Reno’s Hidden Gem: Rancho San Rafael Regional Park

Spring is officially here, and as the weather is warming up in Reno, you may be thinking about getting fresh air and doing some outdoor activities with your family. Rancho San Rafael Regional Park is one of Northern Nevada’s largest and most diverse parks. Located just a few blocks north from downtown Reno, this park is home to hundreds of feet of grass fields, wetlands, playgrounds, picnic areas, gardens, trails and a museum. Here are some ways you can spend your day at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.

Have a Picnic

With multiple pavilions for picnicking, individual barbeque areas, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, three playgrounds and restroom facilities, Rancho San Rafael is a perfect place to have a picnic with your family. Whether you want to play on acres of grass fields, keep active on their biking trails, or take a walk on their trials over ponds and creeks, there is an activity for everybody at the park.

#RanchoSanRafaelPark #dinosaurs #lanclansummerfun2015 #playdate

A photo posted by Sonya Lan (@sonyalan) on Jul 15, 2015 at 1:24pm PDT

Bring Your Dogs to the Dog Park

The dog park is officially open again! Bring your pups to the northern side of the park where they can run and roll around in a large field designated just for them. With over 20 acres of reserved space for four-legged friends, the Rancho San Rafael dog park has become the hub for dog owners to meet other dog lovers and play-dates for their pets.

First Day back at the Doggie Park with Beary Boo! #bernesemountaindog #ranchosanrafaelpark #springishere

A photo posted by hertzam (@hertzam) on Mar 19, 2016 at 5:32pm PDT

Washoe County finally reopened the off-leash dog pasture this weekend after ten months. Bodhi’s quality of life improving drastically faster than mine with this small development. #Reno #beagleindex

A photo posted by Julia Loren Ritchey (@handturkey) on Mar 19, 2016 at 4:04pm PDT

Wilbur D. May Museum

Travel the world without leaving Reno at the Wilbur D. May Museum. This museum is home to a private collection of Wilbur D. May’s rare and exotic artifacts accumulated over a lifetime of world travel. Check out May’s collection of Egyptian tomb items, African tribal masks, Polynesian carvings and much more. The Wilbur D. May museum also hosts traveling exhibitions and special programs and events all year-round. For more information on their current exhibition, “Sssnakes Alive” , visit the Wilbur D. May Center website.

The snakes are here!! Meet Nemesis, a 14ft albino Burmese Python along with many other amazing live snakes! #python #snakes

A photo posted by Wilbur D. May Center (@renomaycenter) on Jan 9, 2016 at 2:03pm PST

Take a Walk Through the Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Garden

Take a walk through a 13-acre arboretum and botanical garden, and discover the unique variety of plants, flowers and trees that are gardened in a high desert environment. Located in the transitional zone between the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Desert, the garden is free to the public and is open during normal park hours.