Running trails in Carson City, NV
Carson City has 20 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 5 with a stated distance, and 9 open 24 hours. 13 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 2,035 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Kings Canyon Waterfalls
4.8 ★★★★★ 806 reviews
Park featuring a 0.6-mi. hiking trail with a waterfall and canopy of trees.
Carson River Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 249 reviews
Tranquil riverside park offering hiking paths and picnic spots.
Riverview Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 178 reviews
Dog-friendly natural area on 107 acres with picnic areas & BBQs, plus hiking trails & bird watching.
Clear Creek Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 109 reviews
Mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding are available at this scenic area.
Carson River Recreation Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 84 reviews
Picnicking and hiking are available at this spot with kid-friendly trails, benches, and restrooms.
Spooner Lake Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 73 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area with picnic tables and a public restroom.
Long Ranch Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 72 reviews
Well-tended park, featuring a playground, trails and a stream, where dogs are welcome.
Ambrose Carson River Natural Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 53 reviews
Recreational space offering a trail, dog-friendly areas, and a spot for fishing, and swimming.
Ash Canyon Creek Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 48 reviews
Hiking area with kid-friendly trails, plus some trees and scenic views.
Sierra Canyon Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 39 reviews
Hiking and mountain biking trails are available at this scenic area.
Wild Horse Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 27 reviews
Stagecoach Monk trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Carson City
- Match the surface to your legs. Carson City gives you a choice: 2 paved, 2 natural surface, and 1 crushed gravel. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 2 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Carson City is Clear Creek Trail at 66 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 9 trails in Carson City are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 13 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 7 have trailhead parking, 5 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Carson City. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 that runners describe as quiet, 11 dog-friendly, and 2 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Carson City trails by type
Running trails near Carson City
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.