A map of the new Capital to Tahoe trail provided by Carson City Trails Coordinator Gregg Berggren.
In the autumn of 2023, weather cooperating, it will be possible for someone to walk from the steps of the Capitol in downtown Carson City and, following West King Street, get on a trail system that goes all the way to Canada.
“Somebody will do it,” said Carson City Trails Coordinator Gregg Berggren. “I challenge somebody to do it.”
Expected to be completed by the end of summer, the Capital to Tahoe Trail will connect to the Tahoe Rim Trail and, by extension, the Pacific Crest Trail. Stretching more than 16 miles from downtown, the single-track system will offer a nonmotorized connection to Lake Tahoe to serve hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Local and state leaders hope it will draw visitors as well and grow a segment of the economy becoming more important to Nevada.
“We know at the state level that outdoor recreation accounts for about $4.9 billion of economic activity,” said Matthew Weintraub, deputy administrator of the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation.
Created in 2019, NDOR is a small division that is trying to unify Nevada’s recreational opportunities into a cohesive economic and cultural force.
“Something that really struck me to my core is how embedded outdoor recreation is in the lives and culture of many Nevadans,” said Weintraub. “They might not consider themselves outdoorists, but they are. It’s really exciting. We don’t have to convince people to go outside; we just have to show them they’re part of this huge movement that’s already going on in their neighborhood.”
Weintraub said NDOR will be working with Carson and other communities to “drill down” economic impacts of outdoor recreation, to understand how certain uses of public lands are bringing in dollars. He said the new trail connecting Carson to Tahoe might do for the Carson market what the Flume Trail did for mountain biking on the east side of Lake Tahoe.
“This Cap to Tahoe trail will be that kind of crown jewel people will come to ride and discover,” Weintraub said.
Back left, Muscle Powered Trails Coordinator Pete Doenges, Matthew Weintraub, deputy administrator for the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, Lydia Beck, marketing manager for Visit Carson City, and David Peterson, executive director for Visit Carson City. Front left, Chelsea Kincheloe, board president of Muscle Powered, and Gregg Berggren, trails coordinator for Carson City. (Photo by Scott Neuffer/Nevada Appeal) David Peterson, executive director of Visit Carson City, agreed.
“We just have this great connectivity for people to stay down here and reduce the issues that are going on up in Lake Tahoe,” he said.
Overcrowding at the lake is one issue, Peterson said. He envisioned a future where a visitor stays in the capital city, explores museums and art galleries, takes off on a mountain bike to the Tahoe Basin, and later returns to have a bite to eat.
“I love everything about that,” he said.
In 2021, recreation accounted for $37.9 million, or 18 percent, of visitor spending in Carson City, according to Peterson.
“Outdoor recreation is the No. 4 primary purpose of visit for a Carson City visitor,” he said.
Peterson hopes the new trail system sparks economic development for outfitters and related businesses. He said it establishes “quality of place.”
“The visitor has changed since the pandemic,” he said. “They’re really looking for customizable experience, experiences they can’t have somewhere else.”
While drawing visitors is important to the local economy, the trail will also enhance the quality of life for residents, according to volunteers of Muscle Powered.
“It’s a humongous accomplishment for the Carson City community,” said Chelsea Kincheloe, board president of the group. “Each of the trails feels like a big step. This one seems bigger than we ever dreamed of.”
The local nonprofit does much of the trail building, coordinating with the city for necessary planning and access, and procuring grants for some of the construction costs. The new trail route took years to navigate, involving private property and both state and federally managed areas.
“Muscle Powered was the power and push behind the trail,” said Berggren. “What really helped support them was having the city back them up, and we have a unified pathways master plan that supported this trail. We were able to help them essentially get a seat at the table with the various entities.”
“There is a lot of passion, and that just creates this great synergy,” added Lydia Beck, marketing director of Visit Carson City. “All the stakeholders in this city are really behind trails and a lot of the projects that add to quality of life.”
Berggren pointed to the quarter-cent sales tax approved by Carson City voters in 1996 to fund quality-of-life initiatives.
“This trail adds another element to quality of life in Carson City by providing a nonmotorized connection to Lake Tahoe. It’s the first time we’ve had that,” he said.
He said the new trail is “regionally significant and will probably get national attention.”
It’s already getting the attention of some local businesses. The Appeal has confirmed that Carson-based Shoe Tree Brewing is working on a special beer for the trail with hopes of an early-summer release.
A public celebration for the new trail has been scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 3 at Silver Saddle Ranch. Berggren said there will be music, food and “hopefully a special brew.”
For those interested in hitting the outdoors earlier, Carson City Parks and Recreation offers equipment rentals, including snowshoes: