PBS Reno to Premiere New Season of Wild Nevada

Season 8 of Wild Nevada premieres on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8pm on PBS Reno channel 5.1, Spectrum 785, and livestream at pbsreno.org/livestream
 

 

RENO, NV (DEC 16, 2025) – In celebration of Wild Nevada’s 25th anniversary, PBS Reno is proud to debut a new season of the award-earning local series that takes viewers on adventures throughout the state and discovers the places, people, and history that make the state unique!

“Nevada is an amazing place, full of unique beauty, history and character. As host and now producer of the Wild Nevada series, I'm honored to continue the show's mission of highlighting the landscapes and stories of our state,” said Chris Orr, Wild Nevada Host & Senior Producer. “As a crew, we are dedicated to sharing our experiences and adventures as we visit beloved and familiar locations, as well as venture out into new locales. We show how breathtaking the open spaces and wild places of the Silver State are. From mountain tops to museums, dynamic desert sunsets to campsite sunrises, there are so many stories and views ahead for Wild Nevada fans in Season 8.”

Wild Nevada is hosted and produced by Orr, who has been part of the series since it first debuted on PBS Reno on December 12, 2000. Since then, the series has resulted in more than 80 episodes, a 2014 special, the spinoff series Wild Nevada Memories, the companion podcast Wild Nevadacast, and has earned numerous awards including eleven international Communicator Awards and six Telly Awards. Wild Nevada is shown on 200+ PBS member stations around the nation, as well as the Create TV network, giving countless regions a visual feast of the beauty, history, and outdoor recreation found in Nevada.

“For 25 years, the award-earning series Wild Nevada has showcased unforgettable adventures, gorgeous landscapes, and the many wonders our region has to offer,” said Megan Myers, PBS Reno Vice President of Content. “Over time, the series has evolved into much more than a television program — we’ve produced specials, Wild Nevada Memories, and the companion podcast Wild Nevadacast. But at the heart of it all remains our commitment to highlighting adventures you and your families can experience together. This program would not be what it is — locally or nationally — without the incredible support of the northern Nevada community, who loves the beauty of our state as much as we do.”

Below is a detailed look at the first seven episodes of the new season of Wild Nevada:
 

Episode #801: Backcountry Snow

Airdate: 12/18/2025 at 8pm

Join host Chris Orr on an adventure combining different types of snow-based fun with activities and organizations based in and around the Tahoe area. In this episode, try out some cross-country skiing at Nevada Nordic, learn about skijoring, go snowshoeing in Johnson Canyon for some Donner views, and learn about snow season safety with the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Episode #802: Prehistoric Southern Nevada

Airdate: 12/18/2025 at 8:30pm

This episode takes host Chris Orr from Ice Age Fossils State Park outside of North Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park as she explores some of the prehistoric history of the region. Along the way, she also encounters some innovative new recreational offerings with the Nevada State Parks Foundation, Las Vegas Brewing Company, and Tarantula Ranch Camp.

Episode #803: Carson River to Hot Spring

Airdate: 1/8/2026 at 8pm

This episode takes host Chris Orr from the Carson River Park trails to a sampling of the wildflowers in the Prison Hill Recreation Area and a tour of the nearby historic Nevada State Prison, before making a trek out to the East Fork of the Carson River south of Markleeville, California.

Episode #804: Panaca and Kershaw-Ryan

Airdate: 1/15/2026 at 8pm

On this trip, host Chris Orr follows the path of some of the earliest immigrants in southeastern Nevada to explore the region’s historic and scenic beauty. The trip begins at Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Park and sets out to visit the historic community for Panaca before continuing to enjoy the gardens and trails of Kershaw-Ryan State Park outside the community of Caliente.

Episode #805: Yerington to Walker Lake

Airdate: 1/22/2026 at 8pm

This time, host Chris Orr sets out to enjoy some of the historic and cultural offerings in the community of Yerington. Then, she gets a unique view of Walker Lake and explores the scenery of Weber Reservoir and the Walker Basin.

Episode #806: Kingsbury Grade and Sierra County

Airdate: 1/29/2026 at 8pm

This time, host Chris Orr travels along a pair of historic routes that were once used to access gold fields in the Sierra and now offer scenic adventures. First, learn the history of Kingsbury Grade before following it up to the Tahoe community of Stateline for a visit to Van Sickle

Bi-State Park. Then, take Henness Pass to explore Webber Lake and Perazzo Meadows, before hiking up Mount Lola in Sierra County, CA.

Episode #807:  Lovelock and Rye Patch Reservoir

Airdate: 2/5/2026 at 8pm

Host Chris Orr visits the community for Lovelock with a visit to the Pershing County’s Marzen House Museum and a trip out to the historic Lovelock Cave on the Backcountry Byway. Then, travel out of town to Rye Patch State Recreation Area, learning about its significance to the region and then heading out of the water to enjoy some boating and wildlife viewing.

Broadcast dates are subject to change; please visit pbsreno.org/schedule for more information

About PBS Reno

In fiscal year 2024-2025, PBS Reno reached 592,189 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since September 29, 1983.

Contact us:

Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org

Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503