Trail Overview

Traveling East from the Carson Valley, P-16 Trail will take you into the heart of the Pine Nut Mountains. It is a one-lane winding mountain trail that gains altitude as you go East. The trail is lined with Juniper trees and Pinion Pines, with some open areas, and offers grand views of the Sierra Front and the Pine Nut Mountain Range. Like all trails in the Pine Nuts, there are many lesser trails running from both sides of P-16 Trail, just waiting to be explored. At the East end, P-16 Trail intersects with Pine Nut Valley Road (P-14 Trail). There, you can turn North for a pleasing ride through the Pine Nut Valley, ending at Sunrise Pass. Or you can head South for a more challenging trek to Red Canyon, passing Mount Siegal and Oreana Peak on the way, ending in Wellington, Nevada. The West end of P-16 Trail is at P-10 Trail, close to civilization in Gardnerville, Nevada. You might ask, why all these "P" designations. The BLM has named these trails and has marked them with signs. Please refer to the pictures.

Photos of Pine Nuts P-16 Trail

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Difficulty

This is a well-used trail, so watch for oncoming traffic. It features ruts, some off camber, and trenches. A few sections with a very fine, gray, powdery dust. The guy behind you will hate you.

Technical Rating

Simon Morris

May 09, 2026

Open

Slightly more challenging than P10 but not much. Easy trail winds through canyon and hills, small stream crossing at one point. Probably a lot different if wet but today it was a pleasant 30 min trundle that we didn't have to overthink.