Carson Valley
Carson Valley Nevada, is a bucolic rural community south of the state capital of Carson City. The charming towns that make up Carson Valley include Genoa, Minden, and Gardnerville, while state-straddling Topaz Lake is a short drive south. Carson Valley offers plenty to fill a visitor's weekend, and makes a great basecamp for outdoor adventures, both around the valley and just up the hill in Lake Tahoe.
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Land of Legends
Where History Lives and Adventure Beckons
Las Vegas may be Nevada’s largest and most well-known city, but the roots of the state of Nevada as we know it today were planted in scenic Carson Valley, located just south of the state capital of Carson City and just over the Sierra Nevada from world-famous Lake Tahoe. The spirit of adventure has always been at the heart of Carson Valley. From early Mormon pioneers who trekked across the Great Salt Lake Basin to found Mormon Station, the first settlement in Nevada, to famed mountain men and frontiersmen such as Kit Carson (the valley and state capital’s namesake) and John “Snowshoe” Thompson, the rugged beauty of Carson Valley still calls out to present-day adventurers and explorers.
Today, the charming Carson Valley Nevada brims with Silver State history, amazing locally sourced eats, some of Nevada’s best antique shopping, and tons of adrenaline-pumping activities, outdoor action, and sunset soaks—around the valley, at nearby Lake Tahoe, and on Topaz Lake just to the south.
Region
Northwest
Carson Valley History
Carson Valley is the birthplace of the state of Nevada. John Reese, a Mormon living in Salt Lake City, established the first settlement in Nevada in the spring of 1851 at Mormon Station near the Carson River and the eastern flanks of the Sierra Nevada—now a state historic site you can tour today. The town was renamed Genoa in 1856 and became part of Douglas County 1861, three years before Nevada became a U.S. state.
Early Carson Valley settlers Lawrence Gilman and Rufus Adams constructed a courthouse in Genoa in 1865 that is now a fascinating museum full of area artifacts. Carson Valley saw its first real growth when Gilman founded the town of Gardnerville in 1879. H.F. Dangberg established the town of Minden in 1905, and the two towns have essentially become one, though they retain their distinct identities.
Fed by the Carson River, the fertile Carson Valley became the agricultural breadbasket for the region. The newly established town of Gardnerville was a crucial feed and resupply stop for countless miners headed to the Bodie Mining District in eastern Mono County and the Comstock Lode in Virginia City. The town of Minden, founded in 1905 by German immigrant Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg, was among the state’s first fully mapped and planned communities. Minden was named after Dangberg’s hometown in Germany.
Visitors often stop into Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville, as well as at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, to dive deeper into the rich history of this region—and the state itself
Things To Do in Carson Valley
As quaint and charming as this region truly is, things elevate from mild to wild fast—and we mean literally. Thrill seekers can get a bird’s-eye view of Carson Valley and beautiful Lake Tahoe by taking a peacefully silent glider ride with Soaring NV. If that doesn’t provide enough adrenaline to stoke your inner fires, try taking a tandem jump from 12,000 feet with Skydive Lake Tahoe. For a more serene and lower-altitude aerial experience, hop in a gondola and float above Carson Valley with Balloon Nevada.
Visitors seeking mellower experiences can walk the stunning nature trails at River Fork Ranch, or get a map and set out to find local treasures on the Art & Antiques Trail. And at the end of a long day, slake your hard-won thirst with a cold beverage at the historic Genoa Bar & Saloon, Genoa Station Bar & Grille, or at a watering hole in Minden or Gardnerville.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Outdoor action abounds with mountain biking trails galore, hiking at Jobs, Jobs Sister, and Freel peaks (each one rising above 10,000 feet), and world-class skiing just up Kingsbury Grade at Lake Tahoe’s famous Heavenly Mountain Resort. Water sports include boating and fishing at Topaz Lake, as well as legendary fly fishing on the East Fork of the Carson River or the famed East Walker River. (Be sure to stock up on gear and tackle at Angler’s Edge fishing store before heading out.) And yet again, Lake Tahoe is just a half hour west.
Carson Valley Restaurants
In 1851, the Mormon traders who built Genoa—Nevada’s first permanent pioneer settlement—probably never guessed that, nearly 170 years later, a major reason locals and tourists flock here is to visit “Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor”—1853-built Genoa Bar & Saloon, where half the fun is the 19th-century decor and literal history you can “drink in”. Or chow down on panini and other deli delights from the Genoa Country Store across the street
Just up US-395, Minden Meat & Deli serves up tri-tip sandwiches, homemade potato salad, and 31 local and nationally acclaimed beers.
Gardnerville’s most famous (and most belly-filling) joint is the J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room, offering hearty Basque delicacies like huge steaks and oxtail soup—not to mention a mean Picon Punch—in a building that moved here from Virginia City in the 19th century. The Overland Restaurant & Pub also pays homage to the region’s Basque heritage, albeit with a modern, farm-to-fork flair. Caf-fiends rejoice at DST Coffee, while sweet-tooths go nuts at the Chocolate Shoppe. And for a personally recommended bottle of vino, fine spirits, or carefully selected beer, pop into sommelier-owned-and-run Battle Born Wine—one of the most exquisite bottle shops in the Silver State.
If you’re cruising south to fish or boat around Topaz Lake, stop at Holbrook Junction, a blip on the map home to one of our favorite Sagebrush Saloons, Iggy & Squiggy’s Junction Bar, where burgers, humongous steak sandwiches, and Fish Taco Friday pair perfectly with a “Nevada Martini”—basically, an ice-cold American “lager” served with your choice of several varieties of stuffed olives (don’t underestimate those habañeros).
Carson Valley Hotels
Follow in Mark Twain’s wet footprints and spoil yourself with an overnight stay and soak in the mineral-rich natural hot springs at David Walley’s Resort in Genoa, which also houses a schmancy restaurant. The historic White House Inn, also in Genoa, is a beautiful and popular bed-and-breakfast and wedding venue.
Back along Highway 395, visitors to Carson Valley can overnight at several properties, including the local-loved Carson Valley Inn (and Carson Valley RV resort), the modern comfort-packed Quality Inn and Holiday Inn Express–Minden (all in Minden), and Gardnerville’s charming Historian Inn.
Carson Valley Events
Time your Carson Valley visit right and join the party at events honoring the region’s past and present. The region’s agrarian spirit and heritage is the name of the game at June’s 1910-established Carson Valley Days, when Gardnerville turns out for music, parades, old-fashioned contests, and more. As well as in Genoa during April’s Genoa Western Heritage Days, a celebration of cowboy poetry and music, and September’s century-plus-running Genoa Candy Dance, one of the West’s biggest and best craft fairs with more than 300+ vendor booths.
Celebrate Carson Valley forefathers at Minden’s Dangberg Summer Festival at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, a June-through-September series of events honoring local history with live music, chautauqua reenactors, literary and historical presenters, and more.
You can also wing it at Eagles & Agriculture, a winter event celebrating the region’s bald eagles and other birds of prey with birdwatching tours and evening locally sourced food feasts.
#TravelNevada
Whether you’re tackling trails, spotting bald eagle tails, or Basque-ing in Picon Punch cocktails, tag your shots #TravelNevada so we can follow—and maybe even share—your Carson Valley adventure.
