Quick hike of a little over a mile to explore this area. There is a beautiful regional park and a…read moreriver trail that is well traversed. A nice walk Easy parking. Please come and create your own adventure.

Truckee River Regional Park is a fantastic spot for outdoor fun, especially during the winter. We…read morecame here for some snow play to kill time before out hotel room was ready, and it did not disappoint. There is plenty of space to sled, build snowmen, and just enjoy the beautiful snowy scenery. The river flowing by is very beautiful especially covered in snow. The park is well maintained, with clean bathrooms conveniently located nearby, which is always a plus when you're out with kids. If you have a dog, it's a great place for a walk, too. It was very snow covered so I was able to just go into the tennis courts and let my dog run around off leash. There are poop bags free of charge available so please use them when out and about with your dog. Parking was plentiful, so there's no stress about finding a spot. Whether you're here for some winter activities or just a stroll, Truckee River Regional Park has something for everyone.

Great little stopping point to stretch your legs, let the kids play (back in the day) or walk the…read moredog (current days) on your way from Reno to Lake Almanor. I've been passing by this park for over 15 years coming and going from Reno to Lake Almanor and finally just stopped the other day to let our little Fen run around and tinkle. Very cute spot and loved the tire rope swing. Almost gave it a shot but the rope looked a little old for a 200+ pounder.

Best park in Lassen county hands down. Clean, upkept, and beautiful! Bring the horse for more fun!read more

Eureka lake is located within the Plumas-Eureka State Park. We initially did not know what to…read moreexpect when we saw the sign for it and had not planned anything around it. The directional sign at the beginning of the gravel road states it is 1.3 miles to the lake and my wife said let's go for it and check it out, so off we went! The rock and dirt one lane road to the lake is narrow and rough. There a few turnouts but it gets narrower as you approach the lake. We would recommend 4wd but smaller vehicles would also be better because of the width of the road. We made it easily with a 2015 Toyota Tundra but had to do some rearranging with other vehicles we encountered going the opposite direction. At the top, the parking lot is big enough for about 15 cars and the views are amazing!!! There were several people wading and swimming in the lake and we also saw a small kayak. We personally thought to ourselves "wow that water must be cold this early in the summer!". There is also a trailhead which begins just off the parking area with a directional sign indicating information about hiking to Eureka Peak but we were not prepared and when my wife saw the sign explaining what wildlife was in the area and saw a rubber boa on the list there was no way she was going to proceed any further. We are very glad we decided to explore the area!

Be prepared for a rough dirt road going up. Some may feel they need to be in 4 wheel drive, but…read more hubby felt it not necessary. When you get to the top you experience... what did I hear? SERENITY. Peace! Great place to just experience some outdoor clean air. You can park and go for a hike, or throw a pole in the lake to see what you can catch. Unlike a couple years ago there were only some smaller trout at this lake. If not fishing, you can certainly let the dog(s) play in the water.

Absolutely gorgeous park with such a rich and heartbreaking history. It's very well-maintained,…read moreespecially the monument erected on 1918 to remember the ill fated Donner Party. There is a museum with educational videos and displays of the Donner Party and the history behind the Chinese immigrants who built the railroad. The gift shop is well priced for the type of shop, and the buildings are all very clean. Great customer service. The park itself is an amazing place to visit and walk, even in the snow. You truly feel one with nature as you soak in the history and peaceful setting. Would absolutely one million percent recommend, and I'm so grateful to my best friend for bringing me here.

Features: Abundant…read moreparking, an all-levels hiking trail; a small-if-useful museum with lots o' info about the history of the Donner Party and people heading west through the Sierras; snow, if you come on the right days. I dunno--what were you looking for out of a drive up a mountain in winter to learn about people getting stranded for making bad choices about winter in the mountains? It seems like a pretty good metaphor for something. They (the signs and the local authorities enforcing them) threaten that tire chains are necessary during winter weather events (which was most certainly a thing that was happening during our trip), but they seem to give you a pass for AWD and snow tires. Bring chains if that's not what you're driving.

Pioneer Park is in the foothill town of Nevada City, CA. It's a beautiful 16 acre park with…read moregorgeous mature trees. There's a baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, bocce ball court, horseshoe pits, little league field, playground, green lawn space, picnic area, and bandshell. The walkways are paved and ADA. In addition, the public swimming pool and Lodge are located here. The park hosts summer concerts and special events. The Lodge is a hop skip n jump next door to the pool, playground, and basketball courts. It's an event building available for rent. It has a kitchen, restrooms, tables, chairs, projector, and seating for 120 for dining. There are picnic area throughout the park as well. The areas have tables, BBQs, and some have electrical hookups. These can be reserved via the parks and recreation website. There is a creek that runs through the park that's makes a beautiful trickling sound when the water flow is high. Peaceful vibes. But as in all public spaces, please be cautious and aware of your surroundings.

Save your time & money instead of wasting it attending the water aerobics class. There's nothing…read moreaerobic about standing around in the pool waving your arms around like it's ballet class. Each year the quality of the class gets worse. I'm out for 2025's morning class until they get a real instructor. It's too bad since the pool is lovely. The evening class might be the saving grace by virtue of the young lifeguards who teach at 6pm.

