Trail History

Trail History

Follow History. Create Yours.

photo by Michele Welch

Our Mission

Exploring the nature and history of the Truckee River at ground level.

Our Vision

To follow the Truckee River by foot or by bicycle from its source at Lake Tahoe to its terminus at Pyramid Lake, 114 miles away, using a combination of dirt and paved roads, plus some sections of new trail and bridges.

Trail Timeline

2003
When it all began
  • 1st formal meeting of the Bikeway Committee formed by Janet Phillips.
  • $30,000 seed money from Bill Watson.
2004
Building the Mogul Link
  • Safe bike route off Highway 80 opens from Reno to Verdi.
  • Phase I and II of Truckee Legacy Trail completed in Truckee.
2005
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Lands
  • Trail Access granted from Wadsworth to Pyramid Lake on tribal lands.
2006
Awards
  • TPT was recognized with a national award from American Trails.
2008
Truckee River Canyon
  • Trail access granted on Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) land in exchange for funding the new Fleish Bridge.
2009/2010
Moving Eastward from Sparks
  • Trail access granted by The Nature Conservancy from Waltham Way to USA Parkway.
  • Trail access granted by NV Energy on two miles of roadway east of Sparks.
2011
Fleish Bridge Developed
  • TPT helps fund a new bridge that extends trail access for several miles in the Truckee River Canyon.
2012
McCarran Bridge
  • The Nature Conservancy’s new bridge and access permission extends trail access from Mustang to USA Parkway east of Sparks.
2013
Fleish to Verdi
  • Fleish Bridge completed, extending access west from Verdi.
2014
East from Truckee
  • The town of Truckee extends the Legacy Trail from Truckee to Glenshire.
  • TPT and the Truckee community save Hirschdale Bridge from destruction.
2015
$2M Grant
  • Federal Grant received for construction of a difficult section of trail in the Truckee River Canyon - the Boardwalk.
2017
Hirschdale
  • TPT constructs a 2-mile section east of Hirschdale in the Truckee River Canyon.
2018
Name Change
  • The organization's name officially changed from Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway (TPB) to Tahoe-Pyramid Trail (TPT).
2019
Award and Lake Tahoe to Floriston
  • Janet Phillips was awarded Citizen of the Year by the Reno Gazette Journal.
  • The “million dollar mile” section of boardwalk in the Truckee River Canyon opens, completing the trail from Lake Tahoe to Sparks.
2022
In Memoriam
  • Visionary and leader, Janet Phillips, passed away in December.
2023
Award
  • Janet Phillips received the posthumous American Trails Hulet Hornbeck Lifetime Service Award.
  • The first paid staff are hired - President & CEO and Administrative Assistant.
2024
Grant and Memorial
  • Federal grant received for feasibility study to complete the two unfinished sections east of Sparks - from east Sparks to Mustang and USA Parkway to Wadsworth with a spur to Fernley.
  • Memorial plaque dedicated to Janet Phillips at Fleish Bridge.
2025
Continued Growth
  • A third paid staff member is added - Programs Coordinator
  • The Board of Directors is increased from 9 to 12 members
2026+
The Future…
  • The TPT Board of Directors is committed to achieving Janet’s vision by completing the remaining 21 miles of trail connections from Sparks to Wadsworth.
  • Trail maintenance, improvements and reroutes remain in the forefront in the minds of the Board and staff.