Pets allowed
Allowed with Restrictions
Elevation Gain
25.00 ft (7.62 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
0.80 mi (1.29 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Carson River Trail is an out-and-back trail with a total length of about 0.8 miles along the river at Dayton State Park. While the trail is generally flat, a few warnings may be necessary. The path runs adjacent to the state park road, so it is hard to escape to the developed feeling of the surrounding area. On repeated visits, the trail has also been severely overgrown and hard to follow each time. Hikers may end up finding their hiking experience an exercise in pushing through brush to maintain on the route.

There are a couple of points where small old bridges offer the chance to leave the trail and head onto the paved park road. And while the trail itself merely parallels the river rather than accessing it, a small visible network of paths can allow hikers to leave the trail and head to the riverbank. At the trail's end, hikers can opt to turn around and follow their path or cross a bridge and head back on the asphalt of the park road.

There are no amenities anywhere along the trail, though hikers are never far the the park's central bathroom building and shade areas.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Park entrance fee

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

River access.

Cons

Overgrown. Very poorly maintained. Adjacent to the road.

Trailhead Elevation

4,327.00 ft (1,318.87 m)

Highest point

4,330.00 ft (1,319.78 m)

Features

Near lake or river
Fishing
Flushing toilets
Potable water

Typically multi-day

No

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Fort Churchill State Historic Park
Lake Tahoe + Northern Sierra, California
Fort Churchill State Historic Park

Comments

Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.