Reno, Nevada

Wicked_Dark

so we're going out west again and so far the only reservation we've made is the flight to Reno on May 21. There's so much within reach out there, but I'd like some ideas from folks who live in the area or have spent a lot of time there.

We're probably OK with driving a couple hundred miles. We hike, but don't camp and like to eat well on vaca, so restaurant recs are welcome, too. Photographically, I love desolate places (desert), ruins (abandoned stuff in general), cemeteries and historic places. Also landscapes, but that's kind of a given. We hate crowds and touristy stuff. My husband is used to my photographic weirdness and didn't complain at all when I crawled all over a miner's graveyard in Rhyolite.

Anyway...what's out there? Tahoe is so huge...and we're also considering Lassen park if the roads are clear by then. So much snow.

Cygnus Studios

I get out that way a couple times a year. It doesn't take too long to get away from civilization. Depending on which days you will be in town, Virginia City is worth a stop (although not on the weekends as the tourists pack it in). The road leading into Virginia City also has a couple of good photo stops that aren't quite as touristy.

Carson City has so many opportunities also.

Just outside of town, Washoe Lake is super cool. Nice trails and loads of wildlife including eagles and ospreys. Huffaker Hills is also pretty cool, especially for sunrise/sunset shots.

DonRicklin

The last time my Wife and I flew to Reno it was to rent a traveling Motel (RV) and tour for 27 days. Hit all the big parks going by Lake Tahoe to Yosemite, King's Canyon, down to LA. East past Palm Springs to Joshua Tree. Up to near Las Vegas, across the NW corner of Arizona along the Snake River into Dixie Utah. Zion and Brice, Escalante and Arches Parks and Back to Reno.

Not much Resteraunt eating, but a fun trip. Back in Film Days!

Don

Wicked_Dark

thanks guys. not sure those are doable, Don, but they sound great.

Bendr

Shoot... While it's probably too late, and maybe too far away, If you like desolate places, one of my favorite places ever is Bodie State Historic Park(http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509), it's along highway 395, about a half an hour north of yosemite...

Soooo Cool, it's an old "Abandoned" mining town in a state of "arrested decay" to keep it from getting worse. You can wander around, and peek in windows... The schoolhouse even still has the students old school projects sitting on their desks, with assignments still written on the board...

It's awesome, if you ever get a chance to check it out...

Ben

Bendr

And I just noticed that you hate crowds... hmmm... There were quite a few people there when I went, but I'm not sure if it was totally normal, a ton of them were photographers, so I'm thinking it might have been some sort of special event... and even if it's busy, it's still worth checking out if you can.

Wicked_Dark

looks interesting bendr, thanks.

kdog

If you're going to drive all the way out to Bodie, you could visit Mono Lake as well as it's very close by.

tripledigitken

If you drive south of Reno during your visit and get close to Gardnerville, don't miss the good Basque restaurants in town. Two of my favorites are JT Basque Bar and Dining Room, and the Overland Hotel. Both are photo worthy too, by the way.

Ken

Wicked_Dark

ooohh mono lake is a temptation.
thanks for the restaurant rec, too tripledigitken

Ridgetop

Hey Wicked, Reno is my photographic stomping grounds (I live in South Reno). There are many possibilities, especially given the distances you are talking about. There are many options that allow you to avoid the crowds also. I guess I’ll start with what’s within one hour of Reno proper. I wish I had access to my photos so I could show some of them off, but am blocked here at work. Oh well. Warning, this is very long!

(40 minutes from Reno). First you have American Flats. This is a must do if you are into photographing old structures. A quick Google search will get some pictures that others have taken. Basically it is an old Cyanide producing plant that went belly up in the 1920’s. It’s a massive series of structures that covers an area about 10 acres in size or more. To get to it from Reno you drive up Highway 341 Geiger Grade to Virginia City. Pass through Virginia City (tourist trap totally but has the cemeteries and old buildings if you can deal with the people) and continue on over the hill and drop down into the little town of Gold Hill. Just past Gold Hill is a very well worn dirt road that accesses an old mining mill complex. About 40 minutes from Reno. From the top of the hill you’ll drive up and see a bunch of concrete structures about a ¼ mile southeast of the road. That’s American Flats. You access it either by parking on the main road and hiking down or if you rent a 4X4 you can access it from the west side. Either way, you can get to it with a normal car. It is slated to be demoed this year due to the crumbling nature of the structures, but if you are careful it really is safe enough. It’s a graffiti playground, lots of water pits, tunnels, multi story buildings, holdings tanks, etc. Impressive. If you want to do it you can send me a private message and I can get you more detailed directions.

(60 minutes or so from Reno) Lake Tahoe of Course. Lots of waterfalls around Eagle Falls and Emerald Bay. If the snow breaks a little it’s worth hauling cameras down to Emerald Bay and working back up along the waterfalls if you are into that thing. Also, (you may have to snowshoe it), there are very impressive falls upstream from Eagle Falls. You have to work in about a mile or so to Eagle Lake and then work yourself around the Lake and up to the waterfall about ¼ mile upstream.

