Washoe Lake State Park Ideal for Camping and Windsurfing

The wonderful Western state of Nevada is home to some of the best campgrounds in North America. If you head over to Washoe Valley, you’ll come across Washoe Lake State Park, which is an ideal destination for camping, picnicking, fishing, boating, and hiking. The park sits about 30 miles outside of Reno, just to the South of the popular city and close to Carson City.

You’ll find the boat ramp in the main area of the park and you can get drinking water there if you want to fill a few jugs before taking your boat out into the water. This area also has picnic tables and some wonderful grassy areas. There are some barbeque grills located near quite a few of the picnic tables. This is ideal if you’d like to cook some fresh meat and/or fish for lunch or dinner.

Washoe Lake State Park(photo credit: facilitybikeclub)

Because the 8,000-acre park sits near the foot of the Sierra Mountains it can sometimes get a little windy, which makes it a great place for any type of wind-propelled sports such as windsurfing. When it comes to camping, you’ll find that the campgrounds are situated in the northern area of the park. Some of the sites are shaded, which can come in hand since the campground sits in a high desert opening.

There are close to 50 campsites and these are available on a first-come-first-served basis as reservations for sites aren’t taken. There’s also drinking water available in this area. Registered campers will find two locations for showers. There’s also a dump station on hand for any recreational vehicles. However, the campsites don’t have any hook-ups.

If you’d like to explore Washoe Lake State Park by foot there are several trails that wind through the camping areas. The trails vary in length as well as hiking difficulty. Most of them consist of sand, rocks, and dirt. In the park’s south end there’s a trail that runs through some wetlands. This can sometimes be a bit muddy so if you hike this trail make sure to wear the proper type of footwear.

The wetlands area is a wonderful place to walk through if you’d like to see some interesting wildlife and migratory birds. If you’d like to find out more about the trails in the park you will find that the state park service will be glad to help you out by supplying you with information about each trail.

The area around the park has all of the provisions you’ll likely need on a camping trip. There are gas stations and shops over in Reno and there’s a Wal-Mart about 10 miles from the campground. There’s also a medical center about 20 minutes away just in case it’s needed.

The park is suitable for visiting at any time of the year. However, the windy winters and springs usually bring rain and snow with them. Between late spring until the end of the autumn the park is usually treated to dry and hot weather. It’s advisable to check the local weather forecast before heading to the park for an extended camping trip.