There have always been plenty of reasons to like the Evans Canyon Trail on the southeastern corner of Peavine Peak.

The Evans Creek stream ecosystem is a rarity for the desert of Peavine. The views of the Reno skyline with Mount Rose in the background are some of the best in the Truckee Meadows. Motorized vehicles are prohibited in the canyon, although that doesn’t stop illegal forays.

Since the trail received a facelift from volunteer groups in the past year, there are now more reasons to enjoy the area.

“The trail they’ve built here is gorgeous,” said Jon Underwood, 39, of Fairbanks, Alaska. “It fits in with the landscape and is extremely well built.”

Whereas a web of trails and roads previously criss-crossed the creek bed, creating quagmires and damaging fragile stream environments, one trail now snakes above the stream zone. Travelers can still see the flowers, grasses, trees and wildlife that are rare for Peavine, but now the area is protected from the heavy canyon traffic.

Roads at the top of the canyon will be rehabilitated this year, said Dale Beesmer, one of the leaders of the Evans Canyon Trail project. Along the way, hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers will also see red, yellow and orange andesite outcroppings. These rocks turned colors after being bleached by geothermal waters, according to an interpretive sign in Rancho San Rafael Park.

These signs, part of a small park nature trail, tell of the history of Evans Canyon, which catastrophic Ice Age floods carved into Peavine. More recently, miners panned and dug for copper, silver, gold, lead and zinc in these hills. Filled-in mine shafts can still be seen along the trail and the shorter Miners Trail, so named because it was built on what is believed to be an old ore cart path.

A big loop

From the parking lot at Rancho San Rafael Park, head west toward the Basque Monument on the singletrack trail or the road. They both meet at the monument.

An access road travels behind the monument and down the creek. After crossing the creek, the road opens into a large intersection of roads and trails. Take the singletrack trail to the far right and head up the canyon.

To follow a large loop by the Evans Canyon Trail, take the canyon trail past two side trails on the left and then take the third left. Although the canyon trail continues straight past the third left as of press time, this part will be returned to nature this year, Beesmer said.

Instead, take the third left to access the new upper portion of the Evans Canyon Trail. After about 20 feet, the trail forks right and left. The left trail is called the Miners Trail; the Evans Canyon Trail continues on the right fork.

The route turns left at the end of the canyon, shortly after a pile of yellow drill tailings from the mining days. It then switchbacks up the ridge, through a small stand of Jeffrey and Ponderosa pine thriving on an area of acidic bedrock.

The trail climbs 0.5 mile to the U.S. Forest Service boundary. Visitors familiar with the trail before it was disrupted by the Parr Boulevard development may recognize the old route once they reach the boundary.

From here, the trail heads south through rocky outcroppings and then veers southwest. Where it forks at a road that heads straight, take a right and follow the singletrack.

About one hundred yards down, the trail meets some telephone and power lines and, at press time, a flipped over, bullet-hole-riddled car. The singletrack heads off to the northwest and the rest of Peavine.

To stay on the Evans Canyon loop, continue along a utility access road that travels parallel to the power lines.

The next two lefts both lead to a singletrack trail that heads down a side canyon and back to Rancho San Rafael Park.

From the power lines above, bikers will drop down an initial hill that flattens out for a moment.

The side path heads off to the left as soon as the terrain levels. Hikers and beginner mountain bikers will want to head to the right at this point, down another hill to the park.

A small loop

The Miners Trail stays inside Evans Canyon and loops back to the park, providing a shorter loop with pleasant views of the canyon below

To get there, head down Evans Canyon. The first trail on the left is the exit for a technical side trip called The Snake for mountain bikers. The second trail on the left, just 20 feet past the wooden footbridge, is the exit for the Miners Trail. The third trail on the left accesses to the Miners Trail. Take a left here. At the fork 20 feet down, take a left to walk on Miners Trail. It heads back down to the mouth of the canyon along the ridge and empties out near the wooden bridge on the Evans Canyon Trail.