With miles of High Sierra wilderness in its backyard, the Reno and Lake Tahoe area is filled with sports and soft adventure options sure to get the adrenalin pumping when it’s time to break away from business.
Mountain Biking
Mountain bike tours are the specialty of several companies that take groups on scenic single-track trails and dirt roads. Spooner Lake Outdoor Company (775.749.5349; www.theflumetrail.com) offers excursions that include a ride along the spectacular Flume Trail high above the east shore of Lake Tahoe with Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member Max Jones, who shares local secrets and tips on getting the most enjoyment from riding in the mountains. Tahoe Adventure Company (530.913.9212; www.tahoeadventurecompany.com) has options that include full-day loops or leisurely rides along the Truckee River bike path.
Hot-Air Ballooning
For thrilling panoramas of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley, Lake Tahoe Balloons (530.544.1221; www.laketahoeballoons.com) offers a choice of two four-hour balloon rides. Lake Tahoe flights start with a launch from the Tahoe Flyer, a certified balloon launch and recovery vessel, for flights with views of Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake, Cascade Lake, and the Desolation Wilderness area. Carson Valley flights soar over the eastern edge of the Sierra range with views of ranchlands and rivers far below. Passengers are encouraged to participate in the balloon inflation process.
Flightseeing
Nostalgic rides in an open cockpit biplane over Reno, Lake Tahoe and the mountains are made possible by Sierra Biplane Adventures (800.992.3598; www.sierrabiplane.com), which operates a vintage biplane built in 1941 as a military trainer. Customized flights over Lake Tahoe or Nevada’s Black Rock Desert are available from Advantage Flight Solutions (775.852.3512; www.advantageflight.com), which operates four-passenger, turbocharged aircraft.
Off-Roading
Big Valley Adventure Tours (775.322.4311; www.bigvalleytours.com) features Honda dirt bike and ATV rentals for both guided and self-guided tours. Among the options is a full-day ATV tour from Reno to Virginia City with a barbecue lunch. High Sierra ATV Tours (800.596.8840; www.highsierraatvtours.com) offers tours of the Frenchman Lake Recreational area in Plumas National Forest, which include Snow Lake, Crystal Peak and the Dixie Mountain Wildlife Refuge.
Horseback Riding
Viewing wild mustangs is among the highlights provided by Tyson’s Canyon Ranch (775.847.7223; www.nevadaduderanch.com) on its guided trail rides through the high desert mountains near Virginia City. Rancho Red Rock (775.969.3315; www.ranchoredrock.com) also features wild horse sightings on its trail rides through scenic canyons near the ranch. Red Rock also operates mountain trail rides at the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort.
White-Water Rafting
With launch sites convenient to both Reno and Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River is a popular option for white-water rafting. Most excursions follow a seven-mile scenic course with Class II and Class III rapids, taking about three-and-a-half hours. Among the many companies that provide guided rafting trips are Tributary Whitewater Tours (530.346.6812; www.whiewatertours.com), Tahoe Whitewater Tours (530.581.2441; www.gowhitewater.com) and Sierra Adventures (775.323.8928; www.wildsierra.com).
