Verdant Carson Valley teems with scenery, history

The lush Carson Valley invites visitors to stay and explore the scenic and historic “Cradle of Nevada.”

This agricultural area along the east fork of the Carson River in northwestern Nevada is best visited from May through October. It offers special events, a variety of attractions and many outdoor adventures, such as hiking, mountain biking, boating, and sightseeing from a glider. Neighboring towns dotting the valley include Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville and Genoa, Nevada’s oldest community. Lake Tahoe lies in the Sierras to the west. Nevada’s most famous ghost town, Virginia City, is in the mountains about 15 miles northeast of Carson City.

For Southern Nevadans, Carson Valley is a 531-mile drive, heading north on U.S. Highway 95, then west on Interstate 80 to Reno and south on U.S. Highway 395. The drive is a true Nevada experience with dramatic basin and range topography, widely spaced towns, hundred-mile views and limitless skies. Another option is to fly from Las Vegas to Reno, pick up a rental car and drive the last 30 miles to Carson Valley.

Visitors find accommodations in the valley’s hotels, motels, bed-andbreakfast inns, resorts and guest ranches. Reservations are advised. The greatest variety of lodgings can be found in Carson City, the state capital and the largest and busiest of the Carson Valley towns. Accommodations are also available not far from Carson City in Minden and Gardnerville, about 15 miles south on U.S. 395, or in Genoa, about nine miles south on U.S. 395 and then four miles west on state Route 206. The area also offers a