8 Weekends of Local Activites for the Family in Reno/Tahoe

This free event is such a great experience for the kids and family! Bring your blankets, hot chocolate, lawn chairs and smile. The event is always scheduled to take place the first Friday through Sunday after Labor Day. The gates open at San Rafael Regional Park at 3:30am. If you're brave enough to get up super early, you'll want to watch the Dawn Patrol that starts around 5:30am.

River Rafting on the Truckee River

It's no surprise that rafting or tubing down the Truckee River is a fun way to cool off in the summer heat.

If you're in the heart of Reno, you can grab a tube and float in the downtown. However, my favorite is to head up to Tahoe City and start where the Truckee River begins. You'll wind around the pine trees for 2-3 hours depending on the speed of the river. You'll end near River Ranch Lodge and where the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort entrance is. You'll want to park two cars.  Most people park one car at the River Run Restaurant (finish line) and the other at the Tahoe City Transit Center where there is River Access (Starting point).  The early summer months are the best time to do this because there is a lot more water in the river. Be sure to pack a floating cooler, some squirt guns and snacks.

If you don't want the hassle of parking two cars, there are professional rafting companies you can use.

Abandoned Truckee Train Tunnels

This is definitely a unique experience. You can hike through the old disconnected train tunnels off of Donner Pass. These tunnels get quite dark. You'll want to bring flashlights or head lamps and some good walking shoes. You can park along the road and the hike is a little steep to get up to but once you're in the tunnels the hike is mild and flat. Don't be surprised to see graffiti artists and bats.  Afterwards, enjoy boutique shopping and dinning in old town Truckee. It is very charming.

The Great Outdoors

Mountain biking, hiking, camping, golfing, boating, snowmobiling and sitting on the shores of Tahoe are just some of the outdoor activities to enjoy.

In the summer, Northstar Ski Resort is a great place to go mountain biking on their trails. You can put your mountain bike on the ski lifts to head up to the top of the mountain. You'll find beginner and advanced trails. The Rim Trail and the Flume Trail are also very popular to mountain bike on.

Just past Mount Rose Summit and before Incline Village, you'll find the meadow where you can go snowmobiling and climb the mountains.

Hot August Nights

Who doesn't like looking at classic cars? People drive in their hot rods by the thousands from all over the country. You can find these gems at Victorian Square in Sparks, in Downtown Reno, the Grand Sierra Resort, the Atlantis, and the Peppermill. You'll find live concerts, food trucks and entertainment all over town.

Take me out to the ball game!

Reno is full of local team sports. The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball team and play at Greater Nevada Field. UNR Wolfpack offers football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball games to attend. Mackay Stadium holds over 33,000 people and Lawlor Events Center holds over 11,500 people.

Virginia City

Go and explore one of Nevada's oldest and haunted mining towns. Tour the Washoe Club or Piper's Opera House. There is a great candy store for the kids and you can even take some old time photos. The buildings are from the early 19th century. If you can get away from the kids, definitely go and have a cocktail at the Bucket of Blood. You'll be fascinated with the artifacts. 

Skiing & Snowboarding 

You'll never get bored in the winter if you like to ski and snowboard. There are 15 ski resorts near the Tahoe basin. You can also buy ski passes such as the Epic Pass that includes Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. The IKON pass includes Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain. Of course you could buy a season pass from any local ski resort of your choice.

If your kids are just starting out with lessons you can always enroll them at Sky Tavern. My two sons went to Sky Tavern their first year to learn how to snowboard. After their first year, I then bought them the Tahoe Locals Epic pass so we could all ski and snowboard together.