With spring, the flowers are blooming, and the best way to see them is to go on beautiful trails. Truckee is home to many different hikes ranging in tons of difficulty levels. 

If you’re looking for a place to have a little picnic up at the top, check out the Tahoe Rim trail at the top of 267, Brockway Summit. This hike is a medium to easy skill level. You will know that you have made it to the top once you see huge rocks that have flat surfaces.  

Near the middle of the hike, there are two options: You can go to the valley area or you can go to the picnic rock viewpoint. You can see many different flowers like Lupine, Mules Ear, Mountain ElderBerry, and more.   

During the summer since there is no snow left over, Palisades Tahoe and other ski resorts become excellent places to hike. One great hike is Shirley Canyon. This hike is medium-hard skill level because you are hiking along the side of the gorgeous waterfall. 

Shirley Canyon is a long hike but it’s worth it for the spectacular views of nature. Once you get to the top you can take the tram back down or if you don’t feel like doing the whole thing you can turn around at any point.

Some of the wildflowers you might see are Mule’s Ears, Lupine, Paintbrushes, Lilies, Penstemon, Mariposa, and more. There are also waterfalls and different animals. Some animals you could see are Mountain Chickadees, Deer, Bunnies, and Coyotes. 

You can visit Palisades guide to hiking Shirley Canyon for more information on what to bring (Shirley Canyon guide).

One of Truckee’s local trails not only provides exercise but also gives you pieces of information and facts about the donner party. Donner Camp Trail is a little over a mile long and throughout the trail, there are signs with facts about how the Donner Party started and more. 

This trail also has many other trails that connect to it. It is dog and bike-friendly. The car park has

picnic tables for before or after your hike. Not only can you see beautiful flowers but you can also see Prosser Lake. You can see Lupins, Mule Ears, and Small Camas. 

There are many other trails like these but these hikes have gorgeous views and are all dog-friendly so if you have a four-legged friend these hikes are perfect. The best time to see the wildflowers is during spring. If you go during summer you should go later in the day so it’s not too hot.