Visited Portola for the first time last fall and walked this river trail every single morning while…read moreI was in town. It's quiet, scenic, and peaceful. Not strenuous, and it's paved so folks of all abilities could probably enjoy it. If you like exploring the flora and fauna of new places like I do, there's a lot of 'splorin you can do just in this small area. There's an abundance of mountain bird specialities including Clark's Nutcrackers, Steller's Jays, Pygmy Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers, and more! Wildflowers and interesting insects can be found all around too. And keep an eye out for evidence of bears!

Dog loves it daily. Wish we could camp down there like the bicyclists do when they take over the…read morearea and the town.

.....I definitely underestimated the hike, lol…read more The hike to the fire lookout is about 2.5 miles one way, BUT the incline throughout most of the trail makes the hike a bit of a calves-burner. I'm not a seasoned hiker and I had to take multiple breaks, so much that I took like a 2 min break at each switcheroo point on the switchbacks right before the fire lookout lol (yeah there's even a set of unfriendly switchbacks here on top of the steady incline, hooray). Took me about 2 hours to arrive at the lookout lol but man oh man are the views gorgeous up there. I went on a windy day and I still felt safe climbing the stairs up to the actual lookout; the whole structure is pretty sturdy. Overall I would classify this hike as moderate-hard for people who don't hike often. Wouldn't say that this hike is very dangerous; just wear good shoes as there is a lot of loose gravel on the switchbacks and a couple of times I slipped when going back down towards the parking area. Would I ever do this hike again? Eh, to be honest probably not lol not because the hike itself but because of the long winding highway getting here. Very pretty trees throughout the 49 highway especially during autumn, but 1.5+ hours of driving on this highway (drove through Auburn) was a little too much for me. I definitely don't regret doing this whole adventure though. Google Maps "Sierra Buttes Trailhead" and the directions shown will lead you straight to the parking area/hiking trail entrance.

This hike is unreal. I went 10/13/19. Weather was really…read morewarm. Definitely was comfortable in a short sleeve. I had my dog with me and we were off! It wasn't too crowded. I probably saw 20 people throughout the whole hike. Almost all had dogs so it was very dog friendly! Many had dogs off leash so be prepared for that. I've seen some bad reviews online about mountain bikers but I didn't see very many and the ones I did were really polite and moved right out of the way. Towards the top it got chilly and very windy so make sure to bring some layers if you plan on going up. There are stairs that are extremely steep at the end, but honestly If you don't go up them then there's no real reason to do this hike. The stairs are necessary. My dog was too scared to go up them so I did have to carry him. Once at the top, the views are BREATHTAKING. So incredibly beautiful. Definitely worth the steep incline and quad burning it takes to get there. Whole hike took me about 3 or 4 hours. It was amazing and I highly recommend. I would rate it as hard however, due to the steep incline and loose gravel. You definitely need to be careful and wear good shoes. I fell twice on my way down and that was not fun.

One of the perks of living in Incline Village are the really well maintained spaces for residents…read more Some places, like the private beaches, you have to show your resident's pass to use or have a guest pass in hand. Other places, like Preston, it's not necessary. When friends are in town and have kids that need to burn off energy and we have already done the beach / hiking thing, then this is another option. The grounds are gorgeous and there are plenty of nice equipment for the knee biters to go screaming around while adults can go off and have adult conversations that include lots of curse words, ranting and raving or reminiscing about the good old days when they were much younger and more apt to do things that they could have been arrested for (this is all hypothetical, mind you).

The little loved this park when we were on vacation. It seemed super well maintained. Lots of…read moreparking.

I'm fully in my hiking/camping era at this point, so we decided to take a short drive and check out…read moreFrazier Falls. And honestly? This is my kind of hike. It's about a mile, easy, and paved, so you're not out there fighting for your life...but still has a high payoff at the end, which is really all I'm asking for these days When we got there, the waterfall was actually flowing, which always feels like a win. And on the way back, we cut through some rocks and were able to see where the waterfall starts, which made it even cooler. If you're nearby in early spring, I highly recommend checking out Frazier Falls. Easy, quick, and worth it...basically the perfect low-effort, high-reward hike.

Our favorite hike in the whole area. It comes to mind every time we visit our relatives in…read moreLoyalton.

Eagle Rock is a relatively short and easy hike that's welcoming for people of all age groups. The…read moretrail itself is less than a mile long, with minimal elevation increases on your way to the top. It's a very dusty path up, so make sure to wear some proper hiking shoes and clothing that you don't mind getting dirty. I wore a white, button-up t-shirt and jeans because my in-laws failed to tell me we were going hiking before stopping at the motel. But it was such a light hike that it didn't bother me too much aside from getting my clothes dusty and dirty going up and then coming back down. At the top of the trail resides Eagle Rock, which comprises of sharp, volcanic rock. So definitely be careful while up there. For those with mobility issues, the path does not extend all the way up to the top. So you will have to clamor over some rocks in order to reach the summit. But once up top, you'll get treated to a gorgeous top-down view of Lake Tahoe to one side, and beautiful forest covered mountains on the other. The trail is dog friendly, but there are no trash cans along the path. So make sure to take back out anything you bring in. There is a small, free parking lot at the entrance to park at.

This is one of my favorite short hikes in the area. It's a very nice hike any time of year. It…read moreboasts spectacular views of the mountains, trees and lake. I came here this morning after it snowed the day prior. No one had been up here since the new snow, and my footprints were the only ones to imprint the fresh snow. Coming here alone this morning and connecting with nature by myself brought about feelings of peace and solitude, it was very nice having the entire place to myself. I was very grateful for this moment alone with nature.