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