Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

Family Fall Getaway to Reno Tahoe

Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

Color-Fall Trail Mix

The desert-to-mountain landscape in Reno Tahoe naturally shows off autumn in its best light, with golden tones bathing the terrain from the low-hammocked sun. Whether you are mountain biking amid the shrublands of Keystone Canyon or hiking up to a high point at Tom Cooke Trail, watching autumn’s glow across Reno’s skyline and the surrounding Sierra is sublime.

Thanks to good green planning, Reno Tahoe is golden for fall colors at its numerous local parks. Located right along the Truckee River, Mayberry Park has a paved path that’s ideal for a casual stroll or roll. Rancho San Rafael Regional Park—famous for hosting the Great Reno Balloon Race—is a haven of vibrant fall foliage thanks to its abundant trees (bonus: within the park is the Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Garden).

If your wheelhouse is more epic Western backdrop—like wild horses in meadows and a brilliant trio of mountain ranges mirrored on a lake, head to Washoe Lake State Park. Located smack between Reno and Carson City, the park is a nice place to picnic or go for a waterside stroll.

Just walking downtown in Reno will be an eye-max of amber and maple hues as you stroll one of “America’s Top 10 Riverwalks.” The Reno Riverwalk District not only follows alongside the Truckee River, it passes through enclaves of art, live music, murals, sculptures, shopping spots, and dining stops. Take a seat at one of the many patio restaurants and soak in the sun while watching kayakers paddle by.

FIND RENO TAHOE’S BEST FALL COLORS

Fall for Festivities + Halloween Themed Fun

Pair corn mazes and u-pick pumpkin patches for a most memorable farmily day. Many farms in the Reno Tahoe area go all out in autumn, with festivities ranging from pick-it-yourself sunflowers and Zombie Paintball to hayrides and farm animal feedings. Andelin Family Farms, Ferrari Farms, and Lattin Farms are just a few of the places to check out.

Wolves, cheetahs, foxes, and other furry friends also get in on Halloween treats thanks to Animal Ark. The nonprofit hosts its Harvest Festival, where everyone can watch the animals indulge in pumpkins filled with their favorite snacks.

For those who really get into the Halloween spirit (or spirits), nearby Virginia City has 13 haunted spots to check out…ghost there if you dare!

RENO TAHOE’S HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES AND FUN FALL EVENTS

Reno For All

Trade the screen-time for some sunshine. Head to Sand Harbor on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe. Some of you might want to go for a short walk along the adjacent, car-free East Shore Trail. Others might want to take a seat on one of the boulders and watch loved ones stand-up paddle or kayak in the turquoise coves of Lake Tahoe.

Tranquil spaces like Oxbow Nature Center are stroller friendly and easygoing, with a large deck overlooking the Truckee River. TIP: Oxbow is located at the end of Dickerson Road, an artist enclave featuring pottery, plants, and all sorts of Reno-esque provisions.

Reno Tahoe’s casino resorts bring more than bling and jackpots. Kid-friendly play-zones like Grand Sierra Resort’s Fun Quest have bumper cars, arcade games, and laser tag. Resort pools offer swim and splash fun, and cabanas for kicking back to read, nap, relax. Everyone can warm up and trade stories around relaxing fire pits, plus order dinner and drinks.

TIP: Check out Reno Tahoe’s guide to family-friendly eating and drinking.

RENO TAHOE’S 12 BEST PLACES FOR A MULTIGENERATIONAL TRIP

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

    View
  2. Keough's Hot Springs

    Soaking Up History

    When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.

    View
  3. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    Buck Wild!

    Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.

    View
  4. Grover Hot Springs

    State Park Soaker

    Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

    View
  2. Hot, Wet, and Wild!

    At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, you can soak up a primeval landscape that’s amazingly close to Mammoth Lakes and Highway 395—it just feels a few geological epochs away.

    View
  3. Redding Ironman Whiskeytown lake
    Sponsored

    New Year, New Goal: IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California

    2026 is off and running! And swimming. And biking. Don't get left behind! Commit to one of the upcoming year’s most exciting endurance events—IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California in Redding.

    View
  4. Hikers sitting on a large rock slab next to Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest Southern California near Julian

    Three Sisters

    Good things come in threes at this hike to a lovely trio-tiered waterfall in Cleveland National Forest. The 4.25-mile out-and-back hike rambles among rolling hills, with rocky mountain views as switchbacks take you down to a lush canyon and the falls.

    View