Ward Creek State Park

May 29, 2016 by Tim Hauserman

As the snow melts, Tahoe folks start to think about taking a walk on the dirt, but many of the higher trails will remain covered in snow for awhile yet. Ward Creek State Park, on the other hand, has an easily accessible trail just off Highway 89 that this time of year will give you a pleasant walk past the still roaring Ward Creek, to a meadow bursting with wildflowers.

Ward Creek State Park is located about three miles south of Tahoe City just off Highway 89. Until a few years ago it was an undeveloped piece of state land sandwiched between the neighborhoods of Timberland and Pineland, with a rugged trail that traversed the property on it’s way to the Stanford Rock trail. Then the thick woods were thinned to reduce fire danger and a well designed network of trails was built shortly after. There is less then two miles of trail in the park, but if you have an hour to stretch your legs, it’s a beautiful bit of woods with some impressively large Jeffrey pine trees.

The easiest access to the trails is at Kilner Park, just off Highway 89 on Ward Avenue. From the Kilner parking lot, walk along the bike trail south to the bridge crossing of Ward Creek. Just a bit past the bridge, the park trail goes off to the right and enters the park. Take a gander at the trail map, then continue on paralleling Ward Creek. To access the creek itself you can take a short side trail to a set of stairs down to the water.

Soon you reach a junction. From here a right turn climbs gently uphill until, meeting the old Stanford Rock trail above Ward Creek. This steep and challenging four mile long trail is popular with mountain bikers seeking a challenge and eventually ends at it’s namesake Stanford Rock, where glorious views of the Pacific Crest and Twin Peaks are found.

A left turn at that first junction takes you to two options, either you can wind back to the bike trail, about a half mile further south then where you entered the park, or you can head to a boardwalk trail that encircles the lush meadow area, which is home to frogs in the spring, wildflowers in the summer and the colors of fall in the autumn.