Independence Lake Preserve: North Shore Trail

North Shore Trail at Independence Lake with the Sierra Crest far back, still showing patches of snow at the end of June

Independence Lake is a pristine glacial lake in the Sierra Nevada north of Truckee, California. The lake is known as the jewel of the Sierra. The preserve invites you for lake-side picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, bird watching and fishing. The lake is home to one of only two wild, self-sustaining lake populations of Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) in the world. In addition to LCT, Independence Lake hosts populations of six other native Lahontan fishes that have lived here since glaciers disappeared some 10,000 years ago [1].

Kayakers in the middle of Independemce Lake

Independence Lake is 2.4 miles long and half a mile wide with a maximum depth of 145 feet (44.2 m). Its surface elevation is 6,949 feet (2,118 m) [2]. The North Shore Trail is a 2.7 mile-long trail alongside the lake's north shore. You will find some picnic areas along the beginning section of the trail. This is a forest trail, but you will chance upon multiple spots to access refreshing lake water—with magnificent views everywhere. Even by early summer, it is not uncommon here to find snow plants (Sarcodes sanguinea) in the shade of conifers.

Snow plants next to North Shore Trail (June 29, 2025)

Although there is a North Shore Trail and a South Shore Trail, a round trip around the lake is currently not advised (as long as no bridge has been built). Both shore trails end at the southwest tip of the lake, where the Upper Independence Creek meets the lake water. This creek may be difficult to cross and the Nature Conservancy asks hikers and mount bikers to stay away from this part of the lake between May 1 and August 31 to avoid disturbing spawning of LCT in Upper Independence Creek .

North Shore Trail turnaround point during LCT spawning season

Independence Lake Trail Map

Map with North Shore Trail, South Shore Trail and South Ridge Trail

All lake area trails—North Shore Trail, South Shore Trail, and South Ridge Trail—are dead-ends, of about the same length (2.5 to 3.0 miles).

References & Suggested Browsing

[1] Independence Lake Preserve. URL: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/independence-lake/.

[2] Judy DePuy / Truckee-Donner Historical Society. History: The Survival of Independence Lake: Part 1. URL: https://www.sierrasun.com/news/history-the-survival-of-independence-lake-part-1/.

Van Sickle Bi-State Park

Cascading towards Lake Tahoe: Van Sickle Waterfall

The Van Sickle Bi-State Park is a California-Nevada Park between South Lake Tahoe, California, and the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) section around Kingsbury—a mountain resort in Nevada. The scenic Van Sickle Trail traverses the bi-state park, connecting Stateline with the TRT at Elevation-7777-feet post at the van-Sickle Trail/TRT junction. 

An artist painting water flow over ledges of the Van Sickle Waterfall

Resting for a view at the Van Sickle Trail's granodiorite gate

Sugar pine cones

Van Sickle Bi-State Park is a popular area for loop-trail and uphill hikers. The park is easily accessible and requires no reservation and no entrance fee (not yet). During my visit this May, I started my up-and-down hike at the California Day Use Area. This spot has picnic tables from where you can watch gondolas from the Heavenly Village to the Heavenly Mountain Resort drifting by. Also, there is a kiosk providing information on the park's eponym, Henry Van Sickle, 1822-1894: 

Henry Van Sickle arrived in Carson Valley in 1852, settling near Genoa. Before Nevada became a state in 1864, and when the area was still part of the Utah Territory, Van Sickle began welcoming weary travelers - and Pony Express riders - to his Van Sickle Station, located along the Carson Route of the Overland Emigrant Trail.

Always the entrepreneur, Van Sickle served as the first toll master of the Kingsbury Grade wagon road, built in 1860. This road shortened the travel distance by 15 miles between Sacramento, California and the Comstock Lode's silver mines in Virginia City, Nevada.Saving a day's travel was well worth the $17.50 round trip toll. In 1863, toll receipts netted $190,000. Van Sickle sold the road to Douglas County for $1,000 in 1889.

Julia van Vleck

After surviving "long-haired" Sam Brown's murder attempt in 1861, Van Sickle killed the famous outlaw and became a Carson Valley leader for the next 20 years. In 1894, Van Sickle died at age 72 when his runaway horses hit a heavy gate post at his ranch, crushing him. He is buried in the Genoa Cemetery.

Henry was married twice. He married his second wife, Julia van Vleck, in 1870.  

In 1988, Henry's grandson Jack van Sickle (1916-2003)—said to be a cowboy who knew how to handle a rope—donated 542 acres of land to the Nevada Division of State Parks to honor his grandfather. 20 years later, Van Sickle Bi-State Park was born. 

