(Blue Ribbon) Rancho San Rafael Park (City of Reno)

A showcase of Reno, beautiful Rancho San Rafael Park offers several enticing dog walks: a self-guided nature trail through the Great Basin’s many plant zones, a gravel trail that circles the park’s wide open spaces, and access to the Peavine Mountain trails. This park is one of the favorites to exercise your dog.

(#2) Lake Virginia (City of Reno)

This tranquil 21-acre park feels like it did when it was founded more than 60 years ago. Little has been disturbed around the edges of Lake Virginia. One thing that has changed, to the delight of dog owners, is a fenced-in, off-leash dog park at the north end of the park.

(#3) Sparks Marina Park (City of Sparks)

The conversion of an abandoned quarry into a popular lake has earned the City of Sparks national recognition. A concrete walking path circles the Sparks Marina and covers nearly two miles. The trail system is lit for evening walks with the dog. The dog park is the only off-leash dog park in the Reno area for dogs to play in the water.

(#4) Mount Rose Wilderness (Lake Tahoe – North Shore)

Even if you decide not to complete the 6-mile, 2,000-foot ascent to the top of Mount Rose, there’s plenty here to excite canine hikers. More than 20 miles of designated trails are available through the canyons and highland ridges of the Carson Range. This is the closest wilderness area to Reno.

(#5) Prey Meadows/Skunk Harbor (Lake Tahoe – East Coast)

One of the prettiest dog hikes in Lake Tahoe is the 1.5-mile hike to Prey Meadows and Skunk Harbor. Stroll through thick pine trees to the meadow, catching glimpses of the lake as you go. Skunk Harbor is a charming cove with a sandy beach. Alongside the road are the remains of an old railroad built in the 1870s to transport lumber from Lake Tahoe to Virginia City.

(#6) Galena Creek Park (City of Reno)

Any level of canine hiker can enjoy the 440-acre Galena Creek Park, once home to a fish hatchery that supplied northern Nevada with trout. An easy, self-guided nature trail navigates through the park’s lush forests – pause to breathe in the rich vanilla fragrance of the Ponderosa Pines. The most demanding trails climb the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

(#7) Caughlin Ranch (City of Reno)

This planned residential community maintains a 36-mile network of parks and trails that the public can explore. Even though the hikes are often along the road, the trails still feel like an escape into nature. Your dog can often sniff out rabbits, ducks, and other wildlife along these paved paths.

(#8) Davis Creek Park (city of Carson City)

Davis Creek offers miles of hiking trails, including routes to Price Lake and Tahoe Meadows in Mount Rose. Less ambitious canine hikers will enjoy the half-mile nature trail around a small pond. The Discovery Trail around the perimeter of the park is another paw-friendly trail. The spectacular pines in Davis Creek Park are some of the oldest in the Tahoe area, surviving logging in the 19th century because they were on private land.

(#9) Hawley Grade National Recreation Trail (Lake Tahoe – East Coast)

The old road connecting Echo Summit to the Upper Lake Valley was built by Asa Hawley in 1855. It was the first wagon road to the Tahoe Basin. Today his dog can trot down the same trail used by thousands of westbound emigrants and legendary Pony Express riders.

(#10) Pyramid Lake (Sutcliffe)

All the fun at Nevada’s largest natural lake isn’t in the water. There are sandy trails along the 30-mile lake’s shoreline and rocky trails on the eastern flank that lead to interesting white-bleached rock tuff formations. There isn’t much shade around the water in the summer, but Pyramid Lake is a great place for canine swimming.