The Capital to Tahoe Trail is a new hiking trail that stretches 9.8 miles between the Tahoe Rim Trail and the popular Ash to Kings Trail in Carson City. This trail was completed in 2023 and is the only one-way trail where motorized vehicles are not allowed, connecting Carson City and Lake Tahoe.
The trail provides access to the Tahoe trails without increasing the number of people and vehicles on the crowded Tahoe roads. Starting and ending on other trails, users must travel more than 9.8 miles to access the new trail, requiring a greater time commitment for those looking to complete the entire journey.
I embarked on a hike covering approximately 22 to 25 miles, leaving Reno at 6:30 in the morning with a companion who took the day off work to join me. Having company and a second vehicle was beneficial for the journey.
Starting at an altitude of over 7,100 feet, the air was refreshingly cool as we began our trek. We passed through forests parallel to the road before making our way around the east shore of Spooner Lake. The trail was adorned with dozens of wildflowers unique to the mountain peaks of California, Nevada, and Oregon.
After nearly six miles, we had not encountered anyone along the trail. However, our solitude was interrupted when we reached Marlette Lake, where a team from the Nevada Department of Wildlife had set up a tent for a fish spawning operation.
As we climbed to over 8,000 feet, we encountered our first hiker, Kenny Krygier, who was competing in the Tahoe 200, a multi-day endurance race. We eventually reached the Capital to Tahoe Trail after passing by Krygier on the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Although we saw recent mountain bike tracks, we trekked for 10 miles without encountering anyone else. The trail led us through stream crossings, hillsides of wildflowers, and breathtaking views of Lake Washoe and Carson City. We marveled at what may have been the largest Lupine plant assembly we had ever seen before the trail ended abruptly on a barren open slope.
Heading back towards Carson City, the sun began to set behind the hills, as mountain bikers and hikers passed us in the opposite direction for evening outings. We were tired, and I was eager to reach the van, realizing I had accidentally left my lunch in it and had spent the day snacking on protein bars, dried fruit, and a bag of peanut butter.
As we turned a corner, the adventure suddenly ended. We checked a tracking app we used to monitor our mileage and found we had covered just over 23 miles. Although we fell short of the 25-mile hike marked on Nevada Trail Finder, we pushed on for an additional 4.4 miles along the Lincoln Bypass Trail to King Street and the capitol.
After parking the van on King Street, we walked the final feet to the capitol building. Not everyone may enjoy a 23-mile hike in a day, but there are other trails to explore in the Tahoe area. Additionally, there are ongoing projects to keep an eye on, such as the reconstruction of steep wooden steps on Mount Rose Highway to enhance access to Tahoe Meadows, where a flat wooden boardwalk crosses a meadow filled with streams and wildflowers. Construction on this project is set to begin in the fall.