(45 minutes or so from Reno) Olinghouse, Nevada. A small abandoned gold mining town from the 30’s and 40’s with some newer stuff thrown in. The surrounding land is completely private and owned by a mining corp, but the town and old buildings are accessible. It’s about 45 minutes from Reno. Consists of about six old houses still in OK shape, three or four in bad shape, various mining structures, etc. Road is a good dirt road all the way up and doable with a 2 wheel drive. Head east on Highway 80 to the Pyramid Lake Turnoff at Wadsworth Nevada. Head north on Highway 447 to Olinghouse Road (shows up on a car GPS but not labeled I don’t think. It’s on Google Maps too.) Turn left (west) onto Olinghouse Road and head up the road until it enters a little canyon. Drive ¼ mile and you’ll see a series of little buildings/houses. There are no trespassing signs everywhere but none on the structures themselves. I have never been bothered by the mine owner and have been told they are on protected state property.

(3.5 hours from Reno) Gabbs, Nevada/Ione, Nevada. These may be out of your driving distance allotment. 190 miles east of Reno is Gabbs, Nevada. The town is still occupied but it is a strange mix of modern, old, lived in, and abandoned structures. I just have fun running around early in the morning or, if it looks like sunset potential, late in the evening to grab shots of the various oddball structures. 24 miles east of Gabbs up a very good paved/dirt road is the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park near Ione, Nevada (no services). Lots of state park protected buildings. Both the park and the town are great places.

(2 to 2.5 hours from Reno) Bodie, California is about 2 hours south of Reno on US 395. As mentioned above, this is a huge abandoned ghost town. It is highly protected by the state and is a state park. Lots of tourists but they normally don’t get to me. The bonus is Mono Lake as someone already mentioned. Great, great morning and evening shots there. A couple of abandoned ranches, the town of Lee Vining, Bridgeport, and Tioga Pass are all within an hour of Bodie. All are fun to walk with a camera. Tioga will be closed on top, but there are some great opportunities on the way up the pass.

If you want even more snow/lake/pretty granite country June Lake Loop is about 2 ½ hours south of Reno no U.S. 395. Beautiful covered in snow or not. Lots of lakes and waterfalls.

(1 to 2 hours from Reno) Heading north of Reno you can access the Sierra Valley and Highway 49 gold route. This area is great for small motherlode era towns. Sierraville, Downieville, etc. All are occupied but fun to walk around with a camera. Also lots of waterfalls as the snow melt increases along that route. These areas are all about 1 to 2 hours north of Reno. If I were going to do a day of it I’d leave early in the morning to hit the Sierra Valley by heading up US 395 to the Highway 70 turnoff. The Sierra Valley is about 20 minutes west on Highway 70 to the south of the highway. Good paved roads. Highway 49 heads off from this valley. Google maps will show all of it.

Gosh, too many areas to describe. As you look at maps or whatever and if you have questions drop me a private message or post on here. I can give you my email via private message also. I know most of the towns and desert from Goldfield north to Idaho and east from Reno to Baker Utah. I’ll admit that I’ve missed some of the ghost towns, but have tried to explore as much as my wife will put up with me dragging her all over the desert. I also know a good amount of the Sierras. Let me know if you need info on anything.

Ridgetop

Wicked_Dark

wow, thank you ridgetop. Some of those sound really great, but I have the same issue w/my husband and how much dragging around the desert he will endure. Sigh...why couldn't he be a photographer, too? Ah well. I'll PM you when we've decided on a direction at any rate, which we haven't yet. Again, thanks. I was hoping a local would see this thread and give me some ideas!

Wicked_Dark

So after a bunch of research, we've decided to stay east of the Sierras and will probably head down to Mono Lake. Yay!!! Obviously we'll have to do a loop or an out and back. After looking at pics of American Flats I've decided to forgo, graffiti isn't really my thing, I like abandoned stuff in a more natural state. At any rate, that's the plan so far. If suddenly it's 90 degrees all during April and the snow melts, plans might change, but for now that's what it is. I appreciate all the info so far, it's helping!

Ridgetop

You'll love it. Two ways down there from Reno. 395 all the way down or you can take 395 down to NV SR 208 which goes over Sweetwater Pass to CA SR 338 to Bridgeport. A lot of people skip this route and I think it is far prettier and you pass through several small towns and ranch areas. It takes about 20 minutes longer but is worth it. Also, not sure of your schedule but the road out of Bridgeport up to Twin Lakes is worth looking at in the early morning. There's a great Italian Restaurant on the West side of 395 at Willow Springs just before the turnoff for Bodie. You'd never know it, but the place is very good. It's a tiny hotel, some small cabins, etc. Restaurant is in the main white wooden building. If you need information on any other area or for food let me know.

