Whites Creek Park

 

About two miles west on the Mount Rose Highway from the intersection with U.S. 395, you will find White's Creek Park off the west end of Killington Drive. The 6-acre park offers a multi-purpose playing field (organized use by permit only -click here for information), a children's playground area, individual picnic areas and benches for your enjoyment. Portable restrooms provided for use by permitted sports leagues are subject to limited availability.

For plant & animal species found here, check out Whites Creek Park on iNaturalist.

Trails

The Lower Whites Creek Trail begins here and is featured in the Truckee Meadows Trails Guide which can be downloaded here. Look on page 12. Please Note: Sections of the Lower Whites Creek Trail have been impacted by recent storm events, creating many hazards. Please use caution and travel at your own risk.

Park History

Whites Creek Park takes its name from Whites Creek which borders the park’s northwest side. The creek got its name from Whites Canyon where the source of the creek is located. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the area’s creeks and rivers were popular fishing sites.

Lumber companies created the first roads up the mountain via the canyons. After the timber industry declined due to over-harvesting the trees, the roads fell into disrepair. In the early 1900’s, there was talk of building a “highway” — which would have been a wagon road during that time period — over the summit to Lake Tahoe, but as cars became more prevalent, people wanted an easy way to get to Lake Tahoe rather than going via Truckee. Whites Canyon was suggested as the best route to build a 26-mile highway to Lake Tahoe from Reno. The Mount Rose Route was submitted to the county for approval and the road was completed in 1921. The highway lies just south of Whites Creek Park.

Inspired to preserve their local open spaces, neighborhood volunteers put together events and fundraisers to help create a walking and biking trail along Whites Creek in the 1990s. A half-mile section of the trail was made possible through an Adopt-a-Park event. In 1995, the Silver State Striders running club hosted a run for the Washoe County Parks Department to supplement the trail with bridges and signage.