Spooner Lake State Park is easily accessible off NV 28 (on the way to Incline Village), but does…read morecharge for parking. I had previously purchased an annual pass through Nevada Parks for $30 (Senior Rate). The parking area, visitor's center, picnic areas, and large greenbelt are all well maintained, pretty, and with a great view of the Lake. I was most recently here for a well-executed and family/dog friendly Day 2 Rosh Hashana service led by Temple Bat Yam (Stateline). That included a interactive and leafy 2.1 walk around the lake on a almost perfect day. Spirituality experienced outside is a special thing, and meeting a few new friends along the way was a welcome bonus. Note: Yelp also has a Spooner Lake Trailhead listing, which overlaps with this one.

Mom and I got lucky when we visited Spooner Lake on a Tuesday in August. Hardly anyone there so…read morekeeping our distance was easy. We only passed 1 couple on the trail. I wasn't really sure where the trail for Spooner Lake loop was so I parked and we wandered a bit til we saw the map and a little sign. Followed it down to the water... and then from there the trail was clear. We did the lake loop trail... I think it's about 2.5 miles... with all our walking around we did 3. It's a great trail! Lots of shade with a little bit of elevation change.... not too much tho. There was 1 big hill but that's it. So, a really nice easy trail around the lake. If I lived in the area, I would get an annual pass and come here regularly to do this loop and explore the other trails that connect to this one. It's a state park so $10 fee... we wanted to buy an Annual Pass good for all state parks but they were sold out.

We went here and walked around the lake with our lovable lab. It was a beautiful area. The trail…read morewas flat but I suggest hiking boots this time of year as there was some icy snow in spots. The bathrooms were available at the trailhead and were well maintained.

We had an amazing hike around Spooner Lake back in June. It's an easy walk with just a few…read moremosquitos around. Peaceful and filled with bird sounds, not many people when we were there on a weekday. Bring your binoculars to check out the many birds and woodland creatures around. Definitely wear good walking shoes and bring some water. This trail is a short drive from where the casinos are and well worth the time to get away from the people and hustle bustle that can sometimes be found in Lake Tahoe around state line.

4.5 stars. Parking was kinda sketchy along the busy highway. Crossing the highway was also…read moresketchy. No restrooms. No fee. Saw several friendly dogs on the trail. Uphill 90-95% of the hike. Beautiful views of Lake Tahoe at the top. Interesting rock formations at the top as well.

Wow! Tahoe Trim Trail to Spur Trail aka Picnic Rock Viewpoint is about a three miles round trip,…read moremoderate and friendly hike. You will get the best 360 view of Lake Tahoe with the least amount of work gaining the elevation for the spectacular view. The trailhead is up the hill from NorthStar, away from Truckee and near Kings Beach. You will enjoy the amazing vistas, high alpine lakes, meadows, and peaks. Pack your yummy lunch and water. You will have the best view to enjoy your lunch. This is a must do short hike in the Lake Tahoe area. Enjoy!

Webber Lake is a fantastic area of the world that's unknown to many who don't have the pleasure of…read morecalling the Sierras home. I got to visit recently for my first time and found the lake to have incredibly beautiful mountain surrounds, covered in lush green trees, a rocky gravity and grassy shoreline that was fairly level and also tree studied for shade, and waters that were fairly clean and clear in inviting us all in for a dip or a paddle. The campground appears to be well-maintained with spacious sites. There's close access to the lake from the campsite themselves and a few other amenities around. I particularly like this location for its connectedness to other wonderful areas like Jackson Meadows meaning you can camp here and take a short ride to explore others in the nearby surround. We enjoyed two mornings and afternoons at the lake, paddling around on our paddle boards and inflatable pontoon. There were lots of people out there in the early morning hours enjoying the calm glassy waters looking for a bite. We couldn't find any fish, but we sure tried and had a good time doing it. I like this lake allows, both motorized and non-motorized boats meaning you could fixate a number of different ways. There's also access to some OHV areas from here as well! Weber Lake and Sierraville and the surrounding areas are real gems!

he camp host Kathi Daugherty is a total Karen. Walks around with a pole up her a** barking orders…read moreand coming up into your camp unannounced accusing you of violating camp rules without any proof. There's much better campgrounds out there with nicer camp hosts. I wouldn't recommend

We hiked the Marlette Lake Trail from Spooner Lake to Marlette Lake as a backpacking trip for my…read morefriend's bachelorette party! We added some extra distance at the end by hiking to the Marlette Peak Campground to stay for the night. From the parking lot to the campground was about 7 miles each way. The trail itself was well-maintained, moderate difficulty, and had everything you'd want in a good hike! Solid trail conditions. Beautiful mountain and lake views. Some sections of wildflowers. A good amount of sun but also some shaded parts. Gradual incline that never felt super steep, so the elevation gain felt manageable. We saw people hiking as well as mountain biking on this trail. There are several sections of aspen trees along this hike, so it's a great one to come back and do in the fall once the leaves turn yellow. The trailhead area has great facilities, the bathrooms were clean and there is ample parking. The park rangers I spoke to were friendly and helpful. There is a $10/car entry into this area but it's totally worth it, especially when you see how well they take care of it. I loved this hike and will continue to come back to Spooner for hikes in the future!

