Carson City

Carson City pairs the calm of a small city with the services of a state capital. The historic west side, around the Capitol, has tree-lined streets and Victorian-era homes, while neighborhoods such as Schulz Ranch in the south of the city offer newer single-story homes with mountain views.

The Carson Range rises right at the city’s western edge, with trailheads in Ash and Kings Canyons. Reno is about half an hour north on I-580, and Lake Tahoe’s east shore is a short drive over Spooner Summit.