Park Map

PDF: https://parks.nv.gov/forms/VanSickle_Bi_State_Park_Map.pdf.

Barn at the California-side Day Use Area

Further reading

Van Sickle Bi-State Park. Nevada State Parks. URL: https://parks.nv.gov/parks/lake-tahoe-nevada-state-park-3.

V & T Trail

V & T Trail south of its junction with the Foothill Trail

The V & T trail follows the historic Virginia and Truckee Railroad track between Lakeview and Combs Canyon Road in Carson City, Nevada. Along the trail, you will find four historical markers—interpretive signs placed in loving memory of Dr. Mary Ansari, a historian, author, philanthropist, and walks-far woman. The signs refresh our memory of the Comstock time: reminding us of the complex infrastructure needed in support of successful mining operations and how life in the Reno-Tahoe area was during the days of Western pioneers. Traveling south from Lakeview to Combs Canyon Rd, you will find signs with the following headlines:

• Lakeview
• Lakeview Tunnel
• Moving Through Time
• Historic Virginia and Truckee Trail

The V & T Trail is open year-round for hiking, running, mountain biking and horseback riding. Dogs are welcome. It's a popular trail. If you go at the right time, you can still enjoy enjoy solitude and also amazing views of the Carson City area and the Pine Nut Mountain Range. 

A split rock next to the V & T Trail

The V & T Railroad had six tunnels when it was fully completed. The distance from the trailhead to the former site of the Lakeview Tunnel is about 2000 ft. Nearby is the Foothill Trail junction, connecting the V & T Trail with the Foothill Garden & Pollinator Kiosk and the Medical Parkway.

Continuing south, you will pass the split rock site and a few trail sections with fallen rocks. There is no need to travel through those narrow canyons, as they are flanked by side-paths.

Looking below and eastward, you now sea a golf course and Carson City neighborhoods. Once, a large village of the Washoe People was located there.

Fallen rocks next to and on the V & T Trail 

Getting to the Lakeview V & T trailhead

Lakeview V & T trailhead

Driving south on Fwy-395 from Reno toward Carson City, leave the freeway at the East Lake Blvd exit and continue south for half a mile on Route 428 (Bowers Mansion Rd)—running parallel to the freeway and leading up the Lakeview Summit. Turn right onto Hobart Road. Find the trailhead on your left. 

The historic marker at the trailhead introduces you to the Comstock story of railroads, mills, mining, water—as well as the hunt for and disappearance of timber.

Map of the V & T Trail

The two-mile long V & T Trail between Lakeview and Combs Canyon Rd.

References and further reading

V & T Trail: https://www.carson.org/government/departments-g-z/parks-recreation-open-space/parks-and-places/trails/capital-corridor-area.

Tunnel #2: https://aroundcarson.com/2005/10/09/tunnel_2/.

James Lee Loops and beyond

Carson Range seen from the James Lee Loops area south of Jacks Valley Elementary School

The James Lee Loops are located between Jacks Valley Elementary School and Indian Hills in Douglas County, Nevada. The loop trails are part of the Clear Creek Trail System that stretches from Indian Hills to Spooner Summit [1]; including Jacks Valley Loop and Clear Creek Trail [2-5].

The James-Lee-Loops system has three loops—each one with a perimeter length of about two miles or less. They partially overlap. The eastside loop includes the James Lee Park Trailhead and a 0.9-mile-long section, which is the beginning of the Clear Creek Trail. This section connects the trailhead with the Jacks Valley Loop. 

The color coding in the Map of the Clear-Creek-Trail-System makes it easy to keep track:

• Green: James Lee Loops (4.1 miles, total of multiple loops)
• Red: Jacks Valley Loop (6.5 miles, perimeter)
• Blue: Clear Creek Trail (21.7 miles, one way)
• Black: School-to-road connector (0.4 miles)

A map is worth a thousand words. Focusing on the James Lee Loops and integrating sections of the other trails, the map should make it easy for you to design your personal round trip of almost any length between two and  nine miles. Have fun!

Getting to the Jacks Valley School Trailhead

On U.S. Route 395 south of Carson City, turn west onto Jacks Valley Road. After one mile, turn left at the Jacks Valley School Trailhead sign. Find trailhead parking by driving south across the lot between the school fence and the recycling drop-off containers. 

Note: There also is the Jacks Valley Road Trailhead 0.3 miles further west. This trailhead (the westside point of the school-to road connector) provides access to both the loop system and the uphill Clear Creek Trail towards Knob Point and Spooner Summit.

References and further reading

[1] Map of the Clear Creek Trail System. PDF: https://bcms-files.s3.amazonaws.com/mVq57ky5p9-1707/docs/trails/map/2023-04-18-Clear-Creek-Trail-System-Map-39x23.pdf.

[2] Clear Creek Trail System Information. PDF:  https://carsonvalleytrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-04-Clear-Creek-Trail-Overview.pdf.

[3] Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding near Carson City. Trailing Ahead: https://trailingahead.blogspot.com/2015/04/hiking-mountain-biking-and-horseback.html.

[4] Clear Creek Trail's lower section: wide open views of sagebrush/bitterbrush steppe, the Genoa fault surface and the Carson Range. Trailing Ahead: https://trailingahead.blogspot.com/2015/04/clear-creek-trails-lower-section-wide.html.

[5] Jacks Valley Loop. Trailing Ahead: https://trailingahead.blogspot.com/2023/04/jacks-valley-loop.html.

Trail section of the James Lee Loops

Sierra Front Trail: Thomas-Creek-to-Ballardini-Ranch section

Sierra foothills west of Reno with Mount Peavine in the far back (upper right corner)

At Thomas Creek Trailhead

The Thomas-Creek-to-Ballardini-Ranch section of the Sierra Front Trail is a 6.4-mile-long single-track trail—one way—through the Sierra foothills southwest of Reno in Nevada. It is open for walking, running, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. This trail connects the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead with the Jones/Whites/Thomas Creeks Trail System, providing access to the Dry Pond Loop and the Rim to Reno Trail.

Extensions of the Sierra Front Trail are planned. Once completed, you will be able to travel on a single-track trail from the Truckee River to Woodfords, California [1].  

The Sierra Front Trail southwest of Reno: your path through hilly open space

Getting to the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead

From South McCarran Blvd in Reno, turn south onto Lakeside Drive. Head southbound for about two miles to the Lakeside Dr/Lone Tree Ln junction. Turn right onto Lone Tree Ln and continue eastbound for about one mile to the entrance sign for the Ballardini Ranch parking lot. Start out from the bathroom and follow the trail up the rocky hillside. Soon you will arrive at a trail junction. Turn left and head west. Within less than a mile you will get the Sierra Front Trail sign. The trail climbs out of a small canyon onto a saddle. The trail continues in mostly southward direction. With only a few short rocky sections, enjoy a smooth trail through open space with views of Reno, the Arrow Creek area, Galena and the Virginia Range.

The Great Basin Bicycles portal has a website with a detailed description of the Sierra Front Trail for mountain bikers riding south from the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead to Thomas Creek and beyond 2].

Getting to the Thomas Creek Trailhead

From South Reno head eastbound for about two miles on Mt. Rose Highway (State Route 431). Turn right onto Timberline Drive and follow this road to the Thomas Creek Road (FS 049) junction. Continue another 0.1 mile to the large lot. The trail to the Ballardini Ranch starts out northbound at the northeast corner of the parking area.

About half-way between the Ballardini and and Thomas Creek trailheads: the Sierra Front Trail loops around a creek

Further reading

[1] Amy Alonzo: Southwest Reno's new Sierra Front Trail connects Thomas Creek and Ballardini Ranch. Reno Gazette Journal, August 18, 2022. URL: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2022/08/18/reno-nevada-hiking-sierra-front-trail-thomas-creek-ballardini-ranch/10351575002/.

[2] Sierra Front Trail - Ballardini Ranch to Thomas Creek Parking Area. September 26, 2022. URL: https://www.greatbasinbicycles.com/new-blog/2022/9/26/sierra-front-trail-ballardini-ranch-to-thomas-creek-parking-area. 

Sierra Front foothills

Aspen fall colors in the Mt. Rose Wilderness southwest of Reno, Nevada

Aspen grove seen from an upper section of the Jones White Loop Trail

October is the time when aspen fall colors paint many mountain forests of the Sierra Nevada. On Nevada 2024 (Friday, October 25) I hiked from the Galena Visitor Center up to Church Pond in the Mt. Rose Wilderness. Here, I am sharing a few snapshots of the aspen scenery along the way..

Bridge over Jones Creek near the Galena Creek Visitor Center

You don't need to walk very far from the Galena Creek Visitor Center to stroll alongside quaking aspen trees. There are stands next to the Jones Creek, which you can explore on the Visitor Center Interpretive Trail. 

Yet most impressive, in my opinion, are those yellow-gold bands and groves of aspen, which can best by seen by approaching steep mountain sides or finding the right vista point along a slope or ridge trail. The Jones White Loop Trail is such a path, which also leads through a small part of the Mt. Rose Wilderness and  connects with the Church's-Pond Trail. 

