If this trail had shade, it would be a perfect trail for a mid-day hike in the middle of the city. Seriously, it’s easy to get to, very few people go there, and it’s a nice distance to get a workout and commune with nature without having to spend your whole day doing it. The only facilities are at the trailhead, including dog waste trash bins, so make sure you have a place to store poop bags so you don’t end up carrying them the whole way. I haven’t used them but they looked well maintained and clean. The trail starts off with just a little bit of uphill but then flattens out after just a few minutes. It’s a really easy hike, even if you add in the .5 mile overlook, so definitely worth your time. You weave through some areas where you get a good view of some of the new houses in the area, enough to make this girl jealous of the great views and whole sides of glass they will have. The few people I’ve seen on the trail have been great, dogs have been on leashes, and it’s been a really pleasant experience. Definitely a hike I’ll repeat when I don’t feel like driving forty minutes to get to one.
Tracy S.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Reno, NV
Reno’s newest trailhead is really lovely, which one would hope, seeing as the land was dedicated in 2008, and it only just opened a few months ago. Apparently it takes the county six years to construct a trail and parking lot. Still, though, it IS lovely. This trailhead and the land behind it was part of a very, very long battle between the city and Ballardini Ranch developers. I really don’t know all the details, but suffice to say lots of people were very angry, and much time was spent in court, and many millions of dollars wasted. With that in mind, I guess I was expecting a more extensive project than what is here, and, as is so often the case, expectations lead to disappointment. The trailhead consists of about 20 parking spots, a covered picnic area, and a bathroom with two pit toilets. No water is provided on site, nor did I see a doggie-doo station. A creek runs through the trailhead, providing trees and shade. It is overall just a nice little spot. The trail consists of two loops – a«lower» loop, which is only .5 miles(why even bother?!) and an «upper» loop that adds another 1.7 miles. If you do them both together, you’ll log about a two-mile hike. Like I said, not terribly impressive, especially considering how much the trail loops back on itself, fooling you into thinking you are covering more terrain than you actually are. You WILL get some very nice scenery, though. There are better views to be had of the city on other trails; the real pleasure here is the view back into the BLM land behind the development area. I managed to find a few small side trails that led to convenient gaps in the barbed wire, should you decide to take off into all that beautiful open space. Just sayin’. The best thing about this trail is it’s newness. Everything is fresh and clean, with no trash, no gardens of dog turds, and no broken glass. The toilets don’t even smell bad yet. Let’s hope it can stay this way for a little while, at least! Overall, this trail is great for a short hike or very short trail run, but not really extensive enough for serious hiking. It’s perfect for kids – you could probably even do it with a stroller – and my dog loved it. Eventually, there will be a diversion trail that connects this small loop to the greater Rim to Reno system, and then it will really be awesome, but until then it’s just a nice way to spend an hour.
