Nearly 2,000 acres of Peavine Peak would be set aside for hikers, mountain bikers and non-motorized activities under a new proposal by the U.S. Forest Service.

Supporters, including some who love to zip along Peavine’s trails by Jeep or motorcycle, said creation of a nonmotorized enclave at Keystone Canyon is a logical step in managing increasingly busy recreational activity on Reno’s backyard mountain.

Hikers and bikers couldn’t be more pleased.

“Keystone could be a huge asset,” said Dan Brown, owner of Reno’s Bicycle Bananas. “We have to look at a balance of uses.”

Designation of 1,950 acres for nonmotorized recreation would be one important component of an overall management strategy for 42,000 acres of federal and private land on Peavine Peak that the Forest Service, Reno and Washoe County released last year.

Keystone Canyon was selected in part due to its proximity to Rancho San Rafael park and because off-highway vehicle users voiced no major objections to losing the area for their sport, said Dave Loomis, a Forest Service planner.

“Keystone Canyon is a great place to hike and mountain bike,” Loomis said. “We think it’s going to be very popular.”

Carl Adams, a Reno resident fighting to protect access to public land for off-highway vehicles, agreed that the Keystone proposal offers a logical way to separate recreational activities that can conflict.

“It’s always disappointing to see places close, but we don’t have a big problem with it,” Adams said.

A parking area at the Keystone “portal” would be available for people pursuing both motorized and non-motorized activities. Hikers and bikers could use the restricted canyon area while off-highway vehicle users would use a new access road and travel farther up Peavine’s slopes to play.

Once construction of the Keystone trailhead is completed, access to the mountain from a residential area at nearby Kings Row would be restricted to non-motorized activity only.

That should lessen complaints from homeowners about Jeeps and motorcycles now entering Peavine from that point, Adams said.

Brown of Bicycle Bananas said Keystone drainage is ideal for hiking and biking and that Peavine offers plenty of other land for people to ride motorcycles or bounce around on Jeeps and all-terrain vehicles.

Conflicts between different types of recreation are increasing at Peavine and elsewhere across the region, Brown said.

“The biggest thing we have to start contending with is what used to be OK when the population was smaller is not OK anymore,” Brown said.

“It’s probably a very wise move,” agreed Reno resident Louise Kehmeier, who enjoys both hiking and mountain biking.

“There’s too much use at too many different speeds,” Kehmeier said of activity on Peavine.

Take away motorized sports and that can still be a problem, Kehmeier said.

“I think that canyon is getting so popular with hikers and mountain bikers there’s starting to be a conflict between those users,” Kehmeier said.