Reno / Tahoe Nevada Wildflowers

Wildflowers spring forth from the hills around Reno and Northern Nevada when there is a wet winter and a good Sierra snowpack. Nearby places to enjoy abundant wildflowers are the Huffaker Hills in south Reno, Washoe Lake State Park down toward Carson City, and up near Virginia City. These are some easy places to reach, but far from the only ones. Look around and you are sure to find good wildflower displays in lots of places close to town.

Come June and July, spring takes over in the High Sierra. Streams become ribbons of color as flowers seem to bloom all at once to take advantage of the warm but brief mountain summer. Carson Pass, on Highway 89 south of Lake Tahoe, has one of the most spectacular wildflower explosions I've ever seen. From the parking area at the top of the pass, hiking either north or south will take you to meadows carpeted with color.