Clear Creek trail opening draws 300 participants

Around 300 people turned out at James Lee Park in Indian Hills for the first Carson Valley Trails Fest on Saturday, according to organizers.

“We’re celebrating all of our strategic partners and most importantly all of our volunteers that have helped build this Clear Creek Trail extension,” Carson Valley Trails Association President Neal Falk said. “You can now go 21 miles from the Valley to all the way to the top of Spooner. That’s because of all the hard work of the volunteers who give their time to the organization.”

Trail bicyclists kicked off the celebration on Saturday morning with a ride.

The trails association has built 60 miles of trails across the county.

Douglas County has started a $100,000 update of its 2003 Trails Plan. Commissioners approved a contract with Wood Rodgers on Oct. 6.

Project Manager Derek Kirkland has worked on the Washoe County Parks Master Plan Update and locally on the 2020 Douglas Master Plan update and the Gardnerville Parks Master Plan.

“We can’t do this without the collaboration of all of our local partners,” Falk said. “We’re excited about our future.”

Falk is a Minden resident who moved from south Florida in 2017. He has been president of the association for two years.

“I moved here to fulfill a dream of living out West and it’s been great,” he said.

Last week, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the release of a free, web-based mapping resource designed to help Nevadans and visitors discover thousands of miles of trails across the state.

www.nvtrailfinder.com features more than 150 trail systems. New trails will continue to be added on an ongoing basis.