The Prison Hill Recreation Area for motorized use is reopening Saturday after construction of erosion-control measures and decommissioning of redundant routes.

Several trail projects in Carson City have been completed or are nearing completion, according to Trails Coordinator Gregg Berggren. This includes new nonmotorized public trails as well as the reopening of the motorized section of Prison Hill Recreation Area.

The 900-acre off-highway-vehicle section of Prison Hill is reopening to motorsports enthusiasts after a slew of erosion mitigation projects and decommissioning of trails no longer part of designated routes. The Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department is hosting a grand reopening celebration 9 a.m. to noon., on Saturday at the staging area on Golden Eagle Lane. Attending the event will be Mayor Lori Bagwell and the Carson City Sheriff Motor Unit. There will be a rock crawler demonstration followed by a trail ride.

“This summer, our staff worked on decommissioning of several erosive or redundant trails in the OHV area, as well as placement of additional wayfinding signage,” Berggren said in a staff report to the Open Space Advisory Committee.

City staff has been busy on nonmotorized trails, too. In the Prison Hill nonmotorized area, local nonprofit Muscle Powered is working on Phase I of the Odyssey Trail that will make a connection from the Koontz Lane trailhead to the North Loop. Future phases will connect to Dead Truck Canyon.

“This trail is designed to be a sustainable replacement to the existing old roads currently used to access the North Loop and Dead Truck Canyon from Koontz Lane,” said Berggren.

Grant funds are being used for the Desert Peach Trail to connect the 5th Street Loop Trails to the North Loop, and for the Prison Hill Trail West – a multiuse path that will connect the Koontz Lane trailhead with the Clearview Drive trailhead and continue to the south end of Prison Hill.

The west side of Carson is also seeing improvements. A small grant from the Caesar Foundation, along with more help from Muscle Powered, was used for trail markers on the Ash Canyon system.

“These new markers, consistent with our signage master plan, are helping users with wayfinding, and identifying unauthorized trails on private property,” Berggren reported.

Muscle Powered has also volunteered “many hundreds of hours” to help construct the Capital to Tahoe Trail, which will connect to the Tahoe Rim Trail.

“The bridges have been completed, and they are beautiful,” Berggren said. “The trail is very close to completion, and we are tentatively planning a grand opening in the late spring of 2023.”

For information about Carson City trails, visit https://www.carson.org/government/departments-g-z/parks-recreation-open-space/parks-and-places/trails..

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