Near: Reno, NV
Distance: 6 miles
Elevation: 5,000 to 6,100 feet
Vegetation: Desert scrub to pine forest
Last Visit: February 2018
Winter 2018 has been pretty sad in the snow department. Well into February we're in that awkward stage where there's enough snow at higher elevations to make lots of trails hard to follow, but not enough for good skiing and snow shoeing except the on the highest trails. So on a weekend trip up to the Tahoe area we did a day of snowshoeing on Castle Peak and a light day on the Hunter Creek Trail on the west side of Reno at the base of the Mt Rose Wilderness. This trail starts in the desert scrub at 5,000 feet and follows a canyon up to a modest waterfall just at the tree line around 6,000 feet. As a real forest chauvinist this hike won't be making an top ten lists for me, but it was a nice change of pace. The proximity of the trailhead to Reno and the steady, well-graded trail makes it a popular afternoon jaunt, so you'll have some company here.
