When winter conditions around Tahoe get too snowy, but we want to get some hikes in, sometimes we venture down the hill for winter hiking in Carson City, NV, seeking out lower-elevation trails that will keep our legs moving in the off-season. The first week of January, we went to Carson twice for less snowy/slightly warmer winter hiking.

Mexican Ditch Trail Hike

According to an on-site interpretive sign, in the 1860s, the Mexican Dam and Ditch were constructed to divert water to power nearby downstream mills for the crushing and processing of ore from Comstock mines. Today, there’s a system of trails in this historic Carson River Canyon area, one of which is the Mexican Ditch Trail, a mostly flat, roughly four-mile round-trip trail if you begin at Carson River Park, and it’s a great spot for winter hiking in Carson City.

Sections of the Mexican Ditch Trail parallel the Carson River.

Picturesque views of the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada can also be seen from the Mexican Ditch Trail.

The unpaved Mexican Ditch Trail is open year-round, but with the winter season usually being wetter, the trail was frequently soggy and muddy, with some areas of shallow standing water from recent rain or snow melt, causing us to bypass and meander around some sagebrush.

At the turnaround point is the historic Mexican Dam.

In all, the Mexican Ditch Trail was a very easy hike, and I would probably categorize it more as a walk than a hike, but it was pleasant to go through rural ranch areas and walk along the Carson River. My favorite part was seeing the fuzzy cows along the trail.

As far as winter hiking in Carson City goes, the Mexican Ditch Trail is an easy route with negligible elevation gain.

Mexican Ditch Trail to Mexican Dam hike
Total Distance	3.93 mi
Total Time	1:19:24
Total Ascent	20 ft
Max Elevation	4,643 ft

Prison Hill to Dead Truck Canyon

Doesn’t the name of this hike sound… intriguing? 😂

We had a snowstorm rolling into Tahoe the first week of January, but we really wanted to get a walk in before everything was covered in snow again.

Another option for winter hiking in Carson City is “Prison Hill,” a popular recreation area comprised of 2,500 acres located among the rolling high desert foothills on the east side of Carson City, NV. Popular for not only hiking, trail running, and mountain biking, but also Jeeping.

The area provides panoramic views of the Carson Range of the Eastern Sierra, Eagle Valley, Carson River, and downtown Carson City, and bonus, it’s basically in the backyard of the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, from which I am certain the recreational area was given its namesake.

A map of the Prison Hill Recreation Area shows a fairly extensive network of trails and connectors. We parked at the E. 5th Street trailhead, and with rain showers in the vicinity, I spotted a faint rainbow to the north.

We donned our rain jackets from our previous hiking trip in Olympic National Park and headed out on the trail, which started ascending very early on and didn’t relent. Initially, we’d discussed a six-mile route, which seemed feasible in the middle of winter. Soon, snow-dusted peaks of the Carson Range of the Eastern Sierra came into full view.

I will say, the trails on Prison Hill display fairly consistent and useful signage, but you still need to know where you desire to go and where each section of trail takes you, because while on the trail, you are often presented with multiple options at any given intersection.

We took the fork for Desert Peach Trail and continued climbing.

The weather continued moving in throughout our hike, bringing sporadic bouts of rain and wind, but nothing too intense.

For over four miles, we ascended, battling the wind and rain, and after some switchbacks, we finally crested the peak of the hike.

Then we started descending into Dead Truck Canyon.

Around this point in the hike, my husband announced that Villa Basque restaurant in Carson City was open until 2:30, so if we hurry, we can make it there for a late lunch/early dinner. The prospect of food while on a hike is always a good motivator for me, so we picked up our pace on this downhill stretch.

Eventually, we reached the trail intersection with Prison Hill Trail East, which largely parallels Carson River Road, to take us back to the trailhead at E. 5th Street. At this point, we realized this route would add more than a mile to the overall distance, when we were originally expecting a six-mile hike. Plus, we were now racing to finish so we could get to the restaurant in time.

As we were hustling along the trail, adding insult to injury, the rain started coming down heavier, and the wind picked up. All of a sudden, we were in a pretty legitimate desert rainstorm, while winter hiking in Carson City, for the last 1.75 miles, which already felt “extra.” 😂

Needless to say, after two and a half hours in the wind and rain, we couldn’t wait to get back to the Jeep. Just as we approached the trailhead, I spotted yet another faint rainbow over Carson City to close out this hike!

And, we did make it to Villa Basque in time!

For winter hiking in Carson City, Prison Hill offers numerous trail opportunities, and you can rack up quite a few miles, but plan on around 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

Prison Hill Dead Truck Canyon hike
Total Distance	7.78 mi
Total Time	2:32:06
Total Ascent	1,093 ft
Max Elevation	5,540 ft