Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway - Riding from the High Sierra to the High Desert

The Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway is a recreational trail designed for multiple-use... bicycling, hiking, walking, and horseback riding. When completed, it will be 116 miles long and span 2000 feet of elevation, from Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe's west shore to Pyramid Lake on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. The route follows the Truckee River from its Lake Tahoe source to its Pyramid Lake terminus.

Open sections of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway include Tahoe City to Truckee, Verdi to Sparks, and "The Rez" section from Wadsworth to Pyramid Lake on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. Pieces of the trail are opening up in the Lower Truckee River Canyon east of Sparks, mainly where the Nature Conservancy has been restoring the Truckee River and creating opportunities for a trail to connect these projects. Check the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway website for news and updates about when and where new areas will be available for use. Route maps are available for download from the website.

Janet Phillips went public with her vision for the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway in 2003. She immediately attracted a group of supporters and donations to get the project started. A nonprofit organization was formed in 2006. Since 2003, several sections of the Bikeway have been completed are open for use. Numerous issues are still being worked on to complete the route, including obtaining easements across private property and the building of new sections of trail and bridges. Completion of the entire route is expected to take a few more years.

A number of skills are needed to help continue work on the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway. Among these are title research, signs, GPS mapping, route inspection, design, grant writing, permitting, and public relations. If you would like to get involved, contact Janet Phillips. Tax-deductible contributions are needed as well, and can be mailed to Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, 4790 Caughlin Parkway #138, Reno, NV 89519.

Source: Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway website.