Over the years, the city of Reno, Nevada, has gone by many names. It is most commonly known as the Biggest Little City in the World, and it was once considered the “divorce capital” of the United States. Contrary to popular belief, however, Reno is not a mini Las Vegas. Sure, there are a handful of casinos downtown and slot machines in the airport (some gas stations and grocery stores, too), but the similarities basically end there. Reno is a vibrant and growing community that’s rich with art, music, food, natural beauty, and a distinct culture all its own.
Given its close proximity to Lake Tahoe, Reno is also known by many as the gateway to one of North America’s greatest outdoor playgrounds, which it undoubtedly is. But because it is overshadowed by its neighbor just a short distance to the southwest, many people don’t realize that the Biggest Little City is itself a hub of outdoor activity. At the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the edge of the Great Basin, and with a river running right through it, Reno has lots to offer outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.
A Mountain Bike Reno-ssance
Thanks to local organizations and quality trail building, the Reno mountain bike scene just keeps getting better. Recently, there’s been a bit of a trailbuilding renaissance, and Reno has really started coming into its own. Yes, there has been good riding in Reno for many years, but lately there’s been significant momentum and progress with new trail construction and improvements to our existing trail networks. So much so that I called it out in my 2025 Editor’s Choice article a few months back. I was particularly stoked on a new trail that went in last year on Peavine Mountain. The Biggest Little Trail Stewardship has been doing great work, and there’s plenty more lined up for the coming years.
But that’s just a small part of the story. On the other side of town, the Sky Tavern non-profit has been hard at work, helping strengthen the local mountain bike community through skills clinics, events, grassroots racing, and a place for mountain bikers, families, and friends to gather, anchored by an excellent network of trails. In terms of trail building, the Sky Tavern Bike Park has had a somewhat meteoric trajectory, growing into a relatively well-developed bike park in just five years.
Trading Sales for Smiles
I recently sat down with Rick Reed, Sky Tavern’s director of marketing and head of bike park operations, to learn more about the non-profit, the trails, and what’s in store for this season. Reed is a cycling industry veteran who spent over a decade working in mountain bike footwear. After working for Five Ten in SoCal for several years, he relocated to the Reno area, where, in 2018, he was part of the team that launched Ride Concepts shoes. Reed’s still involved a bit in cycling media and does some contract work for a few brands, but after a decade of products, sales, and marketing, he was looking to do something a bit more impactful with his time.
Ultimately, Reed’s trajectory in the bike industry landed him at the Sky Tavern non-profit in 2023, where he has been running the bike park ever since. After burning out on the consumerism of the industry, he said it’s very refreshing that Sky Tavern’s product isn’t a physical product, per se, but it’s providing an experience. Success is no longer based on sales. Instead, it’s based on smiles. It’s about getting people on bikes and in the outdoors. It’s about removing barriers to entry, making the sport more accessible, helping riders build skills and progress, and growing the local mountain bike community. Oh, and building some ripping mountain bike trails, too.
Sky Tavern is a small ski area — roughly 750 vertical feet — situated on the Mt. Rose Hwy, just a few miles southwest of Reno. It’s about midway between Incline Village at Lake Tahoe and Reno. The City of Reno actually owns the property but leases it long-term to the Sky Tavern non-profit, which maintains the facilities, operates the ski area in the winter, the bike park in the summer, and runs year-round recreation programs with the goal of getting more people outside. It’s a small, family-friendly ski area with an old-school, low-key vibe, making it a great spot for kids and families to learn and progress compared to some of the larger, more expensive resorts in the Tahoe area. When the snow melts and the trails open up, the bike park operates all summer.
If You Build It
Sky Tavern’s trail system started gaining momentum in 2021, a couple of years before Reed was involved. Steve Wentz, the owner of Momentum Trail Concepts — and arguably the best trail builder in the area — began working with the Sky Tavern non-profit. With support from the High Fives Foundation, Steve built the High Fives Trail, a 1.4-mile-long, purpose-built adaptive flow trail that’s fun for riders of all ability levels. In 2022, trail construction continued, with the intermediate/advanced Rick Sutherland Memorial Trail generating more community excitement with its combination of flow, tech, and progressive features.
In 2023, Reed got involved through his connection with trail builder Steve Wentz, who introduced him to Yale Spina, a mountain biker and the Board Chairman of the Sky Tavern non-profit. At that time, Sky Tavern had the aforementioned trails built, but there was really no formalized vision or a holistic plan for the bike park. At the same time, Sky Tavern’s new 50-year lease stipulated that the non-profit needed to run outdoor programs year-round. Recognizing the opportunity to develop Sky Tavern into a bike park and the potential to create something great to benefit the community, Reed signed on to help make it happen.
Due to the fact that the Sky Tavern property is city-owned and outside the Lake Tahoe basin, they’ve enjoyed quite a bit of freedom to build. Since 2021, they’ve developed roughly 10 miles of trails, an impressive feat in just 5 years. With expert, sustainable trail construction by Wentz and Momentum Trail Concepts, Sky Tavern’s trail system has something for riders of all abilities, with progression as the focus. Little ones can develop skills on the strider track, pump track, and youth progression zone. There are adaptive-friendly options, and as skills progress, there are numerous descents ranging from mild to properly wild.
