Nevada Note: Truckee River

Posted July 3rd, 2007 in Hiking, Kayaking, Milagros News, Outside of Portland, travel, Wildlife

This is another note from our trip to Reno. Jen is a NV native and all of her family is in the Reno-area, so we visit the area quite a bit.

Reno has been going through a lot changes in the past few years, they seem to be moving away from gaming and developing a more “family-friendly” environment. This is a work in progress but there are more and more opportunities for families to relax and enjoy themselves in the area.

In the past few years, the city has been redeveloping the area around the Truckee River which flows through town. Known as the RiverWalk there are a number of shops and cafes as well as sculptures and other features to view in addition to the river.

They have also been making changes to the river. Using concrete and 8,000 tons of rocks they contoured about 1/2 mile of the river into rapids for white-water kayakers. They have also created areas on the river that are perfect for families to take a dip. These areas are primarily adjacent to Barbara Bennett Park.

We went playing and wading in the Truckee on this trip. Mila loved splashing the in water and hopping on the rocks. Afterward we strolled along the RiverWalk to our favorite indepedent coffee shop in Reno: Dreamer’s.

A unique part of the river that we visited on this trip for the first time was the Oxbow Nature Study Area. This wildlife and plant preserve is located on the Truckee River at the very end of Dickerson Road. The area is dedicated to preserving the plant and animal life found in the Truckee Meadows area and it features a two-mile interpretive trail that is level and very kid-friendly. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.