North to Gerlach
The hills and mountains just northwest of Gerlach are covered with wildflowers early in the season. This is the place if you want an undeveloped landscape in the wilds of Nevada. It's 100 miles north of Fernley on the Pyramid Lake Scenic Byway (Nevada 447). If you like the wide open desert and hardly any people, this drive is for you. It passes through the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, with great views of Pyramid Lake. Services out here are extremely limited, - take food, water, and a full tank of gas. Cell phone coverage is spotty at best, so be prepared to take care of yourself should the need arise.
Carson Pass on Highway 88
Carson Pass is not close to Reno, but it is handy from south Lake Tahoe. I include it here because I've frequented the area for years and know from whence I speak. From Reno, go south on U.S. 395, pass through Carson City, and keep going. At the north edge of Minden, bear right at the light onto Hwy. 88, headed to Woodfords. Keep going; you will cross into California and climb through West Carson Canyon, leveling out in Hope Valley. Pass the intersection with Hwy. 89 (which goes over Luther Pass to U.S. 50 and Lake Tahoe), continue climbing until topping out at Carson Pass. There is a parking area and visitor center on the left, and another parking area about half a mile further on the right. This is a popular spot and parking is sometimes an issue. And don't forget to pay the parking fee ($5 last time I was there). It's around 75 miles from Reno.
Hiking on the south side of 88, toward Winnemucca Lake, takes you through meadows of thigh-high lupine, shooting star, and other mountain flowers. To the north, climb up to Meiss Pass, along slopes covered with mule's ears, then descend to Meiss Meadow for an expansive display of color. Either way, you will be rewarded with some of the best and most accessible wildflowers the Sierra Nevada has to offer within striking distance of Reno, Sparks, and Lake Tahoe.
Wildflowers on the Web