While Sky’s trail network is already quite extensive, there are two main projects on tap for this season, including a bridge on the Friend Zone beginner/intermediate trail that will “fly over” the recently completed Toaster Boy advanced trail. For kids, families, and beginners, there are also plans to add a strider/intro-level pump track near the base to expand the learning areas.
Trails don’t maintain themselves, of course, so Wentz and Momentum Trail Concepts’ sustainable trail-building techniques have been particularly important at Sky Tavern. With coarse decomposing granite soil and lots of granite boulders, it’s a tricky place to build trails, but Wentz has shown that when done right, they can stand up well to heavy use. And with trail construction funded by donations and maintenance performed by volunteers, Wentz’s do-it-right-the-first-time approach has been beneficial for keeping costs and volunteer hours to a minimum.
A Place to Learn
But beyond just having a fun, well-built, and progressive trail network, Reed says that one of his and the non-profit’s main goals is working toward making the sport more accessible, inclusive, and less intimidating for those just starting out or trying to improve. One of the ways they’ve been doing this is with their Riders in the Sky skills clinics, led by professional, certified mountain bike coaches. These reasonably priced single-day ($55) and multi-day (~$165) clinics include learn-to-ride programs and progression series for kids, teens, adults, and women. The popular Women’s Camp Weekend returns for 2026, and this year, a new Teen Gravity Camp is being offered for aspiring racers.
And while Sky Tavern’s bike programs and clinics are already pretty affordable, Reed says that the goal is to eventually have a scholarship program for those who may need financial assistance. If you’ve ever taken a mountain bike clinic, then you probably already know that just a little coaching can go a very long way, especially when you’re just starting out. But with gear often being a barrier to entry, the hope is also to establish some industry partnerships and acquire a fleet of proper mountain bikes for people to ride as they learn.
Shuttle or Pedal
New this season, Sky Tavern will be operating regular shuttles. Reed informed me that Sky Tavern has obtained a special-use permit from the Forest Service to run shuttles this year, as the drop-off point is on Forest Service land. Since the chairlifts don’t run in the summer, the trails have previously been accessed by pedaling up the climbing trail or service roads. This is a big step that will make it easier for participants to ride more during skills clinics and for members/pass holders to enjoy the trails even more. The shuttles will run 4 days a week during the summer, so riders can do laps on laps.
Given that Sky Tavern is a non-profit, all of its funds are raised through donations, events, and memberships. Thus, the shuttles are membership-based, with a season pass projected to cost $250 and single-month memberships at $100. Unfortunately, Reed told me that single-day shuttle passes will not be available this season, but should be in the coming years. But realistically, a couple of days of unlimited shuttles is easily worth $100, and the money goes back to the organization, the trails, and the community. And if you’re like me and you’d rather pedal than ride a shuttle (or maybe you have an eMTB), paying for the Integrity Pass keeps you honest and helps keep the non-profit and the trails running.
Bringing People Together
The Sky Tavern Bike Park’s operating season is bookended by two marquee events. The MAYDAY Festival is on May 30th and is the official opening day for the bike park. Later in the year, the season wraps up on October 3rd with the Party in the Sky. These events are not only a great way to bring the mountain bike community together over a shared love of riding, but they’re also important for Sky Tavern’s fundraising efforts. Again, the Sky Tavern non-profit is funded through donations and fundraising, and it puts all of it back into summer and winter operations and toward keeping its prices as low as possible.
And in between the season-opening and closing parties, Sky Tavern brings the riding community together with some good old-fashioned racing. Sky Tavern hosts two of Reno’s popular Grassroots Racing Golden Hour Series Thursday night races this summer. Additionally, the One for All Enduro returns to Sky Tavern in late August, with two days of enduro racing, and all proceeds going back to the non-profit.
Plan a Visit
The Sky Tavern Bike Park is a great addition to the already extensive mountain biking opportunities in Reno and the greater Lake Tahoe area. It’s a worthwhile destination on its own and is centrally located for easy access from the Big Lake or the Biggest Little City. If you’re in the Reno or Tahoe area or are planning to visit this summer, do yourself a favor and check out Sky Tavern.
The Bike Park officially opens for the season with the MAYDAY Festival on May 30th. From late May to October, the trails are open and accessible to the public for riding during daylight hours, unless they are explicitly closed due to maintenance, conditions, weather, or an event. Shuttles are membership-based, and riders are encouraged to support the non-profit’s mission to provide outdoor recreation for all through donations.
Click the link below to learn more about the Sky Tavern non-profit and Bike Park, or to make a donation. Be sure to check out this season’s schedule of events, races, and clinics. Clinic registration will be open soon, and shuttle memberships go on sale next week.
If you’ve got a few minutes, check out the short videos below for a taste of what’s going on and what some of the trails are like at Sky Tavern.
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