INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Parts of the Mount Rose Trailhead, off Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada State Route 431) between Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nevada, will be closed at different times this summer to finish improvements to the Mount Rose Welcome Plaza and parking lot. The completion of this project has been long awaited and the public’s patience is much appreciated.  

The Mount Rose Welcome Plaza is currently closed to allow the contractor, Ironwood Commercial Builders Inc. from Concord California, to place a coating on the concrete walkways in and around the plaza to preserve them. The contractor will also be finishing up the repair work on the plaza’s roof that was damaged by an avalanche in the winter of 2016-2017 sometime in September once the contractor’s proposal has been finalized.

“We apologize for having to close the Mount Rose Welcome Plaza’s restrooms again after just getting them reopened,” said Carson Ranger District Recreation Management Specialist Chris Eddy. “Portable toilets have been installed at the trailhead, while the restrooms are closed.”   

According to Eddy, the trailhead will also be closed on Wednesday, July 24 to allow the parking lot to be striped. Signage will be posted at the trailhead to warn people of the planned closure. “We wanted to give overnight recreationists enough notice to know when their vehicles must be removed from the parking lot,” he added. Both the Mount Rose Welcome Plaza and parking lot will reopen on Thursday, July 25.

Anyone who plans to hike into the Mount Rose Wilderness while the trailhead parking lot is closed, can still park along the roadside. In addition, recreationist might consider entering the wilderness area from the Rose Knob Trail, Jones Creek/Whites Creek Loop, or Thomas Creek Loop. For more information on these trails visit the Friends of Nevada Wilderness at https://www.nevadawilderness.org/mount_rose_wilderness_trails.

Simultaneously, Ironwood Commercial Builders Inc. is working on the Tahoe Meadows Project installing new storage and restroom buildings and restriping the roads and parking lot. This project is expected to be completed by September.

“We are extremely excited to finishing these long-awaited projects this year,” said Carson District Ranger Matt Zumstein. “This would not have been possible without the funding from the Great American Outdoors Act that the Forest received to reduce deferred maintenance backlogs and enhance aging recreational infrastructure.”

Project updates can be found by visiting the Forest’s website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/htnf or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtToiyabeNF/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/HumboldtToiyabe) pages.