Trail Description

The trail through the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation from Wadsworth to Pyramid Lake was developed by the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail in cooperation with the Tribe. It is 24 miles mostly of compacted dirt, with two fence stiles that must be climbed over.

The gradient of the “Rez” trail is has a lot of “up and down” elevation changes which may be more than some hikers or cyclists are accustomed to. You can view the elevation profile on the RideWithGPS track linked below. For those not wanting to ride all the way to Pyramid Lake and back, a popular option is to ride from Wadsworth to the Numana Hatchery and back (17 miles total).

Difficulty Level

Dirt trail difficulty ranges from easy to moderate difficulty. Experienced mountain bikers will have no problem but beginner non-experienced riders may want to walk their bikes on some of the rutted or sandy sections.

Services

There are no services in this area between Wadsworth and Nixon, each of which has a convenience store. There is camping by permit at Big Bend Tribal campground and lodging and restaurants in Fernley.

Trail Connections

There is no additional trail connectivity at this time

Recommended Bikes

Mountain, Cyclocross, Gravel

Special Consideration

If you plan to ride on the “Rez” trail section, you must have a valid day-use pass to access it. Currently, there are ONLY 2 ways to obtain a Day-Use Pass for this section of the trail:

• In Person at the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Ranger Station in Sutcliffe.
(All other retail locations that used to provide passes are no longer able to do so.) Because Tribal pass sales processes can change, we recommend calling the Sutcliffe Ranger Station before attempting an in-person purchase. They can be reached at 775-476-1155.
• Online through the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe system:
https://plpt.nagfa.net/online/
(You will be asked for your name and date of birth before reaching the purchasing section.

If you have any questions, please call the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Ranger Station in Sutcliffe for the most up-to-date information about obtaining Day-Use Passes. Phone: 775-476-1155.

The current price (as of 11/12/20) is $22 per vehicle for a Day-Use Pass. Carpooling is encouraged. Prices are subject to change without notice.