If you want to feel home on the range and see where the deer and antelope play, then head just north of Reno. There you can leave the city behind for endless miles of high desert riding.
Hungry Valley is well over 10,000 acres tucked into the North Valleys, between Lemmon Valley and Spanish Springs. The vast majority of it is tribal land, part of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. Most of it is surrounded by Bureau of Land Management Land. Combined, this area has lots of options for trail riders.
There are tons of single track trails and sandy roads that weave through Hungry Valley. You can stay low in the valley or head up into any of the many pinyon and juniper filled hills that surround it. There’s enough here to give you long days in the saddle and enough route choices to warrant repeat visits. When I used to live in Reno, this was always one of my regular destinations because it’s a very scenic area and you can ride so many different trails.
Hungry Valley is open year-round but be prepared for snow in the winter and high temps in the summer. There is water here, but it’s in the form of several hidden stock tanks in the hills that you have to find. There is also a stock tank at the north end by the corral that is seasonally full.
This is open range so you can expect to run into cows. You can also find big herds of pronghorn antelope in the valley, as well as the occasional wild horse. This is a popular recreational area, but more so in the BLM land to the north. The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony is pretty strict about what is allowed out here. There were several years when this entire area was closed to all recreational use after some bad behavior so please be respectful of tribal land.
You may see the occasional truck or radio-controlled aircraft (there is a flying field in the middle of the valley), otherwise, this is a really a nice area to explore and enjoy the desert.
Getting Here
Where to Park: You have a several options for accessing Hungry Valley.
Option 1:
You can park at the Lemmon Valley Horseman’s Arena on Deodar Way. You’ll need to take a short ride on Chickadee Drive, through the neighborhood (less than a mile), to enter the south-western side of Hungry Valley.
Option 2:
You can come in from the north from Pyramid Highway. Take Winnemucca Ranch Road to Prairie Road to Big Dog Road. Big Dog is a graded gravel road and can get wash-boardy so check it out first. On Big Dog there is a small turnout that can fit a rig or two. A little farther down the road is a big corral. You can park off the road anywhere around there and ride into the northern end of Hungry Valley. [I like the northern end of HV the most so this is my preferred access point.]
Option 3:
You can park in a number of pullout areas off the main road, Eagle Canyon Drive, before you get to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. There are a number of trails and roads that head into the valley from here. Please do not park anywhere in the townsite itself without permission.
