A Pro Rider’s Guide to Reno Tahoe’s Best Mountain Bike Trails

As a high school teacher, I value the daylight hours after school and like to maximize my time by hitting the following trail systems near my house.

Ash Canyon, Carson City

This sandy-based trail system does a great job absorbing rain in the winter. The south-facing trails (Jackrabbit, Bob’s, Evidence) melt out quickly if it snows. You can pedal up into the pine trees and get a Tahoe forest feel. There’s a creek that runs year-round (hence the Creek Trail name), and my dog, Mya, loves to join me on these rides! There are rattlesnakes, though, so I often leave her at home during the summer months.

For a longer ride, you can connect Ash Canyon to Kings Canyon and the Lincoln Bypass. Off the Ash-to-Kings connector trail, there’s a new Capital-to-Tahoe trail that will take you all the way to the Tahoe Rim Trail. My recommendation would be to access the Tahoe Rim Trail from Mt. Rose Summit or Spooner Summit, where you can climb the fire road to Marlette Lake and eliminate some of the climbing and enjoy a long downhill into Carson City.

Prison Hill, Carson City

The recent additions of the Desert Peach and Odyssey trails have made this area a winter gem. These new trails offer a gradual uphill on the north and west sides; from there, you can access a fun cross-country loop up top and a ripping downhill, Dead Truck, off the backside. Its location off the Sierra foothills typically means less snow, and the west side gets good sun and dries quickly after storms, making it a great riding area year-round.

Jacks Valley, Carson City

A mellow trail network that can be really fun for an easy pedal or to "pin it" and find some cross-country flow. To add more miles, you can climb as high as you want (or as the snow allows in the winter and early spring) on the Clear Creek Trail across the street. It also offers one of the best views of Carson City and the Sierra.

Sierra Vista Park, Reno

This is an old golf course that was turned into a bike park. There are multiple jump lines, a pump track, and a cross-country loop. Both beginners and experienced riders will find something to love about this little gem near Reno.

Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) from Heavenly to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

Leave a car at the bottom of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (or park in South Lake for some extra pedaling) and start at Heavenly Stagecoach Lodge off of Kingsbury Grade. This is an epic ride that covers some of my favorite parts of the TRT with the most incredible views. Pack lots of snacks and water, because this route is about 27 miles with over 4,000 feet of climbing.

You start with a climb that wraps around the backside of Heavenly and rewards you with amazing views of the Carson Valley. Signs designate when you’ve crossed the state line between California and Nevada. Halfway through the ride, you reach the high-alpine beauty of Star Lake. From there, you climb to the highest legal biking spot in the Tahoe basin, Freel Saddle (around 9,740 ft).

After a descent and one last climb on the TRT, you reach the famous Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, established in 1982. This trail features a very technical rock garden, a stair section, and high-speed flow sections. With 2,300 feet of descending over five miles of trail, it often takes people 45 minutes to get down; my fastest time is 16 minutes and 28 seconds. The Caldor Fire in 2021 left sections scorched, but the trail remains, and riding through the burnt zones is a unique view.

Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) from Mt. Rose Summit to Chimney Beach Downhill

Another epic ride, but less challenging than the TRT to Mr. Toad’s if you choose to use a shuttle. After the initial eight miles of the TRT, you have an option to continue on the TRT or take the famous Flume Trail. The TRT climbs above Marlette Lake, which offers a stunning double-lake view of Marlette and Tahoe, and an additional descent to Marlette Lake.

Alternatively, you can take the flatter Flume Trail, which gives an "on top of the lake" feel as you traverse across to Marlette Lake. After Marlette, you climb up the fire road, where there is a turn-off to access the top of the Chimney Beach Trail—then you can ride an almost 2,000-foot descent down to the parking lot. I’d suggest leaving a car there to avoid riding on the road back to Incline Village.

Sky Tavern Bike Park

A non-profit ski hill that doubles as a bike park in the summer. While the chairlift doesn’t run during the summer, self-shuttling or pedaling up is available. In recent years, there have been many new trail additions, including jump lines and an adaptive trail. The deep decomposed granite soil is amazing right after a rain, but it also provides a fun, surfy feeling when dry.

Northstar Bike Park

If you are looking for chairlift laps and tech, the Northstar Bike Park is your place! It’s a summer staple for me to ride with friends and jump into a race in their DH Series or the annual California Enduro Series races held here. In 2019, Northstar hosted an Enduro World Series race, and riders from around the world remarked on the unique and challenging terrain.

Easier trails to try out in the park are Woods and Coaster. A super fun flow lap is Sinuous to Karpiel, Speed Control, and then to PhoDogg. My favorite tech lap is Boondocks or a full Karpiel - but it’s gnarly, so you’ve been warned!

The riding recommendations above just scratch the surface of the riding in the Reno Tahoe region. You can’t go wrong with the area having over 300 sunny days a year, amazing Sierra views, and the opportunity for a refreshing swim in Lake Tahoe in the summer months after a ride. I feel very fortunate to call this place my home!