Carson City and Muscle Powered along with Mayor Bidwell Officially Opened Trail on Saturday.
There is now a new Single Track trail in Carson City. Expanded Trail access from Carson City to Tahoe took another step this past weekend at Spooner State Park. Key organizations, riders, and media gathered Saturday at Spooner State Park in Tahoe to celebrate the grand opening of the Cap to Tahoe Trail, which has been in the works for many years.
Mayor Bagwell of Carson City opened the celebration with encouragement and excitement for the growth and access to trails in Carson City. The Capital to Tahoe trail opens up a greater access trail network for the visitors and residents of Carson City. A 17-mile route that starts in downtown Carson City will climb from the Ash to Kings trail up to the Tahoe Rim trail intersection above Marlette Lake. From there, riders can connect with road networks into Spooner State Park or navigate down to the Flume trail into North Lake Tahoe.
The new Cap 2 Tahoe trail will also open up additional Backpacking and long-distance hiking opportunities in Carson City, as the new connection would give backpackers access to the Tahoe Trim trail, the Carson Range and, if so desired, a direct connection to the PCT which will deliver them either to Mexico or Canada.
Start at Lincoln Bypass Trail off Kings Canyon Road. The Lincoln bypass trail is a newer section of trail completed in 2021 by Sierra Trail Works & Muscle Powered. It provides riders a mellower route and will connect riders to the Kings to Ash Canyon trail and then to the Capitol to Tahoe Trail, leading travelers to Laxal Flat above Marlette Lake between Hobart Lake and Marlette Lake. Travelers can then travel down the Marlette Lake Road into Spooner State Park or turn North at the Lake to connect with the Flume Trail or the Marlette Creek Trail. (It is important to note that at this time, 2 miles of the trail are still being finished near Laxalt Flats, so riders today are being redirected via the Snow Valley Road into Spooner State Park until the trail is complete.
MuclePowered and Sierra Trail Works have been working with the City of Carson City and the Parks and Rec Department open space crews for several years to build a flowing trail that is a great experience for riders and long-distance hikers from Carson City. At the grand opening, leaders shared that over 1600 hours of Muscle Powered Volunteer’s time was spent on the trail in building, and another 1200 plus hours of trial design and work has been put into creating this great new trail connection.
The New Cap To Tahoe Trail Difficulty:
This trail will have an IMBA rating of blue when it is completed. (Moderate)
Type of Trail:
The trail will be a dirt single-track trail with an average width of 30″. Hiking/running, mountain biking, and horseback riding will be permitted, with access provided at the Ash-to-Kings Trailhead.
Location of Trail: The New trail segment is between the Kings Canyon Trail Network and the Ash Canyon Trail Network. Recommended Route is via the Kings Canyon system using the Lincoln Bypass route as a starting point, but the trail can be accessed from either direction on the Kings to Ash trail above the West Hills of Carson City
