Jumbo Grade Trailhead

About Jumbo Grade Trailhead

Overview:The Jumbo Grade Trailhead is a day-use staging area for visitors setting out on the Jumbo Grade Trail. The wide, rugged 8-mile trail takes riders from the Washoe Lake area to the historic town of Virginia City, Nevada.Camping: Dispersed camping is permitted if it is at least ¼ mile from the trail and the trailhead. There are no amenities available outside of the trailhead staging area.Vehicle Access: A high-clearance vehicle is required. All roads are unpaved, may be muddy, rugged, and may contain sharp debris.Activities: The most popular activity is day-trip driving and riding along the Jumbo Grade Trail to visit Virginia City. Most locals take off-highway vehicles (OHVs) for the ride, but the trail is suitable for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. There are also a variety of scenic and less-trafficked trails that can be accessed from the staging area.Point of Interest:Where there’s a will, there’s a way. In the era of Virginia City’s peak fame, the Jumbo Grade Trail was a busy and vital route for transporting building materials, lumber, silver ore and gold ore.During the Comstock Lode mining boom, this trail saw heavy traffic. Along this winding 8-mile route, millions of board feet of lumber needed for the mines were harvested in the Tahoe area and hauled up to Virginia City. Likewise, a constant line of horses, mules, and wagons brought silver and gold ore down from the mines to the Ophir Mill at Washoe Lake.HistoryPre-1800s, this trail was established by local native peoples.Ophir Grade: In 1860, the Ophir Mining Company developed the trail into a wagon road called “Ophir Grade”. The busy transport road connected the Ophir Milll at Washoe Lake to the Comstock mines in Virginia City. A steady stream of mule-led wagons carried silver and gold ore down from the mines, and timber up from the forests of Washoe Valley.Jumbo Grade: In the early 1900s, miners at the Jumbo Mining District Camp used parts of this trail and started calling it “Jumbo G

How to Get There

The Jumbo Grade Trailhead is approximately 20 miles south of Reno, NV or 12 miles north of Carson City, NV.From Reno: Drive south on South Virginia Street/US-395 ALT for approximately 8 miles. Before passing Little Washoe Lake, turn left onto Eastlake Boulevard. Drive 4 miles. Turn left onto Jumbo Grade Way. Follow Jumbo Grade Way (road will become unpaved). The Jumbo Grade Trailhead staging area is 1 mile from the turn off.From Carson City: Drive north on I-580 and take Exit 10 for Eastlake Boulevard. Turn right onto Eastlake Boulevard and drive 6.4 miles. Turn right onto Jumbo Grade Way. Follow Jumbo Grade Way (road will become unpaved). The Jumbo Grade Trailhead staging area is 1-mile from the turn off.

Plan Your Visit to Jumbo Grade Trailhead

Heading to Jumbo Grade Trailhead? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)