Spreading from eastern California into Nevada, our region is dotted with a series of small and medium-size towns and cities, virtually impossible to travel to and from without a car. But a series of projects are linking these disparate communities via bike and foot trails, and when completed, the region will experience a level of non-motorized connectedness never seen before. Unbroken paths will shoot up from Pyramid Lake to Truckee, loop around North Lake Tahoe and Truckee, and head down the hill toward Nevada City, comprising around 300 miles of trails.
Here, we discuss three major projects that expand on the recreation-focused offerings featured here. The projects in this story are defined by mostly mellow gradients, and primarily smooth and fast paved surfaces. Of note, encompassing both recreational and connective benefits is the Pines to Mines Trail, which will amount to around 80 miles of trail between Truckee and Nevada City for hikers, bikers, and campers.
Truckee River Legacy Trail
Originally part of the Town of Truckee’s first General Plan from 1996, the Legacy Trail has offered a way for Truckee folks to get around town — whether for business or pleasure — sans automobile. When all five phases are completed (three already are, with the remaining in the planning phase, with a not-yet known completion date), the trail will connect Donner State Memorial Park to the Glenshire neighborhood. It will cross the Truckee River, dip under the railroad through the new “mini-mousehole,” and weave through town. And it’s all with a timely purpose, as the trail is becoming increasingly popular, according to Town of Truckee Engineering Manager Becky Bucar. She reports a daily usage of around 500 people in April 2016, up from around 300 the previous summer.
Resort Triangle Trail Network
Born out of a desire to put Lake Tahoe on the map as a premier bicycle destination, the Resort Triangle Trail Network aims to connect the communities of North Lake Tahoe and Truckee with a continuous bike path 62 miles long. Almost halfway complete, the Triangle — all paved, off the road, and with a gradient of 5 percent or less — will go from Truckee to the Northstar communities and down to Kings Beach, then flow southwest to Tahoe City, and circle back up to Truckee via Highway 89 (rideable in both directions), with an out-and-back going down the West Shore. “We needed a shot in the arm to develop our facilities to keep up with other towns, we were falling behind,” said Ron Treabess, the director of partnerships and community planning at the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. The Triangle is a collaborative effort with different agencies and entities working together to plan and procure funding from a variety of sources. At a minimum of $1 million per mile of path, funding is what progress hinges on, according to Treabess; but he believes the majority of the path could be completed within 15 years. And while recreation is a strong selling point, the alternative transportation benefits could be a boon to our region’s clogged roads. “We want to help get people where they’re going via bicycle, whether it’s work or school or shopping or anything else,” Treabess said.
Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway
Extending into Nevada, the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway will follow the Truckee River in its entirety from Lake Tahoe to its terminus at Pyramid Lake. That route descends more than 2,000 feet in 116 miles, using a patchwork of dirt and paved roads, and both new and existing trails. Janet Phillips, who conceived the idea in 2003 and is president of the nonprofit Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, believes momentum is building. “The trail is now far more visible on sections beside I-80, so it’s seen as being more of a real thing,” said Phillips. The trail is 75 percent done, and Phillips, a self-described “eternal optimist,” hopes completion will be possible within 10 years. Funding for the project comes from a roughly 50/50 split between government grants and private donations, and the nonprofit — made up of 11 people between its board of directors and advisors, and 70 volunteers — turns over sections of the trail to local agencies when completed. Phillips realizes exploring terrain directly beside I-80 is not of the highest interest to cyclists, but thinks there are more gems out there than most people realize. Her favorite spot? The steel suspension bridge at the California/Nevada state line.
