This ride was originally inspired by Bike Your Park Day promoted by the Adventure Cycling Association. As a result this was my third trip into the area completing the 15 miles of gravel road on Fort Churchill Rd along the Carson River. For this ride I invited Raymond Eliot, of our Smoke Creek Desert adventures among others, and drove to the start of the dirt road in Dayton.

We made our first stop at buttes that loom over the road. The photos do not do them justice but even more captivating was the blue sky backdrop. At first I thought It was an effect of my sunglasses but these photos were shot without any enhancement from my cell phone. Unfortunately the fall colors have finally passed but my last ride in this area boasts the colors of the Carson River corridor.

There are many reasons to ride a route, from no reason just curiosity, to arriving at particular destination, to overcoming challenging terrain, and for this ride I chose it to explore the pioneer history of Nevada. This route follows a section of both the Pony Express Route and the Emigrant Trail Route. Unfortunately I did not photograph the Emigrant Trail marker. The State Historic Park is a fantastic bikeable destination.

I was surprised by the number of ruins still standing at this site. The popular pictures of the fort do not do the park justice. Ray and I biked the Ruins Loop had a quick bite at the museum. I will definitely return to check out the Buckland Loop, Railroad, Joseph Stewart, and Nature Trails.

Use your imagination

Bike friendly trails

Fascinating Geology

I always enjoy the efforts the parks go to to create interpretive trails. Fort Churchill was no exception.

Stunning Landscapes

The fort’s adobe walls do a great job at blending into the sagebrush background. It would be fun to visit the ruins at sunrise and sunset to capture them unique light. My next planned visit will be to explore the Churchill Narrows, a canyon used by the railroad to the south of the Park. Our bike route is here.