Plunge into Mountain Culture and History While Exploring a World of Fall Recreation Possibilities
Carson Valley Nevada. Fall guide – As we welcome the shoulder season in the mountains it is always a good time to turn our attention up Highway 395 to the Carson valley for fall festivals and events. The annual Candy dance in Genoa, Nevada’s oldest settlement is a great family oriented cant miss fall event on the Eastern Sierra. The 103rd Annual Genoa Candy Dance Arts & Crafts Faire will take place September 24-25th in 2022. The following weekend the Carson valley sky will come to life once again with the Carson Valley Aviation round-up featuring The Blue Angels and hundreds of high flying speed seeking aerial acts.
Why The Carson Valley?
Like many of the early settlers of the West, travelers to Northern Nevada are often shocked to find a lifestyle that is such a stark difference from what they thought Nevada was. Whether driving over the pass from Lake Tahoe or coming into the Valley on Highway 395, travelers are typically awed truck by this simple little valley that stretches the horizon at the base of the Sierra Nevada and is surrounded by the desert ruggedness of the pinenut range on the east.
Fall in the Carson Valley is a spectacular light show, made up of golden hues, along the roadside and river banks, and the orange of pumpkins displayed on front stoops up and down the main street. It’s the season to slow down from the rush to fit everything into summer, take a breath, and get back a local living pace.
Carson Valley Color and The Perfect Pumpkin
Seeking an easy trip to the countryside close to Reno? Or looking for a new experience when visiting Tahoe? The Carson Valley and the towns of Minden, Gardnerville, and Genoa offer exactly what you need. Maple, cottonwoods, and aspen trees paint the valley red, Orange, and Yellow. the Carson river running at season low this time of year still is a beaming photograph with the fall color and mountain skylines. A photographer’s paradise of landscape composition.
Plan to visit the annual Corley Ranch pumpkin patch in October. The Corely ranch south of town is a family favorite for picking the perfect family pumpkin or catching a wagon ride.
Keep your eyes on the temperatures overnight if you are waiting for the leaves to start changing colors. Notoriously hard to predict, this link is a great place to begin when looking for the perfect fall foliage timing. as well, as that is a key indicator. Colder nights and shorter days trigger the change. Use the slider to find the perfect dates to visit and catch the colors.
Carson Valley hikes to get above the Fall Foliage
One of the easiest ways to see the colors is by hiking the Luther’s Peak Ranch Trail or any trail near Genoa. For a casual evening, walk try the North River Fork Ranch Trailhead just east of Genoa town center. This trail will follow the Carson river and provide walkers with a great set of Cottonwoods as well as willows with a great backdrop of Jobs peak and the Sierra Range.
Further east, off Stephanie rd., is the Bently trail. The Bently trail will also give you great access to the Carson river and stunning photo ops as you look across the valley.
Of course, locals know as well that our neighbors to the South in Alpine County have a stunning array of colors as well as you travel up out of the valley into Hope Valley, a short 20-minute drive from Minden, making The Carson Valley a great base camp community for all your fall color peeping activities.
Fall Events in the Carson Valley
When the kids go back to school in the Carson Valley life in the valley seems to come alive with fall festivities. Annual huge events such as the Genoa Candy dance Sept 24-25, 2022, and The Aviation round up Oct. 1&2, 2022 , will draw huge crowds to the valley.
Fall family favorites in the Carson valley include The Annual Scarecrow Festival, held for over 30 years, and continues its tradition on October 3, from 9am-3pm in Heritage Park. Local Artists from the East Fork Gallery provide scarecrow-making kits and are on hand to help families create their new addition. Visits the annual Corley Ranch pumpkin patch. A working cattle ranch known as the best place around to pick your own pumpkin, and there are other activities to keep your family entertained. Friday nights at High School football or Youth Pop Warner games are always a good time. And then the Halloween safety Street events in downtown Minden are a local kids dream.
Lake Tahoe Balloons begins to launch their balloons from Lampe Park in November. One of three ways to take to the skies, it’s certainly a bucket list event. Looking for more adrenaline in your bucket list activities? Try Skydive Lake Tahoe or soaring in an engineless glider with SoaringNV. They both promise spectacular views of the valley and Lake Tahoe, it’s the landing that’s a bit different.
Mormon Station State Park and Courthouse Museum in Genoa, and the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Gardnerville are three great museum visits that provide views into the early European settlers, and the two museums operated by the Douglas County Historical Society include information on the first people in the region, the Washoe Tribe. The new Edwin L. Wiegand Ranching & Agricultural Heritage Exhibit in Gardnerville, boasts a tribute to the industry that shaped today’s valley. Get a peek into the amazing early machinery and tools used to transform the water rich arid desert landscape into the green open space we all enjoy today.
Golfing the Carson Valley
Fall is a unique and perfect season to golf in the Carson Valley. Four unique courses each offer each offer spectacular views and a diverse set of hole-by-hole challenges from tee to green. Play like a hero, as your ball flies farther at altitude. Carson Valley Golf Course boasts magnificent trees along the banks of the Carson River, so you’ll feel enveloped in fall. Hiking at all points of the compass provides views so varied, that it’s hard to choose a favorite spot. Get up close to the conifers on the west side of the valley in Genoa or along the Fay-Luther Trail, then check out the views from the east side of the valley amongst the Pinyon-Juniper at the Pinyon Trailhead.
Load up the RV and Base Camp Carson Valley
For fall RV travelers there are several locations to park your trailer in the Carson Valley and enjoy local life. The RV park at the Carson Valley Inn is centrally located in town and gives you access to the new Martin Slough Multimodal Trail which is great for an evening sunset walk with the dog or on your bike.
Fall is a great time to ride in the Carson Valley
Speaking of bikes, fall is a great time to catch a trail in the Carson Valley as the summer heat gives way to cool mornings bikers will be thrilled to find so many great ride options in the valley. From easy nontechnical rides to some of the most intense vertical rides like the Sierra Canyon Trail an intense yet beautiful 20-mile round trip with 8% typical grade and 3800 ft of elevation gain tell you all you need to know. With a shuttle, riding from the Kingsbury North or Spooner Summit Trailheads along the Tahoe Rim Trail is possible. After your ride head downtown where Minden meets Gardnerville for two great locations to grab a beer. The Minden Meet and Deli and Big daddy Bike shop both offer up two great outside seating areas to enjoy your favorite beverage after a great ride.
You Can’t Beat Genoa for an Adventure Chill
Of course, if you like the quint local vibes you might just stay in genoa and visit Nevada’s oldest bar or go soak in the genoa hot springs after your ride. The hot springs are not only delightful but provide a great skyline for an evening soak. It’s unlikely the Mormon traders who built Genoa, the only permanent pioneer settlement in Nevada in 1852, would even know this was an annual tourist attraction in Nevada that attracted locals. You can buy paninis and other delicious deli items from the Genoa Country Store next door. Or go up the steps and become the finger foods at The Pink House, a famous cheese deli with elaborate cheese boards. Minden Meat & Deli offers Tri-tip sandwiches, homemade potato salad, and 31 local and national beers.
