Take a tour of Carson River and Silver Saddle Ranch

With spring officially here, it's time to get outside and enjoy some beautiful Carson City scenery.

Not sure where to start? Check out the Silver Saddle Ranch and Carson River area.

The Carson City Parks Department has put together a list of locations as part of a self-guided tour that begins at Raley's Supermarket. At some stops, you can get out and go for a hike, or just enjoy the view from others.

For a map, stop by the parks office at 3303 Butti Way.

Enjoy.

1. Exit the parking lot of Raley's. Turn right (east) on Koontz Lane heading toward Prison Hill. Cross South Edmonds Lane, pavement ends, continue east on dirt access road. Turn left to head up to the Prison Hill trailhead.

2. Return to South Edmonds Lane. Turn left (south), then left (east) onto Snyder Avenue. Follow Snyder until it ends. Turn right (south) on Golden Eagle Lane, follow to the Prison Hill OHV access on left side of road.

3. Return on Golden Eagle Lane. Continue north on Gentry Lane at the intersection of Golden Eagle/Snyder/Gentry. On your right, you can view Prison Hill along its urban interface. At the intersection of Gentry Lane and Clearview Drive is another Prison Hill trailhead access.

4. Continue west on Clearview Drive. Turn right (north) on South Edmonds Lane. Follow South Edmonds through a couple of large curves. At the end, turn right onto Fairview Drive. Take Fairview to the roundabout, turn right (east) onto East Fifth Street. Follow Fifth Street to the parking lot at Riverview Park.

5. Head west on East Fifth Street. Just beyond Riparian Way on either side of the street are trailheads for the Mexican Ditch Trail.

6. Continue heading west. Turn left (south) onto Carson River Road. Enter Silver Saddle Ranch and follow the dirt access road to the parking area. The buildings in this area combined are considered to be of historical significance.

7. Follow the one-way access road back to the entrance. Turn right (east) onto Carson River Road. Turn into Carson River Park just before Lloyds Bridge.

8. Leaving Carson River Park, turn right (east) and cross over the Carson River. Take the first right at the top of the rise. Along Sierra Vista Lane, you get a view of the Carson River. From the road, you can access the river from the eastern portion of Silver Saddle Ranch. On the left is the Pinenut Range. There is a gravel parking area for access to OHV and equestrian recreation activities on the left side of the road about one mile from the intersection.

9. Return to the intersection of Sierra Vista and Carson River Road and turn right (north) on Pinion Hills Drive. Turn left (north) onto Deer Run Road. Follow across the Carson River. Take a left on Morgan Mill Road . Follow Morgan Mill Road west to the Morgan Mill Access Area, about two-tenths of a mile from the intersection. Turn into the dirt access loop.

10. A little more to the west, about another two-tenths of a mile, is the Empire Ranch trailhead on the left side of the road. A dirt pullout is located on the right side of the road.