Held annually the first weekend in April, the Nevada Derby is the Nevada All-State Trail Riders spring training ride, continuing our own tradition of the Derby Ditch and Square Nail rides for the past 43 years. Due to various limiting conditions, a few years ago the Nevada Derby Ride was relocated from Winnemucca Ranch to the Washoe Lake State Park.

For the 2022 season, the location of NV Derby and the NASTR ride was reversed, with the Derby moving out to Scout Camp and NASTR using the Washoe Lake State Park venue.

The Nevada Derby is the first ride in the NASTR Challenge Series. Whether you are aiming for the limited distance Hat Trick, completing all the 50s for the Trifecta, or taking on the challenge of the Triple Crown, we will see you there!

The Trail: The trails will be laid out in a loop configuration with all vet checks back in camp. Riders will enjoy scenic canyon climbs, desert washes, natural springs, stock tanks, dry lake terrain over jeep roads, and winding single track trail along the Carson River under the mighty cottonwood trees. The majority of the footing is sandy however there are some areas of rock. The trail is mostly flat with several gradual climbs. Crews will have access to all away-vet checks. Hay and water will be provided by ride management at away-vet checks.

Base Camp is at the Scout Camp in the Carson River Ranch area of Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Silver Springs, NV. Camp is located approximately 11 miles south of Silver Springs (where you may find fuel, groceries, feed, and auto supplies) via US-95 ALT. Ride Camp is open from Friday thru Sunday.

Scout Camp is located adjacent to the Carson River. It is a large, dispersed camping area that includes picnic tables, fire rings with grill tops, two vault toilets, and multiple horse corrals. Scout Camp is a carry-in, carry-out trash area. Horse manure needs to be picked up and carried out, or disposed of in the designated manure dump. Bring bug spray for you and your horse, as at certain times of the year, they can be abundant.

Directions to Base Camp: Follow US-95 ALT south from Silver Springs for 9.5 miles to Simpson Rd (Pony Express Route) (Just south of Buckland Station on the banks of the Carson River). Turn left (east) and follow the Pony Express Route a little over half a mile and turn left through the cattle guard into the Scout Camp

History: The Carson River Ranches were acquired for public recreation in 1990, providing the first-ever opportunity to connect state park units. In 1994, the State of Nevada purchased the 3,229 acres of ranch land along the Carson River corridor between the Fort Churchill State Historic Park and the Lahontan State Recreational Area. Included in that purchase was the Bucklands Pony Express Station, which was restored and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

NASTR Trails Project: In 1998-1999, NASTR members provided volunteer trail building labor for the project at several work parties. The project included clearing and signage for seven trail heads, a rest room and horse corrals, camp areas and approximately 30 miles of trail connecting the two State Park units, as well as BLM lands. The trails accommodate non-motorized users, equestrians, hikers, 4-h campers, hunters, mountain bikers and educational activities and canoeing on the Carson River.
 

The NASTR Ride is the second ride in the NASTR Challenge Series. Whether you are aiming for the limited distance Hat Trick, completing all the 50s for the Trifecta, or taking on the challenge of the Triple Crown, we will see you there!

For the 2022 season, the location of the NASTR ride and NV Derby was reversed, with NASTR using Washoe Lake State Park and the Derby moving out to the Scout Camp venue.

The Trail: The trail will be of moderate difficulty. Pads and /or boots are recommended! The desert terrain varies from rocky to sandy with steep uphill and downhill, some trails, some cross country and jeep roads. Elevation varies from 4600' to 7500’. The 50 mile ride will offer Triple Crown riders an opportunity to see some of the Virginia City 100 mile ride course. The 50 mile ride will consist of three loops, each returning to camp for control vet checks. The 25 mile ride will consist of two loops, which offer the horse and rider a moderate challenge, while enjoying the beautiful views from the mountain tops and the beaches of Washoe Lake.

