Thomas Creek Park
12875 Thomas Creek Road, Reno, NV 89511 (click here to view a map)
Park Ranger Office: (775) 849-2511
Beautiful vistas of the Truckee Meadows and the Carson Range are attractions at this neighborhood park. Located on Thomas Creek Road off of Zolezzi Lane, you will find grassy open areas which climb up the hillside. Facilities include tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, a children's playground area, individual picnic areas, a paved pathway throughout and several benches for relaxing.
Park History
Image: Photo of Granville W. Huffaker
During the early days after settlers arrived for the Comstock Lode, Thomas’ canyons provided timber for use in the mines, both as square-set timbering to keep the mines from collapsing, and for use as firewood to power the steam engines. The mills that cut the timber were built in 1862 by John M. Thomas, whom the canyon and creek are named after. The vegetation in Thomas’ and White’s canyons included yellow pine and large red fir, with white fir and sugar pines found at higher elevations. Mountain mahogany grew on the south side of the canyon, as it still does today. The milling operations stripped the canyon of most of the lumber by 1876, but some trees still survived in the less accessible areas.
The water in Thomas’ canyon belonged to Granville W. Huffaker and Mr. Peter Dalton. In 1893, Peter Dalton advertised in the newspaper that someone had torn up the dam on his property at Thomas Creek, and he’d pay a $100 reward for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of the crime.
Fishing was good on Thomas Creek in the old days. It was reported in 1894 that two men left one afternoon from Reno to “flirt with the finny tribe” (i.e. go fishing) in Thomas Creek and would be back the next day. More recently in 2018, an old timer to the area, Thomasson, recalls that before all the homes were built in the area, blue herons and a beaver colony were a common site along Thomas Creek.
Please observe all rules and regulations while visiting the park. See rules and regulations here.
Activities: Tennis, Walking, Volleyball, Basketball, Photography, Picnicking, Playground, Junior Ranger Program