Interesting Sights Around Reno Nevada

An Overview of Reno Nevada

Traditionally nicknamed “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno is a strange combination of outdoor exploration culture and neon-nightlife.  The city rests between the Truckee River for various water activities with additional access to the famous Lake Tahoe.  The surrounding foothills leading into the densely-forested Sierra Nevada created a wide range of sceneries.  There are many interesting sights around Reno Nevada.

The climate in Reno is notoriously sunny, although the altitude and northern location somewhat offsets any intense heat.  Reno’s high altitude and surrounding mountain slopes grant it more ski slopes than anywhere else in the nation.  

Reno is also a generally popular place for somewhat strange festivals, such as the enormous Rib cookoff and the world’s largest Hot-Air-Balloon Racing event.  The outer portion of Reno has many outdoor activities.  Native American tribes hold positions of influence in the areas surrounding Reno, most especially the members of the Paiute Tribe Reservation.

Interesting Sights Around Reno Nevada

Emerald Bay State Park

This is small sheltered green space on Lake Tahoe’s western shore.  Thousands of years ago, the area was carved with glacier motions and eventually covered in large trees.  The granite hiking cliffs are visually stunning during mornings.  Eagle Point Campsite is a popular campsite in the area.

Squaw Valley

The mountains around Squaw Valley are known as great skiing areas.  There are many other skiing and snowboarding locations around Reno, but Squaw Valley is a good starting point for visitors researching the region.

Lake Tahoe

One of the most famed features around Reno, Lake Tahoe is an extremely deep, expansive freshwater lake which straddles the border of California and Nevada.  The lake is known as one of the most beautiful freshwater lakes in the United States and is home to Nordic-Style architecture, most famously the sturdy Vikingsholm building.  Watersports, hikes, scenic viewpoints and festivals are all extremely popular around Lake Tahoe’s zone.

Nevada Historical Society Museum

This is an interesting museum of Reno which hosts rather obscure anthropological and historical insights.  The museum focuses on human inhabitation of the region from the past 10,000 years, particularly focusing on the early Paleo people, followed by the Paiute, up to the arrival of the Euro-Americans.  The museum also houses a unique library for in-depth research and a transcribed in-house bookstore.

Great Full Gardens Café and Eatery

This is a popular health-oriented restaurant with a very unique drink option.  This location serves many interesting health options, but the turmeric latte is a local specialty.  

National Championship Air Races

This week-long event in September is one of Reno’s popular, outlandish festivals.  Planes from various historical periods are pitted against one another in speed competitions, stunts and general aerial parades.  Hundreds of ground crews and pilots attend this event, as it’s one of the last of its kind on Earth.

Casinos

It’s worth stopping by the casinos in Reno, for no other reason than the interiors are popular tourist attractions.  Peppermill Casino, Silver Legacy and Grand Sierra Resort are known to have the best décor and extra features available.

Pyramid Lake

This odd body of water is known for strange conical formations rising above the waterline.  These “pyramids” are actually limestone tufa formations which were revealed when a larger ancient lake drained.  The cones are home to a rare breed of pelican and the endangered cui-ui fish, the main food source for the ancient Paiute Tribe.  The cones are part of a native legend regarding “water babies” which are spiritual children that would lure victims to drown in the lake by mimicking the cries of children.  The origins of the legend vary greatly.  A permit and permission from the tribe is needed to visit the lake and the truly sacred areas are totally off-limits to visitors.  

The Reno Riverwalk

Reno’s art and food district is centered around an artificial river area which hosts numerous galleries, studios, taverns, bars, pubs and restaurants.  The directional curve of the riverwalk makes this a good area to catch sunsets.  

Dymaxion Prototype at the National Automobile Museum

The Dymaxion (named for the words “dynamic, maximum and tension”) is a legendary vehicle prototype from the 1930’s.  It was famed for getting incredible mileage (30 mpg), housing upwards of nine passengers and its capability of reaching speeds of 90 mph.  The inventor Isamu Noguchi created the futuristic aerodynamic structure, but the prototypes were scrapped after an accident during the Chicago World Fair in 1933.  Though it was another vehicle which was responsible, investors pulled out and the streamlined vehicle was abandoned. A few remain intact and a single one remains functional.  

Wilbur D. May Museum

This museum is crafted out of a very strange private collection created by an eccentric millionaire who traversed the world in the 20th century collecting oddities.  A hunter, a WWI ambulance driver, an accidental oil tycoon, racehorse and Boston Terrier breeder and avid traveler, Wilbur’s main passion involved collecting.  His at-home museum was opened to the public following his death and considerable reorganization. The old-school cabinet-of-curiosity vibe offers unique insights into the minds of eccentric millionaires and the grab-as-you-go artifact-collection lifestyle predating WWII. The museum is one of the most interesting sights around Reno Nevada.

National Bowling Stadium

If there’s a capital for American bowling, it’s here.  Famed for Bill Murey’s unstaged three consecutive strikes in the movie Kingpin, the stadium received immense attention from the film-cult community.  The “Taj Mahal of Tenpins” is a huge indoor bowling alley of 78 lanes for professional sportsmen.  Armatures and enthusiasts can also play on the “casual” lanes for a price, where CATS Lanes (Computer Aided Tracking System) will track your motion and rolls, providing detailed advice on how to improve your game.

Great Reno Balloon Race

Serving as another of Reno’s famous aerial festivals, the Great Balloon Race is a September Festival which retains supremacy as the world’s largest hot air balloon event.

Topsy the Clown

A neon hallmark of Reno’s nightlife, Topsy is a 127 foot neon sign of a clown holding some candy.  The old landmark is a popular sight in the city.

Bartley Ranch Regional Park

This is a beautiful outdoor area with a ghost-town western flare.  Traced with dozens of hiking trails, green spaces and restored pioneer buildings, this is an excellent outdoor half-day trip.

Sierra Water Gardens

This small botanical shop-and-greenhouse is a nice area to showcase the local flora.  The boutique sells cacti, succulents, air plants, terrariums and garden plants.  The garden area is popular as a wedding venue.

Nevada Museum of Art

Many of Burning Man’s more long-lasting pieces end up housed at this unique museum, with numerous outdoor and indoor features decorating the modernist building.

Hunter Creek Falls

This is an extremely popular waterfall hike following the shoulder of the Carson Range just outside Reno.  The trail is generally packed most weekends with locals, but the views are notoriously impressive.  It is part of the Mt. Rose Wilderness Area and also connected to the 5 mile Galena Creek Trail.

Animal Ark

While I generally disapprove of zoos, the Animal Ark in Reno is a rescue sanctuary with immense exhibits matching local animal habitats.  The displays are educational and reveal how the rescue animals (to eventually be released) ended up at the Ark.

Tahoe-Pyramid Trail

A large rolling trail which extends from Lake Tahoe to the Pyramid’s Lake.  The trail is an expansive and extremely scenic bike path which crosses some of the most beautiful scenery surrounding Reno.

Goldwell Open Air Museum

This museum is pretty far from Reno, roughly a five hour road-trip south.  The outdoor venue is an amazing series of outdoor features, rusted artworks, large paintings and desert artworks.  The space overlooks a massive ghost town decorated with other eccentric arts. 

Read more about interesting sights around Reno Nevada and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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