Base Camp: Washoe Lake State Equestrian Park is located between Reno and Carson City Nevada at 4855 Eastlake Blvd, New Washoe City. Due to the State Park fee schedule your overnight camping fees ARE NOT included in the entry fee. Your day use fee is covered by Ride Management. You will need to pay your camping fee upon arrival to the park, at the fee booth. A $10.00 per vehicle per night is required. NV Residents with annual parking permits are covered for day use only. Camp space is limited, please park as comfortably close as possible. Please don’t drive over the sagebrush. Restrooms, portable toilets and showers will be available. Horse water will be available. Please bring water for human consumption. The elevation is over 5000’ come prepared for any type of weather. Portable corrals should be placed outside the post barriers to better utilize vehicle parking space, please watch out for the drip system also. It is recommended that you leave your dog home, but if you do bring them, they MUST be on a leash at ALL TIMES (see Ride Rules) Ride camp opens on Thursday.

Directions to Base Camp: Traveling South from Reno on I580 (US 395 S) take exit 44 and turn left onto Eastlake Blvd, approx. 3 miles is the entrance to the park on the left and it will be marked with ribbon. From Carson City, take I580/US395N to Exit 44 and turn right on Eastlake Blvd. and proceed to the park entrance on the left. Turn right after you have paid at the booth and proceed to the equestrian area.

2014 marked the 30th anniversary of the NASTR ride.
 

The TRR offers the chance to experience the Lake Tahoe Nevada Backcountry like no other!

The Ride covers a portion of this trail and others in the Spooner Backcountry. The backcountry is more than just a recreational playground and an ecological resource. It is also the site of the Marlette Water System, the water-provider for Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City and parts of Carson City. Developed in the last half of the 1800s to furnish the timber and water required by the gold and silver mines in Virginia City and Gold Hill, the system is comprised of Marlette Lake, Hobart Reservoir and an intricate system of flumes and pipelines.

Base Camp

Restrictions: Due to the small size of the camp, unfortunately we can only accommodate a limited number of rigs. For this reason, entry is first-come, first-served and entry opens on December 1st and the ride fills up very fast. We do hold a waiting list in case of cancellations. We depend on ride-sharing to be able to continue to offer this ride. The minimum fee for a Rig Spot is $350.00 ($175.00 each for two Adult entries). If you do not have (or do not want) an additional rider in your rig, you may pay for the minimum entry fee (for 2 riders) and not bring a second rider with you. Checks will be cashed upon your entry selection. (If you included $350 (two entries) in your package and your “guest’s” entry is also selected, their check will be destroyed. If your Total Rig Length exceeds 45’ you must get approval from management for that rig. If you are bringing 3 or more riders, length exceptions can be made, but must be approved by management. Horses need to be tied/high tied to trailers - sorry, there isn't enough room for corrals. Please read the additional information included in the ride rules and info before sending in your entry.

The Trail: Amazing, spectacular, beautiful! Come and develop your own description!

Footing is mostly single-track trail with sandy jeep roads and moderate hills. Some of the trail is narrow with drop-offs and there are some technical boulder sections and wooden bridges to cross. There are sections of rock so hoof protection is recommended.

All vet checks are out of camp at a single away location. Hold times and section distances may be subject to change and will be finalized at the Ride Meeting. There is plenty of natural grass and water; management will also haul in water to a few key locations. You will be riding on Nevada State Park and USFS trails. SMOKING ON THE TRAIL IS PROHIBITED. KEEP IT CLEAN – PACK IT IN – PACK IT OUT..

Directions to Base Camp: Base camp is located on Kings Canyon Road, off of HWY 50, about 0.5 miles east of the intersection of HWY 50 & State HWY 28 near the south near Spooner Summit on the East side of Lake Tahoe. The entrance will be ribboned.
 

2017 marked the 50th anniversary of this ride!

