Virginia Lake
A 25-acre man-made lake with a flat, fully paved mile around it — the city's most-used walking loop, and full of waterfowl.
Virginia Lake does one thing and does it better than anywhere else in Reno: a flat, paved, exactly-one-mile loop with water on one side the whole way. It is where the city walks, runs and pushes strollers, and it is busy from early morning onwards.
The lake is man-made and about 25 acres. Waterfowl are the reason a lot of people come — mallards, Canada geese, American coots and California gulls are all resident, and there are usually far more birds than the size of the lake suggests.
There are playgrounds, picnic shelters and a dog park around the edge. Nevada's wildlife department stocks the water with rainbow trout, channel catfish and carp, so there are usually people fishing.
Good for
- A flat, paved walk or run of a known distance
- Birdwatching without leaving the city
- A dog that needs a loop rather than a hike
Worth knowing first
- Entirely urban — this is a lake ringed by streets and houses, not an escape from the city.
- No shade for much of the loop, which matters in a Reno July.
- Where
- 1980 Lakeside Dr, Reno, NV
- Neighborhood
- South Reno
- On site
- Paved 1-mile loop · Waterfowl · Fishing · Dog park · Playground · Picnic shelters