This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

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 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!

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.

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.

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).

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.)