Wicked_Dark

thanks a ton Ridgetop. the restaurant sounds great, too. We're inveterate drivers, my husband and I, so 20 minutes for something worth it is fine. We also like to find "death roads" - we haven't died yet, but a couple in Death Valley brought us close.

Bendr

Awesome, Sounds like a great plan! You'll love it!

Let us know how it all goes!

Ben

Wicked_Dark

thanks. I'm so excited for this trip. And nervous. I mean, Mono Lake! Sierras! Desert! As a photographer I'm only too aware of my own shortcomings and my tendency to choke on vacation from time to time. But we've bought a book to help us out - Exploring Eastern Sierra Canyons Sonora to Pine Creek. Since we're staying in Bishop and then moving northward back to Reno, I think this will help us a lot. And you guys of course.

Ridgetop

Pine Creek is interesting if the same owners are there. Couple of rich guys about 10 years back bought up the whole shebang at the base of the Pine Creek Mine (monster tunnel based tungsten mine that winds up through solid granite to access tungsten ore starting at about 8,000 and topping out at 11,000 above sea level). They (at least at the time) were very friendly and wanted to take the mine and turn it into a museum. Not sure what ever happened with the project. I've run all over the place but it was years back. If you head through Benton Hot Springs on your way towards Reno (an alternative to US395) you'll miss Mammoth and June Lake Loop, but Benton is a strange place and fun with a camera. From Benton it is rugged and almost empty desert country until you pop out on the southeast shore of Mono Lake and U.S. 395. When you are in Bishop or Lone Pine/Independence, with all the snow on the mountains, make sure you get up nice and early to catch some old buildings/horses/trees/something cool / with the Sierras in the background. The morning sun on them is very impressive. Especially from Lone Pine or Bishop. Also, the Alabama Hills west of Lone Pine are very cool and there is a natural granite arch there that you can capture Mt. Whitney through perfectly. If you are into nightshot starscapes it is very impressive. The granite hills west of Bishop are also great for some photo adventures. Again, especially with the snowy Sierras as a backdrop. You can access that area by going up Pole Line Road. Rawana (sp?) has some neat old stuff, old fence lines, barns, etc. that are a lot of fun also. Just slightly northwest of Bishop. Wow, you're bringing back way too many memories from the last 20 years or so for me. Besides making me feel old, I realize I need to get back down to those areas. If you have any questions on any specific canyons or areas let me know. I've probably been there at one time or another. Hopefully I'm not driving you crazy with these long posts.

Wicked_Dark

you're not ridgetop...as a matter of fact I'll probably print this whole thread and stick it in the guidebook to bring with us! we're spending a couple of nights in Bishop and a couple in Mammoth. getting up early will take some effort, but I'll make it. I'm trying to work from a shot list to not be such a drag on the proceedings. Old shacks and stuff with snowy mountains as backdrop are on it for sure.

Wicked_Dark

well, less than a week until we leave. I've loaded up TPE on the iPad and have pinned and saved some areas like Mono lake and Bishop. Have started a tentative shots list to work from and will wing the rest. I think we've decided to take a trip to Bodie as well while we're in Mammoth. that will be one day or part of one anyway. If anyone else wants to chime in with some ideas for sunrise/set locations in Bishop, let me know. Also we'll be in south Lake Tahoe for a day, but we'll probably be really shagged out by then. :P

Ridgetop

You should have fun. We just got a good frosting of snow up high and another foot coming so you'll probably have a nice Sierra background for any pics taken in that direction. Make sure to check out those granite formations in the Alabama Hills and west of Bishop off of Line St. The background of the Sierras with that early morning light should be awesome!

Wicked_Dark

So I've been back a few weeks and have processed and posted pretty much all the shots that work. It was an amazing place, but it went by so fast. Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions and advice. You can find some posts about the trip with photos on the blog and here in the gallery.

Here's one of my favorite shots at Bodie -

Zaui

Super series of shots. Love the pre-sunrise shot at Mono Lake - nice blue hue.

Wicked_Dark

thanks a lot. it was magical there.

Gael

Very nice territory

David_S85

Reno, I found, is kinda blah.

Carson City, OTOH, is a neat and picturesque town just to the south. There's a self guided walking tour you can do that shows off the turn of the century architecture very well, and mostly tree-lined for shade if the temps are hot. Downtown district is an east walk. Be sure to check out the courthouse (old and new) area.

A short drive away is Lake Tahoe. The Emerald Bay drive is beautiful. Eagle Falls is right there behind the bay. The entire area is a not-to-miss adventure.

EDIT: I re-read and looks like you've already been there.

Wicked_Dark

thanks anyway David...it's likely we'll return someday. There's so much to explore there's no way to do it in just 5 days. We did a bit of the Emerald Bay drive, but it was freezing, windy and it started snowing so we bailed.