Jacks Valley Loop

View of Genoa Peak from Jacks Valley Loop

Jacks Valley Loop is a 6.5-mile-long loop trail in the Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area southwest of Carson City, Nevada. The loop is part of the Clear Creek Trail System—4.7 miles of the loop is coinciding with the 21.7-mile-long Clear Creek Trail that connects James Lee Park with the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) at Spooner Summit.

Map of Jacks Valley Loop and access trails

Access trail from James Lee Park

As a single-track trail, Jacks Valley Loop is open to running, hiking, mountain biking and equestrian sports. The trail is open to dogs. Once on the loop, no further climbing is needed: the open-space trail winds through sagebrush habitat with amazing views of  the Carson Valley, the Carson Range and the Pinenut Mountains.

To get to the loop, follow the 0.9-mile long uphill path from the James Lee Park Trailhead to the eastside Clear Creek Trail/Jacks Valley Loop junction (CCT/JVL-east).  

CCT/JVL-east trailpost

Here, I am following the loop clockwise by starting out southbound. This sequence of switchbacks makes for over a quarter of the loop. The final switchback at the southeast tip of the loop is a great place to rest and enjoy views of the Carson Valley towards Minden/Garnerville and beyond.

Peaks of the southern Carson Range 

My favorite section of the loop is the panoramic south section. During winter and spring months, it offers vistas of the snow-covered peaks of the southern Carson Range. At mid-section, I found a small area with a scattering of low-growing yellow violets (Viola aurea), showing their bright, five-petaled flowers backdropped by white-hairy, gray-green leaves. The purple veins on the lower middle petal are arousing my curiosity at each close encounter.    

Yellow violets, south-facing slope, Jacks Valley Loop (April 23, 2023)

The shorter westside section of the loop offers views of Jacks Valley and Duane Bliss Peak. From the Clear Creek Trail/Jacks Valley Loop junction (CCT/JVL-west), Clear Creek Trail leaves the loop northwards to the Jacks Valley Road Trailhead and the Jacks Valley School Trailhead. To return to CCT/JVL-east, take the 1.8-mile-long north section of the loop to conclude your round trip.

View fromCCT/JVL-east: Carson Valley and Pinenut Mountains

Getting there

Driving south from Carson City to Minden on Highway 395, pass the Jacks Valley Road exit and then—about another mile south—turn right onto Mica Drive. Continue west for 500 ft and turn left onto Vista Grande Blvd. Follow this south-west leading road to the James Lee Park sign. Turn right onto James Lee Park Road (going westward), which soon bends south. Turn right onto James Lee Road. It ends at the trailhead. 

James Lee Park Trailhead

Nearby trails

• Clear Creek Trails (lower section north of Jacks Valley Road)
• Clear Creek Trail (Jacks Valley Road to Highway 50)
• Dead Truck Canyon Trail, Prison Hill
• Discovery Trail, Genoa 
• Genoa Waterfall in Genoa Canyon
• Sierra Canyon Trail
• East Brockliss Loop Trail at River Fork Ranch
• River Fork Ranch's West Fork Trail
• Bently-Kirman Ranch Trail
• Lincoln Bypass Trail
• Lower Kings Canyon Waterfall
• Kings Canyon Falls: Upper Waterfall Loop

References and more to read

Map of the Clear Creek Trail System: https://carsonvalleytrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-04-18-Clear-Creek-Trail-System-Map-39x23-for-website.pdf.

Clear Creek Trail System Information. URL: https://carsonvalleytrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-04-Clear-Creek-Trail-Overview.pdf.

Yellow Violet on page 37 in Laird R. Blackwell's Tahoe Wildflower Guide, Morris Book Publishing, LLC, 2007 (ISBN-13:  978-0-7627-4369-8,  ISBN-10: 0-7627-4369-7).