First up, a quick geography lesson. If you don’t know Western Nevada, pay attention. Lake Tahoe straddles the border between Nevada and California. Just north is Reno, which sits in the otherworldly Carson Valley. And if you head north just 45 minutes from there you get to Pyramid Lake and some of the best fishing in the West. Still farther north is the Black Rock Desert, home of Burning Man. All of these spots are connected via a road trip route known as the Burner Byway.
The irony of this dry desert terrain is that it’s home to some of the most spectacular water you’ll find anywhere. From the Truckee River, which flows from Pyramid Lake right through downtown Reno, to Lake Tahoe, to the hot springs of the Black Rock Playa, this part of Nevada will blow you away.