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!

The greenish blue lake looks just like a giant gem. It's also as clear as a mirror. The trails down…read morethere are really hard to walk. While walking in the woods you can just hear the wind sound and the birds singing.

I would not call this place a secret, by any means, but it IS a cove and it's a beautiful place to…read morevisit if you can find a place to park. The trails are magical, the water is spectacular and the views will knock your socks off (if you happen to be wearing any )!

Sitting right on Washoe Lake, you'll get the most out of a…read morevisit to Washoe Lake State Park by camping at $15.00 per night. It's offered on a first-come basis, There are 29 campsites, equipped with a table, grill with fire rings and room for trailers. Two comfort stations, one of which includes a shower, are available. Several sites can hold an RV up to 45 feet in length. Don't forget to get your Nevada fishing license before dropping a hook into the lake. The views of Washoe Valley & the Sierra Nevada Mountains make it all worthwhile !!

In the almost 20 years we have lived in Northern Nevada, and driven by here enroute back and forth…read morebetween Carson City and Reno, this is the first time I have stopped, gotten out and walked around. I spent some time in the picnic area and walking along the shoreline. The park was well maintained with lots of shady spots, cool grass and sandy beaches. The bathrooms were convenient and clean and there was a generous parking area. There are BBQ grills and lots of picnic tables throughout the area. There is also a large group pavilion. There are a number of trails around, but may be better suited for cooler weather as there is not a lot of shade away from the day-use area. There is a ranger station a few miles north that is worth a stop. Staff are friendly and helpful and there is a small exhibit of old mining and farming equipment and a very nice native plant garden. Definitely worth the stop.

Kayaking/Paddle boarding is one of my bucket-list and I can't believe I finally did it! This was…read moredefinitely a workout, 1000/10 experience though! Based on our experience, We were accompanied well, the process went smoothly and the team from Sand Harbor Beach Rental was great! Cindy, Jeff and Cierra/Sierra were all very nice. Will definitely come back and do it again!

This is my favorite place to paddle, swim, hike, explore, & relax. It's sad that this place has…read moregotten so popular that it's now hard to visit during warm days and summer months. Please help keep this place clean and pristine so we can all enjoy it for a long time!

This was one of our most memorable camping trips with our kids when they were younger. We last…read moreminute joined a few of our friends from work and their families. Another family sold us their spot for this week. If you've ever been here to Fallen leaf you know the breath taking views this lake and it's grounds has to offer. Our campsite was the largest and no one was behind us. Our kids played in a creek nearby. We hiked and ventured to a few waterfalls in Angora while here. It was so sad to see where the fires burned through this area. None of our photos taken here do the grounds any justice. Everything was pristine. I look forward to returning some day. I'm due for some grounding and getting lost in nature.

Gorgeous hike from the main road, easy for kids and a great scenic view of the lake. If the…read morecampground is open it's an even shorter hike. We enjoyed looking for mushrooms and wildlife!

We ended up at Chimney Beach Trailhead while looking for a beach in the area…read more Unbeknownst to us, and something to definitely keep in mind is that this is definitely a moderately difficult hike/trail - with an absolutely stunning beach to enjoy at the bottom of it. The trail itself has no signage, and is very windy with many different options to get (lost) to different sections of the beach . As with many of the other beaches in the area... It was super clean and clear waters, and an amazing lake view at the beach.

We lucked out and did this hike down to the beach on a weekday when it wasn't too busy. Parking in…read morethe lot was not an option, too full, but we did park along the roadside. The hike down is very steep, but not long. There are tons of great bird and plants and lizards etc to enjoy on the way up and down. There are several small beach spots to enjoy at the bottom, with calm cool waters with so many colors of blue and soft pebble sand. This beach is definitely worth the 1.5ish mile roundtrip walk.

