Pets allowed
Allowed
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Rancho San Rafael Regional Park is located just to the north of downtown Reno, and is Washoe County's largest park at 580 acres in size. The large park offers ample amenities and recreation opportunities, and is also of historical interest.

Rancho San Rafael was originally a working ranch. A cattle operation began here in the late 1890s, then in the 1920s the property was sold and the first buildings were built here by the Jensens. One of these buildings is now the park ranger offices.

The park contains a diverse landscape, everything from manicured lawn to native pasture grasses, and wetland habitat to sagebrush. Visitors can explore the park via miles of different hiking trails. Herman’s Pond is a highlight, and there are a few more smaller ponds throughout the park.

There are five large reservable picnic pavilions within the park, a disc golf course, playgrounds, an off leash dog area, and multipurpose fields.

Be sure to stop by Rancho San Rafael the next time you are in the area!

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Large park with diverse landscape. Historic buildings. Lots of space to recreate.

Features

ADA accessible
Off-leash dog area
Historically significant
Baseball
Soccer
Wildlife
Family friendly
Flushing toilets
Rental facilities
Shelters
Big vistas
Disc Golf
Fishing
Picnic tables
Near lake or river
Bird watching
Potable water
Covered picnic areas
Playground
Bicycling

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Lake Tahoe + Northern Sierra, California
Lake Tahoe + Northern Sierra, California

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