Trails to Tales is a creative hiking experience
These monthly events encourage writers, poets, illustrators, and all other interested creatives to explore the natural world for new inspiration.
Upcoming Hikes
These events are a chance to explore beautiful local landscapes with fellow writers, guided through the trails with discussions on scene, works of literature, and journal prompts to provoke inspiration and (hopefully) a means of getting unstuck in your current writing projects.
These 2-hour events include roughly an hour walk through a natural setting and an hour writing time. While hiking, the host will provide prompts based on the landscape and flora of the hike. The goal of this walking workshop is to provide a different setting to provoke inspiration and hopefully forward movement in stagnant work. It is also a great chance to grow your writing community, find support, have a dedicated writing time, and a chance to experience new settings around Reno.
[note also that non-sierra arts members can join at a higher rate]
Aimed at writers from all genres, this event is great for those looking for a change in their writing routine, one that literally adds forward movement, gets them outside, and introduces them to a community of fellow writers to support, provide perspective, and cheer on. This workshop aims to be inclusive to people’s physical needs and is offered at varying ability levels. Check event specifics for more details of each event. All group members must be able to walk at least one mile and have the ability to be on their feet for up to an hour. These events are open to all ages (minors must be accompanied by parents or guardians) and all writing levels.
Group members who need special accommodation should reach out directly to our event host at helena.guglielmino@gmail.com. Please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to our event host to request a slower or more challenging event.
Though these events are geared toward writers –– with specific writing prompts to advance story ideas –– artists from other mediums are welcome to join and encouraged to share their visual perspective to the writing prompts and challenged to translate their medium to the written word to better understand their craft. If you are a visual artist and are interested in a similar event specifically geared specifically toward visual artists, please reach out to our Program Director at tia@sierraarts.org.
Writing materials for hiking time will be provided. Wear boots or shoes with good traction and support. Our host will send an email out with weather specifics a week before the event, but be prepared with appropriate layers. Please download map of hike prior to arriving. Bring open minds and kind support to fellow writers. More specifics can be found in individual event postings and in week-of emails from the host.
Helena Guglielmino is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Wide Open Spaces, Outdoors, Save the Redwoods League, and more. She currently writes the monthly outdoor column for Reno News & Review. Urban Trails, Reno is her forthcoming hiking guide (Fall 2025) that explores 42 trails close to home. She is an avid hiker who knows the region’s routes like the back of her hand and has through-hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail and John Muir Trail. Find examples of her work at storiesbyhelena.com.
