Barney Riley

Total Miles
11.2

Elevation

2,444.62 ft

Duration

3 Hours

Technical Rating

4

Moderate

Best Time

Summer

Trail Overview

Ride a mix of open and forested trail and make time to enjoy beautiful aspen groves, stone hot spring pools, and the Carson River. There are places to camp at the end of the ride along Carson River's east fork. Motorized vehicles cannot cross the river, but you can cross by foot, raft or canoe.

Photos of Barney Riley

Barney Riley
Barney Riley

Difficulty

Moderate: Most of this trail is easy, but several steep, rocky sections will test novice drivers. Stock SUVs can do it, but skid plates and moderate ground clearance are recommended.

History

The cemented stone pools at the hot springs were built by the general public over a long period of time. The Forest Service has attempted to knock them down, but people just rebuild them. The pools are very popular with river rafters when the river is high and 4-wheelers when the river is low. During our visit in early September, we found the river ankle deep at the hot springs.

Technical Rating

4

Status Reports

Access Description

From South Lake Tahoe, take Highway 50 south to Hwy. 89. Then follow 89 southeast about 28 miles. When Hwy. 4 continues south, bear left and stay on 89 another 1.7 miles. Loope Canyon Road is a wide dirt road and comes downhill on the left. We saw no signs, so it was easy to miss. Look for a wide spot to pull over on the south side of Hwy. 89 opposite the start.

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