Need a nice, easy trail for hiking this weekend with the kids? Want to get away from the city for some fresh air, but don't enjoy the commute to Tahoe or the traffic once you get there?
Recently my son and I were looking for just the same thing. We decided to give Verdi a try, and we weren't disappointed! We discovered a nice tiny little park called the Crystal Peak Park Trail.
Parallel to, and with access to the Truckee River, this easy, flat, one-mile trail is a great way to get outside for some fresh mountain air when you have little ones to consider.
All along the trail, there are educational signs telling you about the logging community that used to exist in this exact spot. Several buildings burned down eight times before these stubborn loggers and their families finally threw up their hands, told Verdi "you can keep your dang trees!" packed up, and left!
We're sure glad they did. The trees are beautiful and so is the river.
Here are a few tips we discovered while we were there:
- Remember that there is full access to the river the entire way, so watch your littles! The river is relatively shallow and slow at this location, but the current can surprise you and especially a tiny one.
- If you hike there off-season, the only open bathroom is located on the other side of the small tunnel you walk through to get to the trail. The main bathroom located in the parking lot next to the park is not open during off-season times. The open bathroom also has a GREAT trash receptacle with places for trash and recycling.
- There are a lot of off-shooting little paths along the main oval-shaped trail. Remember there are residential properties located all around this spot, so taking these trails puts you at risk for trespassing; however, we didn't see any signs that would indicate that anybody minded when we went off-trail. ;)
- If you turn right at the bathroom after the tunnel and go directly up the hill, you'll come to two fishing ponds stocked year-round! A very pleasant bit of news to bring home to my fiancé, teehee.
- There is an old abandoned building (most of the place is just foundations and a massive outdoor fireplace and the remains of a pool with fountain,) located halfway up the trail on the inside. It is hidden in the surrounding brush so keep an eye out for one of the signs mentioned above that tells you about it. See if you can find it too! But be mindful of certain types of extra-gross trash (if you catch my meaning) left by less-thoughtful explorers who have come before you.
- And last but not least, there is a fun geocache we found. We'll let you find it for yourself, but here's a hint: Look around the benches along the river side of the trail. :)
Enjoy Verdi's Crystal Peak Park Trail and the beautiful Truckee River!
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