Wow wow wow!! This is a must stop point if you like waterfalls, creeks, rock formations, mountains…read moreand scrambling. Brought my kids 5 & 8 and they can do most of it. Views are incredible. We went to the waterfall (10 mins on the trail) and bridge and then to the vista point. Wanted to do more but the 5 y/o got tired. You can scramble this whole mountain!

The hike was just the right amount of challenging to really appreciate the top and sit and look…read moreover the lake. It took us about 4 hours round trip. Nice clean trail, no bikers. It was great. Would do it again.

Sand harbor is a great place to spend the day especially on a hot day! The sand is great at this…read morebeach. It does have a tendency of being a bit crowded on a summer day. The restaurant is convenient for a refreshing drink or to satisfy your hunger. The bathrooms could use more cleaning through out the day since there is so many visitors passing through all day. The kids had a blast paddle boarding, rock jumping, walking around, swimming and sun bathing. I do love this lace and will continue to visit whenever I get the chance.

If you're planning your very first trip to Tahoe, rented a house for the weekend, and dream of…read morevisiting the most popular spots - be prepared that you might not actually get in. Or, take a look at my tips to maximize your chances: 1. Reserve your day in advance at www.reservenevada.com to enter before 10:30 AM. 2. If you only realize this during your vacation (instead of a week earlier), you'll have to battle it out at 10:30 AM along with thousands of others. The problem? There's only one lane each way, so you'll end up stuck in an hour-long traffic jam. We left Tahoe City at 9:00 AM on Sunday and still didn't make it in. Part of our group walked in on foot and noticed plenty of empty parking spaces, but when we asked why they weren't opening the gate, the staff told us they'd "open at 5 PM" and even demanded a fee for walking through a park we didn't even plan to stay in (and no, you're not allowed to just walk along the road). Everything besides the natural beauty here is a disaster: - Poorly planned access roads that leave people stuck in traffic for hours, even those not going into the park. - Rude, unhelpful staff who clearly don't care about visitors. - A completely broken system: instead of letting cars in as spaces free up, they just say, "We'll open the gates at 5." At a place this busy, that's unacceptable. I'm giving 1 star not for the park itself, but for its management and staff. Oh, and one more thing: if you finally make it into town and leave your car there, don't count on the shuttle. You'll wait for 2 hours, only for it not to show up - or to arrive full, with staff telling you to "wait for the next one" over and over until your day is wasted. Our situation was even worse: six people with paddleboards. We had to drop off people and gear at a nearby viewpoint (20-minute parking only), then drive back into town, park, and take a $50 taxi ride to meet up with our friends. The nature here is absolutely stunning, but the organization will ruin your day. Plan ahead carefully, since you have no other place with this monopoly.

Spring is here! Discovered this close-in trail for quick midday hike. A few trails at this…read morelocation to choose from. Small paved parking lot allows for off street parking. Trail head has bathroom facilities, clear trail signage. Be aware that some trails do not allow dogs while some allow them on leash. Did a quick family friendly hike to the Kings Canyon Waterfall (.3 miles) and then the North King's Loop (1.8 miles). Waterfall hike is short and a well-groomed trail makes for a great family friendly stroll for all ages. Falls are really flowing right now with a lot of shade trees. North King's Loop. 1.8 miles loop with about a 450' elevation gain for about .9 miles. Trails are well-groomed (kudos to City of Carson and volunteers). For most of the loop, the trail is narrow to a shoulder width with a hill on one side and a slope off on the other. My hike is late March, early spring, so still signs of snow and ice hazards on parts of the shade sections of the trail. Overall, a great hike in the City of Carson.

On a difficulty level; I'd say it's easy…read more This trail is kid, elderly and furry friend friendly. Even those who have foot injuries can walk right up with a little to no assistance. It's a popular spot in the Summer months. My last visit was on a hot July day. I almost had lunch there a few weeks ago, but I didn't feel like dealing with a crowd. It's a nice spot to cool down under the waterfall and have lunch. The older I get, the more I enjoy being outdoors and finding new trails to explore. It won't be long before I'm hanging in this waterfall again.

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.