Eastern Nevada trails system caters to mountain bikers, hikers

It is said that if you build it, they will come. And they are, mountain bike enthusiasts eager to tackle the 13-mile trails network on public lands outside Caliente, Nev. 

“We’ve been averaging a few hundred visitors a year since we opened the first seven-plus miles to the public in late 2017. Most are from Nevada and surrounding states,” said Project Manager Jon Prescott.  

Prescott, the Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management’s Caliente Field Office, said the single-track trails network in Barnes Canyon is designed for mountain bike use with trails ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert. All but two of the trails are also open to hiking, he said. 

The trails and a trailhead are BLM’s segment of phase one of the Lincoln County Partners Multi-Purpose, Non-Motorized Trail System. Other phase one components are an equal number of miles of trail within nearby Kershaw-Ryan State Park and five miles of trail and a bike park in Caliente.  

The trail system, to be completed in three phases, is a collaborative effort to improve non-motorized recreational opportunities and enhance public land access in Lincoln County by constructing 70 to 80-plus miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. The system is a partnership between the City of Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada Division of State Parks, BLM Ely District, and non-profit organizations American Conservation Experience and International Mountain Biking Association.  

The BLM’s portion of the system is funded through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. 

Prescott said that while eastern Nevada’s weather varies seasonally, the trails are rideable nearly year-round. “Just remember that the desert is a fragile environment. Please do not stray off the designated routes. Your tracks can take years to disappear, and trampled vegetation may never come back,” he said.