Tot Trek, Riverview Park - Carson City

We're trying to convince our kids that hiking is fun (they think we're just trying to kill them by making them do hard things). To that end, the kids and I went to Tot Trek at Riverside Park this morning. It's a fun activity, sponsored by the city Parks and Rec department, where young children get to go on a guided hike with a park ranger and learn about the history, plants, and animals that live in our area. They even got to do a fun scavenger hunt and earn some stickers!

This park was fun to visit, and could definitely provide you with something new to see every time you visit, especially over multiple seasons. There is a nice picnic area, with grills, tables, benches, and a covered shelter structure. There are bathrooms, although when we visited they were in need of a good cleaning and the drinking fountain was broken. If you plan to hike definitely bring your own water. There is not a play area at this park.

The trails at this park (at least the one we went on) were wide and flat and could easily accommodate strollers or wheelchairs.  wish I'd known this from the start, because I ended up carrying our 2-year-old for the most of the hike, which was not terribly fun. :) Next time I'll know what to bring along.

The trail we followed went between the North Loop Trail, and the South Loop Trail and ended up being about a mile long. It was a little long to try to hike with kids in under 1.5 hours, but the rangers kept the kids moving and we managed to do it. My only complaint with the Tot Trek activity was that the pace seemed a bit too fast (with too few and too short of rest stops) for little legs. Even adding 1/2 an hour to the time would have helped a lot. To see the route we took, look for the yellow highlights on the map below. 

 Of course the part of the hike the kids liked best was when we got out of the sage brush and into the river area. They all wanted to jump right in, but we'll have to do that another day. They loved seeing the bat houses, listening to the birds singing in the trees, and looking for trees felled by the beavers that live in the river.

Essential Details:
Riverview Park
600 Marsh Rd, Carson City, NV 89701
Website
Trail Map
Amenities include: Bathrooms, picnic area