This is a very nice hiking trail that is easy to access and with plenty of parking. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. The trail itself has 3 trails for a total of 4.6 miles. There is pretty much no shade, so this is a great hike for the colder months. read more

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I have a goal to visit all the parks in Reno. Today I went to Ballardini Ranch Trailhead. I didn't get out of my car because it's very isolated and it was just me so I didn't want to take any chances hiking. So this isn't really a review of the park. It is however a review of the drive up there and back. WOW! I had no idea there were ranches and mansions there! So beautiful. The homes, the land, the cattle, the horses. Who knew? I'm a relative newcomer to Reno having moved here in 2014. I love it here for so many different reasons not the least of which is discovering the hidden gems that are so close to my home. It's well worth the drive even if you aren't a hiker. read more

Great hiking trail for for getting out for a light to moderately challenging hike. We have been here twice - once with the Truckee Meadows Park Foundation Trails Challenge, and once on our own. The views are spectacular and and the loop trail provides one with spectacular vistas of South Reno and the surrounding mountains. There are also some magnificent (and a few humble) homes to ogle at. The trail has moderate hills with mostly level sections. On our most recent visit, some of the trail was washed out and rocky due to the heavy runoff from all the snow. There is convenient parking and restrooms at the trailhead and "poop bags" for dog owners convenience. The access to the park is paved, easy and convenient. The park is owned and maintained by Washoe County. The only negative is the lack of shade once you get away from the trailhead. It is a very comfortable hike during the "shoulder seasons" but is very hot during the summer. There are two loop trails - the lower loop is about a half mile, the upper loop is about 2 miles. Both are accessible from the parking area. Highly recommended! read more

This is the perfect time of year to hit up Ballardini Trails for a morning walk. I say morning because being on the west side of the valley, it gets morning sunshine to break the chill. But come summer, hit this one up in the evening to take advantage of the shade from the mountains, as there is no tree cover. These trails are pretty rocky so I find trail running a bit dangerous for my gawking at the view self. But hiking is good as is letting the dog run. If you come hike in all but August-November, there is usually water in the creek and even a swim hole deep enough to wet the tallest of dogs belly. The parking lot is small, maybe 15-20 cars max, but I have never seen more than a half dozen. You can mountain bike here, but it is a bit of up up up, followed by down down down. You can tie into Timberline Rd if you are shooting for a 10+ mile ride round trip. read more

Beautiful hike my Malamute loves! We go early before the sun comes up and watch the sun rise as we go. There's no one out there then and he loves trotting around Remember to pick up your poop and throw it away when on the trail! There's clearly lots who don't so don't be part of the problem! read more

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Took a trail challenge with my wife at Ballardini Ranch. Not bad. For the challenge, you do need to be in fair shape. To do the trail without a group, you can do it at your own pace. Study the trails as some branch off and you can end up in Galena! Here's a link to the trail: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/nevada/ballardini-ranch-trail?_branch_match_id=519932165660136315 As with all trails anywhere. Pick up after yourself! It's simple and easy. If you bring a pet, pick up after the pet! If you're new to hiking up in the hills here. Bring water and/or a Camelbak type of device Wear sunscreen Bring a hat Watch for rattlers during the warmer months Leave nature natural This trail is good for newbies. It's not too hard, good views of the city and gives you the impression that you're miles away from civilization. ---------------- Bottom Line I wouldn't mind coming back here and taking some of the tertiary trails to Galena. read more

Ballardini Ranch Trailhead - Waiting for the floods - Hiking Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Great way to get your outdoor fitness escape while a guest in the casinos. Short scenic drive to ample parking at the trailhead, and easy to moderate rolling hiking trail, made for a nice morning walk. Highly recommend if you desire some outdoor time. I found this trail on Yelp btw! read more

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. read more

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I took the family out for a late-spring hike and was pleasantly surprised by the trails and property. In mid-May (after a good wet, spring), the wildflowers were still blooming (calochortus lilies, penstemons, etc.) and the cheatgrass was tall but not yet a threat to everyone's socks. Bird life in the middle of the day was pretty quite (as expected), but there were still meadowlarks singing here and there. The trails look like they were made with a bobcat, but still nicely contoured for hiking with a 5 year old. The bench near the "summit" was a nice treat and the views to the west make you forget all the sprawl of south Reno to west (which has a certain appeal when seen from a distance). We ran into a rattlesnake on the descent to the creek (from the 'summit'), always exciting. The wiggly trail goes in and out of some gullies, passing by some cottonwoods where we saw flicker and kestrel nests. Overall, the lack of shade would make this a challenging place to enjoy fully in the middle of a summer day, and the weeds (esp. cheatgrass) could be really annoying if you weren't careful. For a cool-weather day (or early summer morning), however, it's a great choice. read more

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This is a great place to get out in nature and you don't even need to leave Reno! You get some nice moderate elevation gain and loss, so it makes a good trail run. The terrain is rocky and uneven, though, so wear good shoes for it. There are pit toilets, trash cans, dog waste bags, and picnic tables at the trailhead, next to a nice paved parking lot. You get great views of Reno; however, there is no shade on the trail, so plan accordingly if hiking in warmer weather. read more

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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. read more

Reno should be known for its breathtaking views via countless hiking trails rather than that whole biggest little city or what-not! All kidding aside, as someone who LOVES hiking, Reno has not disappointed! This trail is tucked back near a somewhat residential area, but quiet nonetheless. It's a moderate elevation, that when taken at an easy place could be considered more on the "easy" side of things. The only problem I have with this trail, as I do with SO many others here, is that it is not clearly marked. The trails themselves are easy enough to follow, but when coming to a crossroads you never know what way to go. This trail will bring you to a few of these and none that I saw were marked. My first time hiking here I just wondered the desert until I eventually found my way back, but under a time constraint my second I wanted to make sure I followed it exactly. If I had only one recommendation it would be to download the all trails app and just follow the map as you go. Outside of that one small complaint this trail is awesome! It offers gorgeous views of our majestic mountains and countryside, and can be done in about an hour making for a nice quick hike! So, if you're wanting to stay in the city and not make a day of it, I would definitely make this a trail you check out! Rumor has it that there is a cross atop one of the hills there, but as of yet I've not found it...just another excuse for me to hike it again! read more

Pretty okay trail. The signage needs a little work, however. There's an intersection where the two loops meet and the arrows are pointing the wrong way, so if someone wasn't already familiar with the layout of the trails they could easily go the wrong way. The same is true where the trail follows Lonetree Road for a bit--it's easy to miss the turnoff to continue on the trail and it should be signed. The views from this trail are pretty cool, but there aren't any good views of the city. The landscape is also pretty ruined by all the invasive weeds that have taken over Truckee Meadows, and the trail is overgrown with them in certain spots. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for people to ruin the trail by not picking up their dog turds, and I had to step over several dozen piles over the course the trail. Overall, I recommend doing this hike at least once. It's an easy hike not far from the city, and a great place to get some peace and quiet. read more

Nice trail and tribute to the Ballardini family. Just remember Lone tree is 25 miles an hour. Your visiting our neighborhood so slow down. Also consider vaccinating your dogs against rattle snakes. read more