Sierra County, California

Looking for the best hiking in Sierra County? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Sierra County. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Sierra County

  • Sierra City, California

    Sardine Lakes

    5.0
    1.32 mi / 253 ft gain
    Sardine Lakes is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Sierra City, California.
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Oxbow Nature Study Area Nature Trail

    3.5
    0.77 mi / 23 ft gain
    The Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno, Nevada, offers a peaceful retreat with easy access to nature. Located near downtown, this small urban oasis is known for its lush greenery and dense tree coverage, making it a great spot for birdwatching and quiet walks. Visitors enjoy exploring the trails t...
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  • Loch Leven Lakes Trailhead, California

    Loch Leven Lakes Trail

    4.4
    7.6 mi / 1480 ft gain
    The trail is easy to follow for the first half mile until you get to some large slabs of granite. As you continue up the trail look for stacked rocks, these will give you a an easy route as you continue up the mountain. The trail then starts to switch back eventually leading to a small bridge. Af...
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  • Emigrant Gap, California

    Loch Leven Viewpoint Trail

    5.0
    6.41 mi / 1522 ft gain
    Loch Leven Viewpoint Trail is an out-and-back trail to a viewpoint of the Loch Leven Lakes that is moderately difficult located near Truckee, California. This trail is just under 6.5 miles. If you're willing to add a little more than a mile to your adventure, you can head all the way to Upper Loc...
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Miners Trail to The "N"

    3.5
    1.89 mi / 371 ft gain
    Miners Trail to The "N" is an out-and-back trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Reno, Nevada.
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  • Sierra City, California

    Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail

    5.0
    5.09 mi / 1365 ft gain
    Sierra Buttes Lookout Trail is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Sierra City, California.
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  • Reno, Nevada

    May Arboretum and Herman Pond Trail

    4.3
    1.07 mi / 89 ft gain
    The May Arboretum and Herman Pond Trail, located in Reno, Nevada, is a peaceful and scenic walk through the beautiful Wilbur D. May Arboretum within Rancho San Rafael Park. The trail is family-friendly and offers easy walking paths surrounded by a variety of plants, flowers, and water features, m...
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  • Frazier Creek Road, California

    Frazier Falls

    4.0
    1.06 mi / 79 ft gain
    Frazier Falls is the ultimate family hike. Because the paved trail is only a mile long round trip, this trail is open to nearly anyone. Because of its relativly easy access and family friendly nature, this trail can get busy during the summer months. To reach Frazier Falls from the town of Gra...
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  • Nevada City, California

    Backpack to Lower Rock Lake

    4.0
    3 mi / 713 ft gain
    This adventure begins at the Lindsey Lake Campground parking lot (6,200 feet) where you leave your vehicle, takes you three miles up a trail rife with amazing photo opportunities and seasonal wildlife, and ends on the shore of Lower Rock Lake. Here you will find a dispersed camping site owned by ...
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Ballardini Ranch Trail

    4.0
    2.31 mi / 226 ft gain
    Ballardini Ranch Trail is a popular 2.3-mile loop trail nestled in the foothills of southwest Reno, offering panoramic views of the Truckee Meadows and the Sierra Nevada mountains. This former working ranch, now preserved as public land, provides hikers and mountain bikers with a quintessential...
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Quail Run and Flume Trail Loop

    4.0
    1.45 mi / 128 ft gain
    Quail Run and Flume Trail Loop is a loop trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Reno, Nevada.
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  • Olympic Valley, California

    Hike the Shirley Canyon Cascades Trail

    5.0
    3.6 mi / 2109 ft gain
    This trail has lots of elevation over a short distance, be warned! The Shirley Canyon Cascades Trail is close to Olympic Valley in the North Lake Tahoe region. Dogs are allowed on this trail if kept on leash. 
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  • Olympic Valley, California

    Thunder Mountain Trail

    5.0
    3.19 mi / 1939 ft gain
    The Thunder Mountain Trail is the perfect hike to explore the Palisades Alpine Meadows. Palisades may be famed for its mountain ski runs in the winter, but when the snow melts in the summer, beautiful alpine meadows line the mountain and the ski runs turn into hiking trails! The Thunder Mountain ...
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Church's Pond via the Jones-Whites Creek Trail

    4.0
    6.49 mi / 2185 ft gain
    For the first 0.6 miles the trail follows a peaceful creek, before upping the steepness as it ascends the mountain sides via multiple switchbacks. At 2.5 miles in, you reach a peak that allows you to see from Reno to Washoe City; a perfectly good place for sane people to enjoy and turn back. Howe...
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  • Reno, Nevada

    Jones Creek Loop

    1.5 mi / 335 ft gain
    Nestled in a forested area on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, Galena Creek Regional Park is seven miles up the Mt. Rose Highway from the intersection with I-580. Galena Creek flows through the park creating separate north and south portions of the park, and the Jones Creek Loop is a great...
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  • New Washoe City, Nevada

    Chicadee Ridge

    5.0
    1.69 mi / 289 ft gain
    Nestled in the breathtaking Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe, Chickadee Ridge is a popular hiking destination that offers stunning vistas and a unique opportunity to interact with nature. This relatively short and family-friendly trail is known for its scenic beauty, peaceful environment...
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