista, and obviously popular with the locals. Not long after leaving the trailhead, I spotted remnants of a dam. I'm told there used to be an ice block business located right there. The dam created a pond, used to cut ice blocks from. The day that I visited there were tons of bikers and walkers. Most of the bikers had e-bikes. Some go fast, so be aware. If you enjoy the hobby of geocaching, there are tons of geocaches along this trail. Keep in mind there aren't any facilities or water along this trail. At least, none that I saw.

Looking for an epic hike that isn't too far from Reno? Look no further than Mount Rose! To find the…read moretrailhead, head up the Mount Rose Highway and once you reach near the top, you'll notice a decent sized parking lot off to the side of the Highway. The trailhead begins behind the bathrooms. This hike is slightly deceptive because for the first half (2.5 or so miles), it's relatively flat. I mean, you're definitely going upwards but you barely notice it (at least I didn't). Once you reach the waterfall (the unofficial halfway point), that's where things begin to get a bit more interesting. The scenery gets better and better, but the incline in the trail will get far more noticeable not just due to steepness, but due to the elevation as well. Many people were turning around as my friend and I continued going. In no way is this a difficult hike, however, it's definitely not easy either. If you're out of shape or have any medical problems, this may not be the hike for you. There's plenty of other gorgeous hikes in the area that would be more suitable. But if you think you can tackle the 10,778 foot Mountain, by all means give it a go. The hike is just shy of 11 miles round trip. Once at the summit, you'll have an amazing 360 view with Lake Tahoe on one side and Reno on the other. It makes for some amazing pano shots.

Okay, I am going to probably get a lot of hate from giving this hike 3 stars instead of 4 or 5…read morestars which seems to be the norm in terms of reviews. When I go on hikes, I prefer it to be flat, scenic and with pretty meadows. I was not expecting it to be quite scary actually as my husband reassured me that this hike was easy and flat; he was wrong trust me. The beginning of the hike was a steep uphill climb that was full of sand and dirt. Combined with the intense heat and the uneven rocks, I was already getting a shortness of breath when we climbed the uphill. My skin also got a burning sensation even though I slaughtered on sunscreen before the hike. I looked up the UV index on my phone and it was at level 11; wow, no wonder why I felt like I was burning! Thankfully, I brought some sunscreen with me so I started applying it to my face and skin again. The heat was also so intense that my hair started sticking to the back of my neck. Anyways, we continued our climb and when we reached the top, my heart started racing as I noticed we were a good 9000 feet up in the air and the trail was so thin and narrow that my husband and I had to make a single file line just to walk on it. I remember throughout the entire hike, I had to look down because the rocks were so uneven (trust me, they were everywhere) because I didn't want to fall and hurt myself. Another thing about being so high up, we encountered wind storms that constantly blew up dirt and sand on our faces; talk about feeling super dirty and gross! The sand and dirt got all over my clothes, skin and hair. Needless to say, I was not enjoying myself and I kept wishing we were lying on the beach instead listening to quiet waves and sunbathing. After a good 2 and a half mile hike, we finally reached the waterfall and relaxed. The waterfall was gorgeous and there were cute chipmunks too; this is why I gave my review three stars; this was the one good thing about our hike. When we got home that night, I scrubbed my face clean and washed my hair twice too. For avid hikers like my husband, this hike will be enjoyable as for me however, I will take a pass for next time.

This is the location of a trailhead for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest…read morehttp://www.fs.usda.gov/htnf/ The views are delightful... If you want to go the distance, a map or GPS unit would be a Very good idea... http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/htnf/maps-pubs It is only 6.3 million acres big! (The biggest national forest that is under federal management.) "The Carson Ranger District extends along the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, straddling the Nevada and California border with a land base of 368,600 acres. The District is about 15 miles wide and near 100 miles long and stretches from the Dog Valley area northwest of Reno, Nevada heading south along the Carson Range, passing between Lake Tahoe and Carson City, then continuing further south to Alpine County in California and ending just north of the Sonora Pass and Highway 108 area."

Nice hidden landmark and easy to get to. I recommend calling…read morebefore hand to ensure the tour is open. When we got there the tour was closed. If this place is closed you can still conduct your own self-tour of the outside grounds. At the bottom of the hill on the backyard of the Estate there is a great view of Lake Tahoe. On the other side of the Estate there are picnic tables to use during the warmer months. We came here when it was 40 degrees outside but it still was beautiful here with a small hike that goes along the lake where you can take scenic pictures of the lake in the background. There are public bathrooms that are clean. Enjoy!

It's a gem and a must see when you visit Lake Tahoe. I have…read morelived just two miles from the Mansion in Sugar Pine Point State Park for almost 50 years. My most recent tour with Guide John Harbison was a delight. He was knowledgeable and entertaining!

I camped for 2 nights in space #14. Perfect for my 24' Class C. The bathrooms were clean and well…read moremaintained. The campground was quiet and the site is far from Hwy 89. Patrick & Carrie were welcoming and super friendly! The only problem was leaving and not being able to say goodbye!

Space #33 If you have a trailer over 30 ft, you will have a…read morehard time being able to park your trailer and tow vehicle in one spot. The road throughout the campground is very narrow, making it difficult to maneuver a trailer into a spot. There are a handful of spots that are over 40ft. The spaces are narrow if you have slides on opposite sides you might run into issues with trees Most spots have big boulders at the end, bumpers may not go over the top , or there maybe trees. If you like to completely "unplug" This is the spot for you. There is absolutely no cell service with ATT. Currently, there is no camp host. They are looking for one. The campground was relatively quiet with the exception of road noise during our stay. Great campground for those who tent camp or have small trailers. Forest service is doing a good job on keeping it clean.