Hunter Creek Falls in late-May 2013
I’ve always been interested in waterfalls in unexpected places. Nevada just seems like one of those places where you aren’t going to find many waterfalls…and I guess that’s relatively true. And yet there are a few rather scenic falls scattered throughout the state.
I’m guessing Reno’s a pretty dry place. So I was surprised to find out that there was a waterfall right near Reno. After reading some of the reviews, I was initially concerned. It sounded like this was a strenuous 5.6 mile round-trip hike in unforgiving terrain. Well, that really wasn’t the case. I’ve experienced much more difficult hikes, and this probably ranks somewhere in the middle.
If you’re going to attempt this hike, two things REALLY help: sunscreen and water. It’s bizarre. The first 2/3 of the hike are out in the open sun. The final 1/3 of the hike is like entering a different, forested world. Without sunscreen, I would be in pain tonight, and yet I’m rather content. And having a significant amount of water available made this hike MUCH more enjoyable. To avoid any intense heat, start earlier in the day. It got to about 80 degrees (on May 31), and it was manageable.
At 2.8 miles or so one way, the hike does seem long. There is an up-down-up-down nature to the trail, but it’s never extremely steep. Some of the trail is composed of large stones, which might cause the most difficulty along the whole hike. But at no point are you suddenly climbing steep switchbacks. The elevation gain/loss is spread out over the trail.
Once you get to the final 1/3, enjoy the shaded, wonderful-scented scenery. It is a truly different feeling. At the end of May, wildflowers litter the whole trail from beginning to end. And at the end of the trail is Hunter Creek Falls! Now, it’s taller than it appears in some photos (about 30 feet or so), though its not huge. It’s still worthwhile in the end!
Directions:
- Caughlin Parkway can be accessed from South McCarran Boulevard at two different locations. I entered at the southern “entrance.”
- Continue along Caughlin Parkway to Plateau Road. (If you entered Caughlin from the southern portion, Plateau Road will be on your left.)
- Continue along Plateau Road to Woodchuck Circle on your left.
- Continue along Woodchuck Circle until you reach the end of the road. (It appears there is a continuation of the road under construction, but that was closed off, so you really only have one option.) There will be a sign for the “Michael D. Thompson Trailhead”, and you will be in the right place.
- Put on your sunscreen, grab your water/hat/camera, and start hiking. If in doubt, just stay in sight/listening distance of the creek.
Accessibility: 3/10 (moderate/strenuous, by no means the worst ever, just long)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: 5.6 miles round-trip
Where in the World is Hunter Creek Falls?
The Waterfall Record 
I don’t know if you are familiar with it, but if you are not, Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains near Elko has an extremely high concentration of waterfalls, many of which are pretty high. It is not called the “Yosemite of Nevada” for nothing. The place is spectacular. If you are ever out that way it is more than worth the effort to get up there (you can drive into the canyon).
From another website, I had a vague idea that there are a number of falls near Elko. I haven’t been in that region yet. I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime.
I’ve hiked up to Hunter Creek Waterfall four or five times, and my favorite times were always in the winter (when the snow’s not too deep). The frozen waterfall is absolutely gorgeous – that log that leans up against the top of the waterfall gets covered with snow and ice, and actually the whole waterfall seems frozen, and yet you can still see the water flowing behind the ice! Beautiful! 🙂