Highlights:
The south and eastern shoreline of a large lake at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, lined by dunes and wetlands, with trails, boat launches and a 49-site campground
Nearby town:
Carson City, 6 miles
Management:
Location:
Seasons:
All year
Rating (1-5):
★★★★★
A few miles north of Carson City in western Nevada, Washoe Lake is a relatively large body of water set in a broad valley between the Virginia Range and the steep foothills of the Sierra Nevada (the Carson Range), fed by several small streams and draining northwards into Steamboat Creek, a tributary of the Truckee River.
The surface area varies over the seasons, and is greatly dependent on the amount of recent rainfall, but when full the lake is 2 miles across, 5 miles long, and always very shallow - at most 12 feet deep, and becoming marshy towards the north, transitioning to a wetland (Scripps State Wildlife Management Area) preceding a smaller area of open water, Little Washoe Lake.
Over five miles of the southern and southeastern shore is contained within Washoe Lake State Park, a relatively popular preserve with plenty of facilities, including individual and group campgrounds, two boat launch sites, picnic areas, a visitor center and equestrian center. Many trails criss-cross the dunes and grassland to the east, and a smaller wetland area adjoining the south shore.
The surface area varies over the seasons, and is greatly dependent on the amount of recent rainfall, but when full the lake is 2 miles across, 5 miles long, and always very shallow - at most 12 feet deep, and becoming marshy towards the north, transitioning to a wetland (Scripps State Wildlife Management Area) preceding a smaller area of open water, Little Washoe Lake.
Over five miles of the southern and southeastern shore is contained within Washoe Lake State Park, a relatively popular preserve with plenty of facilities, including individual and group campgrounds, two boat launch sites, picnic areas, a visitor center and equestrian center. Many trails criss-cross the dunes and grassland to the east, and a smaller wetland area adjoining the south shore.
The State Park
The state park was established in 1977, intended both for recreation and to help protect the scenic landscapes around the lake, in particular the least developed section, to the southeast, as to the northeast the shore is close to a residential estate, while most of the west edge is followed by I-580, formerly US 395. The lake is stocked with several species of fish and so is popular with anglers, and also with windsurfers owing to the gusty winds that frequently blow down the Washoe Valley. Other activities include boating, birding, and hiking. The trails are also open to ATVs, horses and cycles; routes includes the 0.6 mile Dead Mans Creek Trail to a viewpoint on a minor summit, the 2.7 mile Beach Stroll all along the eastern shore, the 1.1 mile Wetlands Loop, the 2.4 mile Dune Trek and three circuits of the grassy land east of the lake - the North, East and South loops, 3.4, 3.8 and 2.5 miles respectively.
Washoe Lake - Nearby Places
- Dayton State Park (17 miles) - woodland and mining relics beside the Carson River
- Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park (28 miles) - three mile section of the eastern Lake Tahoe shoreline
Washoe Lake - Similar Places
- Antelope Island State Park, Utah - mountainous island in the Great Salt Lake
- Pyramid Lake, Nevada - saline lake in the remote deserts of the northwest
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