There are a few ways to reach Marlette Lake, all of them totally worth it, especially this time of…read moreyear. This trail takes you around Spooner Lake and up to Marlette. It's a 9 mile out and back with fairly gradual elevation gain, up through the trees, until you reach the lake. A great little workout. Marlette sits along the Flume Trail, so you're likely to see a lot of mountain bikers. Fun fact: The Flume Trail got its name because Marlette and the tributaries that feed it were part of a log flume system to carry logs used to build our region all the way down from as far as Virginia City! Marlette has a short fishing season, but people say it's grand if you make the trip. Of course you need to hike in to have that experience. This is definitely a trail worth checking out in our area!

This is a great trail that has a medium level of difficulty depending on the route you take. A…read morelarge portion of it is flat. It is a dirt trail with a few spots with rocks. Nothing too challenging. There is not a lot of shade so from late spring to early fall, morning would be your best bet. There is a parking area at the trailhead, but there are no amenities (toilets or water) so come prepared. The views are magnificent. Highly recommended.

I am so surprised that there aren't any reviews of the Tom Cooke Trail here in Reno! We have been…read moreon it, or parts of it, many times over the years. Yesterday was the first time we completed the whole loop and we realize we could have easily done it before. We always park at Mayberry Park and walk along the paved Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway until crossing the rickety bridge over the Truckee to reach the trail. The starting point of this 3.7 loop trail is well-marked and the hike can be easily tracked via AllTrails. If you decide the walk the whole trail, we found it is easier to take it clockwise, climbing up the switchbacks before it flattens out for quite a while. The trail back down to the beginning is very rocky. There are many little trails that criss-cross between the loop so you can change up the hike it you want. This trail is dog friendly for leashed pets. At this time of year there are a few muddy, icy, and watery areas to navigate, but it's doable. You will find trail runners and mountain bikes here, and beautiful mountain views.

This spot on Tahoe has ahhhmazing breathtaking views, dog friendly beach access for everyone and is…read moretruly a hike to a hidden gem that you won't soon forget!! Skunk Harbor not only combines all of these wonderful attributes but also throws in a bit of history for you to check out too! Parking is FREE but limited, located at a turnoff along HWY 28 about a few miles north of the Spooner/HWY 50 junction - look for an old green pipe gate which is also the entrance to the trailhead (do NOT park in front of gate, you WILL be fined). After you park, grab your gear (keep in mind there are NO facilities - take out what you take in). Travel along the old dirt road on the other side of the green gate through the Tahoe forest. When you reach the fork in the road you have 2 choices: left fork leads to Prey Meadows which is blanketed with many varieties of wildflowers in the spring anddd right fork leads you to Skunk Harbor. Throughout your hike down to Skunk Harbor take in the breathtaking picture worthy views all around. Upon your arrival to the beach be sure to find the historical remants of an old railroad ramp used to supply timber to Virginia City after the Comstock Lode plus an abandoned stone house along the waters edge with historical markers from the 1920s that belonged to the wealthy family of George Newhall built as a summer house here for vacations and parties. Everything was brought in by boat, during the Roaring Twenties ~ WOW!! This is a MUST DO!! Hike is roughly 3 miles round trip, I always enjoy an adventure / hike with a reward at the end, Skunk Harbor not only has this throughout but pays off at the end. Be prepared for a bit of workout on the way back out as it is uphill and can be exposed depending on time and season/weather. So bring plenty of H20 and take your time but this hidden gem is worth it!!

My favorite spot to hang out and enjoy Lake Tahoe's pristine waters. If you get there early enough…read moreand don't do in the dead of summer, you'll have a good shot of having it all to yourself. My last 3 trips have resulted in me being the only one down there for a solid couple hours. The trail and beach are dog friendly, so bring your companion along with you. It's a short hike in and out but beware, your going up and up on the way out. Nothing impossibly difficult, but it can wind you. Other than that, go out and enjoy it. Leave no trace, respect the historic building down there, and don't feed the wildlife. Oh, by the way, parking can be a pain. There's only room for maybe 6-7 cars if they cozy up with one another. So like I said above, getting here early is key.

For a thrilling hike, full of new sights and sounds, we headed west from Reno to Verdi to explore…read morethe newest section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway. Opened in 2013, the Verdi Upstream section follows the Truckee Meadows Power Authority (TMPA) utility road approximately three miles from the gravel parking area at the south end of Quilici Ranch Road to Fleish Dam and Bridge. We walked parallel to the California state line, Truckee River, Interstate 80, and the Union Pacific Railroad. Along the way, the whistle of a freight train heading west and an Amtrak train heading east punctuated the background sounds of the rumbling interstate and roaring river. The wide and graded service road passed the Fleish Power Station, side-stepped into California, and wandered beside the Truckee River Flume and Steamboat Ditch. The power station, built in 1904 to supply electricity to Virginia City and its mines, runs on river water diverted upstream and carried to its turbines in the timbered flume. The climax of the hike came at the end, with a crossing of the Fleish Bridge. The 200-foot long pedestrian span suspends above the spillway of the Fleish Dam, which impounds the Truckee River for diversion into the Steamboat Ditch and Truckee River Flume. Our footsteps on the narrow wooden deck created out-of-sync waves, that generated an electrifying finale to our thrilling hike.

We stopped here to see if we could get any fishing action. The pathway was short but a nice stop…read more Beautiful and clean. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any bites but it was relaxing!