The Trail: Consists of three loops (51, 25, 24 miles), each returning to base camp in Virginia City. There will be an outlying vet check on the first and last loop, with (2) one hour hold vet checks at base camp. Crews will have easy access to meet riders along the trail. The trail covers hard pack and rocky terrain on historical wagon (now jeep) roads with some sandy single track footing and several mountain climbs. There is also pavement through town and across highways. Riders are responsible for their own safety while crossing paved roads. We do advise the use of pads and/or boots. Elevations range between 5000 and 7800 feet. Each loop will be marked with a different color of ribbon, along with chalk and glow sticks (after dark). Water & hay will be provided on the trail and at the two outlying vet checks. The ride will start in front of the Delta Saloon at 5:00 a.m., Saturday. Allow yourself time to get from camp to the Delta by 5:00 a.m. (approximately 20 minutes). There will be a controlled start out of town. Virginia City 100 is the final ride of the Triple Crown Challenge.

Base Camp: will be at the Ice House on Toll Road in Gold Hill. Parking will be on grindings (asphalt), and will be very crowded. There will be limited room for portable corrals. If you have the ability, it would be helpful if you could car pool. The camp site will be open from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. Horse water will be available. COME PREPARED, the elevation of Virginia City is over 6000 feet and can get cold at night. The comforts of motels and cafes can be found, as well as shopping and sightseeing within walking distance of base camp.

Directions to Base Camp:
From Reno take I-580 S/US-395 S. Take the US-395 S exit (Exit 57B) toward Virginia City/Carson City/So. Lake Tahoe. Merge onto US-395 Alt S/S. Virginia St. Turn left on to Geiger Grade/NV-341 to Virginia City. Drive through downtown Virginia City towards Gold Hill. Turn left on Toll Road (before heading down the hill). Watch for ribbons and follow to the Ice House.
From Carson City take Hwy. 50 East to NV-341, follow the truck route to the right. When you reach Virginia City turn left at the stop sign (NV-342/C Street), towards Gold Hill. Turn left again on Toll Road (before heading down the hill). Watch for ribbons and follow to the Ice House.

Calcutta: Following the pre-ride meeting, we will have a fun filled Calcutta. Payoffs will be given to buyers of the top three in each division, and announced at the awards banquet. BRING LOTS OF DOUGH; EACH AND EVERY RIDER WILL BE AUCTIONED! Your favorite horse and rider team may pay off for you!

500/1,000 Mile Horses: Horses completing the ride five times will receive a 500 mile halter. Also, horses completing the ride ten times will receive a 1,000 mile blanket.
 

The Trail: There will be a 50 mile and 30 mile ride. As in previous years, the lunch stop for the 30s and 50s will be back in camp, with light refreshments offered.

The 50 mile ride consists of three loops of 20, 17, and 13 miles respectively, with vet checks in camp.

The 30 mile ride consists two loops of 17 and 13 miles, with a vet check back in camp.

The ride will be a loop with all holds out of camp. Through the generosity of several local ranchers, we will have lots of water available throughout the ride. It is the consideration of another local landowner that we were able to get you into some really great areas.

The trail is almost entirely sandy jeep roads and sandy single track, there are hardly any rocks. You will pass through a meadow or two that can be wet depending on the weather and there is usually a bit of trail grass along the way as well. There are no significant water crossings but if we have a wet fall there can be very small (i.e. less than 12 inch wide and 3 inch deep) creeks.

Red Rock Rumble is the final ride in the NASTR Hat Trick and Trifecta Challenge Series.

Base Camp: The camp is bare bones. There is horse water available, but for the most part you need to plan on bringing what you need. There will be no camp fires allowed. Parking is very limited so if you can trailer-pool then please do so and plan on parking conservatively.

Directions to Base Camp: Ride camp is located off Red Rock Road, just a little north of Reno. Take the Red Rock Exit off US Hwy 395 and head east 15 miles. There will be ribbons and signs telling you where to turn right onto a dirt road. Follow the dirt road about a mile to camp. This is a single lane road and will be entrance only on Friday/Saturday am and exit only on Saturday pm/Sunday.
 

Permanently Retired - after 20 years, hard-working ride organizers Gina Hall and Connie Creech decided to retire the Washoe Valley endurance ride permanently. We thank them for the many years of excellent events.

Whilst we're sorry to see the ride go - it was definitely a favorite - the permit for the trails and ride camp has been handed over to NASTR for the NV Derby Ride held annually the first weekend in April, and Washoe Lake State Park will be that ride's permanent new home.