4740 Parkway Dr, Reno, NV 89502

Hidden Valley Regional Park

Park Description:

Hidden Valley Regional Park is a 480-acre Washoe County park with restrooms. 65 acres of this park are developed, with the rest featuring native high desert terrain and wildlife.

Park Amenities:

Playground, tennis court, volleyball court, pickleball courts, hiking trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, dog park, horse arena, picnic areas, horseshoe area, and barbeque area.

Park Contact Information:

Washoe County Parks and Open Space (775) 828-6612

Park Highlights

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Park History

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Hidden Valley Regional Park

Since it opened in 1969, Hidden Valley Regional Park has been offering visitors plenty of ways for the entire family to recreate. Built on 480-acres deeded to Washoe County from the Bureau of Land Management, the park was envisioned to be “comparable to any in California or anywhere else in the United States” and it certainly has lived up to those expectations.

Over the following decades, many additions and improvements were made to the park. A 40-acre grant from the BLM gave the park picnic sites, riding and hiking trails, and a small pond on the Boynton Slough with trees and grassy areas. In 1978, the county announced that it would develop ten acres with tennis courts, jogging paths, and picnic areas. Public input was solicited in 1990 for a group picnic area and horse arena. New playground equipment, lawn and picnic shelter were added in 2007. The following year, local philanthropist Link Piazzo donated a dog park. Benches shaded by trees were also included.

Image:
Photo from the bluffs to the east of Hidden Valley Regional Park with the Carson Range in the distance and the park in the lower right. Source: Jill Richardson

Veterens Parkway

When Hidden Valley Park was initially built, the neighborhood in that area was very new and not as developed as it is today. The Hidden Valley Country Club was built on the 900-acre F. V. Birbeck Ranch by four business executives, including Link Piazzo, in the late 1950s. Then in 1960, the land around the Hidden Valley Country Club was sold for development into a subdivision.

At one point in the early 2000s, the park was in jeopardy when city leaders proposed to build a highway right through the park. The southeast connector highway from Sparks to Geiger Grade had several proposed routes, and bisecting the park was a contender. Fortunately, another route was chosen for Veterans Parkway.

Image:
Work begins on the Veterans Parkway in 2013. Source: RTC Washoe’s website.

Link Piazzo

Born in 1918, Lincoln “Link” Piazzo grew up in Reno. Link served in WWII as a B-25 pilot for the Army Air Corps and completed 67 missions; he was awarded 14 medals including the Distinguished Cross. Back in Reno, Link and his brother founded a sporting goods store. He was involved in many community organizations and was a leader in several sporting goods industry associations.

Later in his life, he took up philanthropy which benefited many organizations, such as the Nevada Humane Society and Hidden Valley Park. The dog park at Hidden Valley is named in his honor. Piazzo passed away in 2014 at the age of 95 at his home in Hidden Valley. Since 2006 there’s been a life-size statue of Piazzo at the Nevada Humane Society, created by Paula Slater.

Image:
Statue of Link Piazzo located at the Nevada Humane Society
Source: Paula Slater, M.A., https://paulaslater.com/.