Signage for the new trailhead off Koontz Lane in Carson City on June 3.
Scott Neuffer/Nevada Appeal
At the east end of Koontz Lane in Carson City, residents and visitors can find a new crossing across South Edmonds Drive (including a flashing beacon) and, following a dirt road past the water tank, a new trailhead with a vault toilet, shade structure, ADA parking and an equestrian pullout. The site opens to a new 2.5-mile trail along the western base of Prison Hill.
“When Carson City was developing their most recent 2025 master plan, there was a number of listening sessions where they asked residents what they wanted to see in the community,” said Gregg Berggren, the city’s trail coordinator. “One of the ones that kept coming up over and over was that people want more access to all the surrounding public lands. They want more trails. They want more open space. And so really one of the goals of Carson City is to provide that access to everyone and not just necessarily athletes.
“We want trails that everybody can use. If you’re a parent and have small children, you can use this trail. If you have a disability, you can use this trail. It provides that access to Carson City’s largest open space property for everyone.”
Berggren showed the Appeal the new trail on June 3. It’s already open to the public, but an official grand opening is set for 9 a.m. to noon June 14 at the Koontz Lane Trailhead, 2690 Koontz Lane.
The event will feature a ribbon cutting, a guided hike, and adaptive mountain bikes from Reno Adaptive.
The multiyear $2.4 million project — trail, new facilities and crosswalk — was funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. No local match was required. The city plans to complete a loop trail around Prison Hill, connecting the southern end to Mexican Dam and the new west trail to the Fairview trail to the north.
Scott Neuffer/Nevada AppealBerggren noted the complete loop needs a couple more phases of work, but that didn’t diminish the fresh look of the new trail. Curving through sagebrush to connect with the Clearview Drive Trailhead, it offered panoramic views of the Carson Range and Sierra Nevada. It continued stretching south toward the OHV staging area, where motorized use is allowed. The new trail and the majority of Prison Hill are designated for nonmotorized use.
During the trail’s planning and approval process, some residents had concerns about its width and perceived impacts to the area. The city maintained the trail would prevent user conflicts and ensure accessibility.
“It’s road base with compacted DG (decomposed granite) on the top,” said Berggren. “It’s 10 feet wide. I have seen people out there pushing strollers along with runners and horses and bicycles. Everybody has room to recreate.”
The city also decommissioned some older areas of the Koontz trailhead, creating a smaller footprint, Berggren said. Users will see riprap in drainage ditches along the trail and other erosion control measures.
At the time of the interview, the city was in the process of installing signage about the “S” on Prison Hill and the Stewart Indian School as well as information on local geology and wildflowers.
“Often times when we propose a trail project, there are some concerns, and a lot of it is because of potential unknowns,” Berggren said. “What we have found with this particular project is that there was a number of people that were opposed to it in the beginning, and now they’re telling us that they use it, and they like it.”
Berggren maintained communities with trails are healthier “physically, emotionally and economically.”
More information is available at https://www.carson.org/government/departments-g-z/parks-recreation-open-space/parks-and-places/trails/prison-hill-area.