03 Oxbow Nature Area and Dickerson Road art_02

This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

Visit the Oxbow Nature Study Area and Dickerson Road in Reno Tahoe

05.14.2025
A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike.

A woman walks the one-mile trail amid green trees at the Oxbow Nature Study Area in REno

A woman sits on the bench overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area

A modest one-mile trail here meanders among willows, cottonwoods, and grasslands, with riverside benches and a lovely overlook deck for a close-up of the Truckee. It's tempting to spend your entire time here just watching as ducks coast the fast flowing water (they’re pros, really). Mule deer and black-crowned night herons are common sightings too, along with—we’ll be damned—beaver!

A woman walks along a fallen tree log at Oxbow Nature Study Area

Oxbow isn’t showy, but it does show you how much beauty lies in the simple things, like bird-watching, and watching the sunbeams bounce off the river.

A duck on the water of the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Truckee

BONUS: After Oxbow, stop and visit the creative enclave of Dickerson Road. This vibrant hub of artisan shops has everything from ceramics and clothing, to succulents and cacti in almost every variety imaginable.

Two women working on pottery inside the Wedge Ceramic Studios along Reno's Dickerson Road

A man works some clay pottery at Wedge Ceramic Studios in Reno

Stroll and visit locally owned spaces and shops like The Wedge Ceramic Studios and Sierra Water Gardens, specializing in all variety of plants and florals, plus homeware and really cool clothes and gifts (their artisan coffee station, by Forged Coffee Co., is a renovated 1949 Scad-a-bout tear drop trailer).

Cacti garden variety on display at Reno's Sierra Water Gardens on Dickerson Road

Thrifters can’t miss the nearby shop, The Nest (201 Keystone Avenue, close to Dickerson), where vintage, boho, and granny chic merge for some good browsing and buying. (We liked the vintage typewriter.)

A woman types on a vintage typewriter at The Nest, a vintage store in Reno

A woman checks out an orange vintage dress in the store The Nest in Reno

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View

  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View

  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View