Quaking aspen fork and bark

In Nevada, not only quaking aspens display spectacular fall colors. The leaves of majestic cottonwood trees similarly turn gold or golden-orange [1].

While quaking aspen get a lot of attention for creating stunning golden vista when their heart-shaped leaves change color in the fall, the grayish white bark of aspen trees play an import role in wildlife biology [2]:

The bark layer of quaking aspens carries out photosynthesis, a task usually reserved for tree leaves. In winter, when other deciduous trees are mostly dormant, quaking aspens are able to keep producing sugar for energy. Deer, moose, and elk seek shade from aspen groves in summer. These same animals consume bark, leaves, buds, and twigs of quaking aspens throughout the year. Ruffed grouse are especially dependent on quaking aspens for food and nesting habitat.

Yellow leaves of quaking aspens "flirting" with green pine-tree needles 

References and further reading

[1] Nevada Fall Color. URL: https://nevadafallcolor.com/nevada-fall-colors-finding-gold-and-orange-and-red-in-the-silver-state.

[2] Quaking Aspen. URL: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Quaking-Aspen.

Exploring historic Tunnel Camp, Vernon, Nevada

Hanging lamp at a small cemetery in the foothills of the Seven Troughs Range: historic Tunnel Camp can be seen further back in the “trough.” The cemetery (I counted 7 crosses) holds the remains of those who tragically died in a flash flood in nearby Mazuma.  

Once you have crossed the Trinity Range northwest of Lovelock in Nevada and are driving downhill into Sage Valley, you can spot a cluster of dark-colored structures in the foothills of the Seven Troughs Range. These are buildings of Tunnel Camp—also known as New Seven Troughs [1]—a historic mining camp dating from the area's early 20th-cenrury mining boom. Tunnel Camp is the best preserved mining camp of the Seven Troughs District, which also includes Vernon and Mazuma.

Bunkhouse, storage building or assay lab?

When I was visiting the area with a friend in September 2024 we parked near the cemetery with the hanging lamps (one featured above) and did a one-mile-plus loop hike—counterclockwise, uphill the dirt road, crisscross through the camp and back downhill to the cemetery. 

Tunnel Camp was actually alive for only a short time (1927-1934). Within that time it “grew to include thirty structures, including stores, a brick mine office, bunkhouses, bathhouses, powerhouses, and homes for the superintendents and higher-level employees. Many of the structures in the new town were relocated from nearby Vernon. Additionally, trees were planted, watered with drainage from the tunnel.” [1].

Here, I am showing a few snapshots, followed by a brief description on how to get to Tunnel Camp. The listed references and selected websites provide additional information to further get to know the Seven Troughs District and its time [1-3] .

The five stamps of the “5-stamp” mill.

Upper structure of the “5-stamp” mill

Uphill from the “5-stamp” mill: view of Sage Valley

Tunnel Camp's brick mine office

Graffiti inside the brick building: a ghost is watching you

“Mining apparel” left behind in one of the smaller buildings

Getting to Tunnel Camp

Paved road section. Tunnel Camp is located at the southern end of the Seven Troughs Range about 14 miles northwest of Lovelock. From the round courthouse in Lovelock head eastward on Central Ave, which continues as N Meridian Rd. Turn west onto Pitt Road (continuing as Seven Troughs Rd). This is the beginning of State Route 399 (Ruta Estatal de Nevada 399). Follow this road over Trinity Pass (elev. 5387 ft.). 

Y-junction sign

Dirt road section. At the Y-junction, where State Route 399 continues as a paved road to Eagle Picher Mines, take the right fork, which is the continuation of Seven Troughs Rd—now a dirt road taking you into Sage Valley. When arriving at another Y-junction, where a sign gives the left-side direction “Seven Troughs - Vernon - Porter Springs” and the right side direction “Stonehouse - Placeritas - Rosebud-Sulphur.” Follow the latter until arriving at the “hanging lamps cemetery” or directly in “central ghost-town.”

References and more to explore

[1] Tunnel Camp, Nevada Ghost Town. December 30, 2021. URL: https://nvtami.com/2021/12/30/tunnel-camp-nevada-ghost-town/.

[2] Tunnel Camp and the Seven Troughs District, Vernon, Nevada. URL: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tunnel-camp-and-the-seven-troughs-district.

[3]  Tunnel Camp - Lovelock, Nv. - 7 Troughs Mining District. URL: https://www.greatbasinbicycles.com/new-blog/2018/10/25/tunnel-camp-lovelock-nv-7-troughs-mining-district.