New trails around Carson City open for spring outdoor activities

With the spring equinox right around the corner on March 20 and fair weather persisting around the Carson City area, hiking and biking trails are a popular way to get some fresh air after a year of COVID-19-related isolation.

Gregg Berggren, Trail Coordinator within the Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department, said he saw a huge increase of people utilizing outdoor areas and hiking spots at the start of spring last year.

“Beginning one year ago in March, we had what I called the ‘COVID spike’,” Berggren said. “One of the few things left for people to do was to go outside to places that are near them. In Carson City we are very lucky to have a lot of trails that are accessible and basically right outside of people’s front doors.”

In response to this uptick, Berggren and his department opened several more miles of trails in Oct. 2020. Trails at the Carson River area, Prison Hill East, Buzzy’s Ranch, and a segment of Mexican Ditch Trail are among them.

“Those have been very popular and we’ve had really really good responses and feedback on them,” Berggren said.

However, trails on the west side of town are anticipated to be most popular among folks wanting to enjoy the nice weather this season via hikes, according to Berggren. Places close to Western Nevada College and up Ash Canyon are widely favored.

“All those trails up there, especially by our Golden Eagle open space, will be very popular especially as the weather warms up a bit,” Berggren said. “These trails lead to the very popular Ash to Kings Trail, which I don’t recommend right now because it still has some snow and ice and mud. We try to keep (trails) undamaged, but in a few weeks, that will be a very popular option.”

Muscle Powered hopes to resume hike program

Due to COVID guidelines, weekly gatherings of hikers groups within the local nonprofit Muscle Powered were put on hold. Muscle Powered, established in 1999, strives to “build a community where walking and biking, whether for recreation or transportation, are an integral and accepted way of life.”

“As of right now, we do not have a timeframe for when we will resume our hike program,” said Chelsea Kincheloe, President of the organization. “Muscle Powered is committed to the health and safety of our volunteers and Carson City residents.”

Muscle Powered is currently taking into consideration the local, state and CDC recommendations as to when it might be safe to resume hikes and monitoring COVID cases month-to-month, according to Kincheloe.

“We will be following up with our hike leaders in the coming months to gauge if they feel okay with reopening the hike program with social distancing and mask wearing,” Kincheloe said. “We will definitely let the Carson City public know when the hike programs will be starting up again.”

More information on Muscle Powered and the calendar for upcoming events can be found here.

Trails also good for canines, under owner control

Dog-walking is permitted on all trails in Carson City, however pets must be under the control of their owners, according to Berggren. Other trails, specifically along the Carson River, require dogs to be on leashes because of wildlife habitats in those areas.

“What (control) means is, if the dog runs up to somebody, it’s not under control of the owner, so it needs to be under your voice command,” Berggren said.

Family-friendly hikes

Additionally, Berggren recommends the many family-friendly pathways throughout Carson City that are available. These include the Carson River Aquatic trail system, which spans 13.7 miles from three different access points, the Riverview Park trail (1.6 miles), and the Mexican Ditch Trail (1.3 miles).

“I’m really kind of excited about (family-friendly options) because of the new trails we opened,” Berggren said. “What we’re seeing are families: parents are with their children who are on bicycles or pushing strollers.”

In-town options for family-use include several miles of paved trails like the Linear Ditch Trail (2.4 miles) and the Freeway Multi-use Pathway (3.6 miles).

“The thing that’s kind of fun about the Multi-use Freeway Pathway is that you can get a little bit of a history lesson as you travel that because there’s interpretive signs along the way,” Berggren said.

Three new trails now designed for accessibility open

Three new trials specifically tailored to accessibility needs have been developed, according to Berggren. The Sagebrush Loop, the Bitterbrush Loop, and the Rabbitbrush Loop off of the Fifth Street trailhead are designed to be 3-4 feet wide with low-grade and are more challenging than some of the wider, flatter trails.

“We talk about trying to make trails as accessible to all of our residents as much as we possibly can,” Berggren said. “We have the paved trails and the wider trails around the Carson River, but people who may be more athletic but they have a mobility issue, they can go out on a three-wheel adaptive mountain bike.”

Although the Parks and Rec Department does not enforce any social distancing guidelines on trails, Berggren said wider trails are easy to do so. On more narrow paths, patrons are encouraged to step aside off the trail while passing others.

Mountain bikers, horseback riders and ATVers urged to 'go slow, say hello'

Additionally, Berggren and his department started a Share the Trail campaign last year for all trails in Carson City. Trail courtesy diagrams were implemented to show correct trail etiquette as far as who yields to whom, including runners, hikers, horseback riders, and motorists.

“Our slogan is ‘go slow and say hello’,” Berggren said. “What we’re asking is that if you’re riding a bicycle, and you are approaching a horse or a pedestrian, please let them know you’re there. Being respectful and courteous on the trails goes a long way to keeping the trails open to everybody and keeping them safe and comfortable.”

Full Moon hikes, originally organized by the Parks and Rec Department in 2019, have been a popular option for hikers in the past year. The sign-ups are limited due to social distancing restrictions, but spots are still free for the May 26 date at Wild Horse Trail.

More information on trails around Carson City and where they are can be found here. Sign-ups for the Full Moon and other organized hikes and other activities can be found here.