Carson City and Henderson-Top Retirement Cities? (Reno, Gardnerville: real estate, 2015, movers)

[ChrisMT]

I knew Carson City made top 5 for best places to retire in 2015: Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site , but I also found it listed as a Top 100 retirement destination in this publication: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-100-...SIN=0978607740 published in 2018.

Henderson was also listed in the top 100.

I have lived in Carson City my entire life and know it's a great place to live with a high quality of life, but am curious what other's views are on Carson City and Henderson!

[Mikala43]

I really like Carson City, and that area was our choice for retirement after visiting AZ and WA.

We are less than an hour out from Carson, and we sent that far to get acreage and more home for our dollar.

[ChrisMT]

That is good to know, Mikala!

You are in Smith Valley now right?

I worked on dude ranches in Smith Valley for years every summer and loved it out there!

You will probably be doing your shopping in the Minden area now?

I love Minden, too!

[ChrisMT]

Here is more information on visiting Carson City if your scouting it out for possible relocation:

https://visitcarsoncity.com/

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by ChrisMT

That is good to know, Mikala!

You are in Smith Valley now right?

I worked on dude ranches in Smith Valley for years every summer and loved it out there!

You will probably be doing your shopping in the Minden area now?

I love Minden, too!

We've been shopping in Carson and Minden/Gardnerville, depending on what is needed.

[ChrisMT]

I love Carson City because there is so much to do here and it's a great little town with friendly residents and great leadership. I really love all the open space, hiking and biking trails and all of the water. We have the Carson River in town with trails all along it and Washoe Lake right over the hill with a great beach with miles of sand. There are streams coming down from the Sierra Mountains and trails up the canyons along them. There is lots of stores including a Costco and Reno is close enough for anything we don't have. The city is run very law and order. The views here are amazing and there is alot of real estate in different types of locales, some in the mountains, others by the river, cute neighborhoods with good schools and a revitalizing downtown full of shops and hip bars. Carson is so dog friendly that I hesitate to ever move somewhere that isn't so relaxed like it is here....so many trails are leash optional, dog parks...it's just great for outdoorsy types like me. Oh and Lake Tahoe is right up the mountain on one side and Virginia City on the other!

However, when I retire I might move somewhere more rural, but nearby and I will be checking out Smith Valley again soon. I have not been out there since I rounded up cattle on the dude ranches in the 80's! Maybe you can start a Smith Valley thread and let us know what kind of trails or water locations there are or camping spots? How you are liking it out there?

[Mikala43]

So far husband has been up the M Trail on a side-by-side, and we've taken a hike at the base of the Pine Nut Mountains. We've only been in our house about 2 weeks, and we are waiting on the movers to bring out stuff.

From what I've been told there are a lot trails throughout this whole area. Topaz Lake is about 10 mins away, but it is not pretty, all rocky hills surrounding it. I think Yosemite is close-ish. There are abandoned mines in the area and stuff to go explore (safely).

I don't know much.

[ChrisMT]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

So far husband has been up the M Trail on a side-by-side, and we've taken a hike at the base of the Pine Nut Mountains. We've only been in our house about 2 weeks, and we are waiting on the movers to bring out stuff.

From what I've been told there are a lot trails throughout this whole area. Topaz Lake is about 10 mins away, but it is not pretty, all rocky hills surrounding it. I think Yosemite is close-ish. There are abandoned mines in the area and stuff to go explore (safely).

I don't know much.

All of the surrounding BLM open spaces are one of the very best things about Nevada!

So much to explore and enjoy and the BLM is great about ease of access and lack of over-regulation.

Carson City also has National Forest in the Sierra up to Tahoe so you can enjoy mountain skiing or mountain biking and sit by a desert lake or river in the sun the same day. There's so much nature to enjoy here!

Have fun exploring! I plan on doing some more activities in your area soon. We camp and enjoy water sports at Topaz in the summer. I am going to look for some off the grid camping around there soon.

Have you seen much wildlife? My neighborhood in Carson City is overrun with critters and I enjoy watching them so much.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by ChrisMT

All of the surrounding BLM open spaces are one of the very best things about Nevada!

So much to explore and enjoy and the BLM is great about ease of access and lack of over-regulation.

Carson City also has National Forest in the Sierra up to Tahoe so you can enjoy mountain skiing or mountain biking and sit by a desert lake or river in the sun the same day. There's so much nature to enjoy here!

Have fun exploring! I plan on doing some more activities in your area soon. We camp and enjoy water sports at Topaz in the summer. I am going to look for some off the grid camping around there soon.

Have you seen much wildlife? My neighborhood in Carson City is overrun with critters and I enjoy watching them so much.

A herd of deer (about 20), TONS of jack rabbits and cotton tail, golden eagles, falcons, quail, finches, blue birds, and heard coyotes at night. You can't let small dogs or cats roam, the birds take them.

[ChrisMT]

In my neighborhood the coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions can definitely be a threat to pets. I gave up on small dogs and cats and now have two large dogs, but I still will not leave them outside in the dark. I back up to BLM and have had large predators on my property and even in my garage!

Deer everywhere, mustang herd on occasion in my front yard and lots of owls, eagles and hawks, they are here for the bunnies and rabbits and mice.

I have not really ever thought that the big birds of prey were much of a threat to most pets, I knew the coyotes and bobcat will get any outside cats or small dogs. But then my sister was in her backyard and watched a mama hawk come down and attack her cat. The hawk may have been protecting her nest, I have seen a great-horned owl attack my husky when he got too close to her nest.

I do love the wildlife very much and Carson City is considered a top wildlife sanctuary city, but you do have to adapt if you are near the open spaces and be careful with your pets.