Jacks Valley Loop via Clear Creek Trail

The Jacks Valley Loop is a scenic trail circling a hill enveloped by views of the Sierras to the west and Carson Valley along with the Pine Nut Mountains to the east.

While the loop itself covers a distance of 6.25 miles, reaching the Jacks Valley Loop requires a short walk from one of two trailheads. Beginning at the Jacks Valley Road trailhead will add 1.5 miles in each direction to reach the loop. Though making a destination of this trail is well worth it. Beginning at the trailhead, hikers can follow the Clear Creek Trail which descends from Spooner Summit and crosses the road here. Heading south, the Clear Creek Trail is a dusty single track that winds along the hillside, only gradually gaining in elevation.

Upon reaching the signed fork with the Jacks Valley Loop trail, we proceeded in a counter clockwise direction which followed a brief climb before paralleling Jacks Valley Road from above while green meadows at the base of the Sierra Nevada range stretched into the distance. Built and maintained by the Carson Valley Trails Association, the single track was created with mountain biker use in mind, which may explain the weaving direction of the path rather than hugging the landscape in a straight line. 

Sage lines the trail, as it wraps around the knob of the hill and views across Carson Valley open up. Once headed eastward, the trail maintains a gradual descent until eventually meeting with the fork in the trail that leads to the James Lee Park Trailhead (a shorter access than the Jacks Valley Trailhead access, however with significantly more elevation change).

From the second fork, the trail begins a slow climb, gradually losing the distant views and instead becoming more enclosed by the immediate landscape surrounding the hill. Upon reaching the original fork, hikers can trace the Clear Creek Trail for the 1.5 miles back to the trailhead.

Hikers should be aware that there is no shade on the trail and no water or bathrooms at the trailhead.