Articles Index
Washoe Lake State Park
Washoe Lake State Park is just south of Reno. This Washoe Valley park is a great place for hiking, camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Galena Creek Visitor Center and Recreation Area
Galena Creek Visitor Center in south Reno is a great place for kids and families to enjoy learning about nature in the Reno / Lake Tahoe area.
Ice Skating at Rink on the River in Reno
Reno's Rink on the River is a popular venue for ice skating family fun during the winter months and holiday season in the Truckee Meadows.
Taylor Creek Visitor Center at Lake Tahoe
The Taylor Creek Visitor Center at Lake Tahoe is operated by Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Taylor Creek Visitor Center has educational exhibits, events, and activities related to the Lake Tahoe Basin and is a great destination for family fun in the great outdoors.
Reno's Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
Rancho San Rafael Regional Park is one of Reno's biggest, most popular, and diverse parks. There are playing fields, a dog park, arboretum, walking paths, and natural areas. This is all within the Reno city limits.
Top Things To Do in Reno's Parks
Public parks in Reno, Nevada, offer many ways for you and your family to enjoy getting outdoors. Here are some ways to make use of Reno's parks for enjoyable outdoor activities.
Davis Creek Regional Park
Davis Creek Regional Park, 20 miles south of Reno in Washoe Valley, offers a variety of recreational opportunities. There is a campground with 62 overnight sites, hiking and nature trails, biking and equestrian access, shady picnic areas, group camping and day use areas that can be reserved, a small fishing lake, and great views of Washoe Lake and Slide Mountain.
Skate Parks in Reno and Sparks
Reno and Sparks skate parks offer skaters great places to play and practice their moves. Skate parks have numerous skating features for both beginners and advanced skateboard skaters, and can also be used by riders on real roller skates, roller blades, scooters, and bikes. There is also skateboarding in some Washoe County parks.
Wingfield Park in Reno
Wingfield Park in Reno, Nevada, is where residents and visitors come to enjoy the Truckee River. Together with the Truckee River Whitewater Park, this downtown park offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including relaxing by the water, picnicing, whitewater rafting and kayaking, swimming, and river tubing. Wingfield Park is the site of the Reno River Festival, Reno Rainbow Fest, many Artown events, the Tour de Nez and more.
Public Swimming Pools in Reno and Sparks
The City of Reno has four public swimming pools, two of which are outdoors and operate on a seasonal basis during the summer months. Sparks Parks & Rec operates four public swimming pools, three two of which are outdoors and operate on a seasonal basis during the summer months.
Reno's Mira Loma Park
Reno's Mira Loma Park has something for everyone. At the corner of Mira Loma Drive and McCarran Blvd. in southeast Reno, Mira Loma Park features mature trees, large expanses of grass, a rentable picnic shelter, playgrounds, ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, a flat walking path with a par course all the way around the perimeter, and Rattlesnake Mountain Skate Park.
Reno's Idlewild Park
Reno's Idlewild Park is a beautiful open space just west of downtown. The park hugs a curve along the south bank of the Truckee River and features mature trees, large expanses of grass, two rentable picnic shelters, playgrounds, ball fields, a municipal pool, skate park, walking and biking paths, a train ride, Reno's Municipal Rose Garden, and small lakes for fishing and feeding waterfowl. Idlewild Park is the site of Reno's annual Earth Day Celebration.
Rock Park in Sparks
Rock Park in Sparks was seriously showing its age in 2008, 30 years after it was first established on the banks of the Truckee River. After a complete overhaul, it reopened in May of 2009 with a new Whitewater Park at Rock Park, consisting of over 1,000 feet of fun - five drop pools for kayaking, tubing, and rafting. Riverbank modifications provide for safe water play areas for children and great places for families to enjoy a day at Rock Park.
Reno's Bartley Ranch Regional Park
The focus at Reno's Bartley Ranch Regional Park is on western history, group activities, picnics, outdoor entertainment in the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater, and hiking and biking on easy trails. This park accommodates equestrians with a horse arena and trails. The Western Heritage Interpretive Center and historic Huffaker Schoolhouse preserve regional history and are the site of various activities throughout the year.
Reno's Hidden Valley Regional Park
Reno's Hidden Valley Regional Park is a wonderful family park with a wide variety of features designed to accommodate various recreational activities. I particularly like the mix of developed and undeveloped areas within this 480 acre park.