Huffaker for Huge Views
Go on a Panoramic Sunset Hike at Huffaker Hills in Reno Tahoe
As the sun goes down, the iconic lights come up in the Biggest Little City in the World. And there’s a perfect place to witness both on a short sunset hike to an outcropping offering a brilliant panorama.
South Reno’s Huffaker Hills is a grass prairie open space teeming with wildlife and seasonal wildflowers like the bright yellow Hooker’s balsamroot.
Hiking later in the afternoon is beautiful here, as the sun casts its golden light like fairy dust across the landscape. Lizards lounge on lichen-patched rocks as rabbits scamper in and out of sagebrush. Birds and butterflies flit, adding song and whimsical color to the air.
Designated trails are less than two miles (round-trip). Take a photo of the map at the entrance and parking area. Heading south to follow the moderate Lakeview Loop makes for a tranquil late-day wander.
The trail passes quietly through the grassland and up to the Lookout, a rocky outcropping with a bench at the pinnacle. The Sierra Nevada range rises in the foreground as Reno’s skyline shimmers with sunset reflections and the first winks of its signature neon lights. Low-flying airplanes pass overhead as they prepare to land at nearby Reno Tahoe International Airport. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a bird’s–eye view of all the beauty.
Huffaker Hills Trailhead. Dog-friendly!
BONUS STAY & EAT: In fifteen minutes, you’ll be back in downtown Reno, with plenty of options for eating, drinking, relaxing, and sleeping. Pool life, night life, cafes, creative cuisine and places to spa make up Reno’s contemporary casino resorts. There’s a lot to choose from.
Grand Sierra Resort—known more commonly as GSR—has an expansive outdoor pool and patio that’s open in the evenings; gather around comfy lounge couches as fire pits flicker. The rooms here are modern and quiet. GSR also has the #1 Sports Bar in North America (as voted by ESPN): Chickie’s & Pete’s. Fine dining includes Charlie Palmer Steak Reno.
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