Nevada

Throughout the state of Nevada, you can find an endless amount of activities in the state parks, including camping, fishing, tours, historical sites, and day hiking.  The geology of Nevada gives it a variety of opportunities to visit different types of landscape all over the state.  There is a total of 24 parks, recreation areas, and historic sites in the Nevada park system, which stretches across various landscapes such as alpine forests and dry deserts.

To learn more about Nevada’s State parks you can visit The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, or visit the Nevada Tourism website.

• Beaver Dam State Park - Panaca, Nevada
• Beaver Dam State Park allows visitors to experience the pristine, natural beauty and primitive, rustic character that distinguishes this park from all others.  This includes camping, fishing, trails, and nature study.
• Belmont Courthouse State Historic Site - Las Vegas, Nevada
• Belmont Courthouse is located on the southeast slope of the Toquima Range at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.  The town of Belmont had a life span of approximately 20 years. Within that time it became the county seat and produced $15,000,000 in mineral production. The courthouse operated only for 10 of those 20 years and remains erect and tall as if it should be in use today.  The Courthouse is open to the public, and a bed and breakfast is nearby.
• Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park – Austin, Nevada
• Berlin, a turn-of-the-century mining town, is preserved in a state of arrested decay. A trail through the town site tells the story of Berlin and its mine. Ichthyosaurs (pronounced “ick-thee-o-sores”) were ancient marine reptiles that swam in a warm ocean covering central Nevada 225 million years ago. Remains of these giant marine vertebrates are on display at the park’s Fossil House, and these official state fossils are a primary attraction for visitors from throughout the world.
• Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area - Laughlin, Nevada
• Big Bend is one of Nevada’s newest state parks, opening in 1996. Situated on the shores of the Colorado River below Laughlin, Nevada’s southern tip, the park offers dramatic views of the river and surrounding mountains. Popular activities are picnicking, boating, fishing and swimming. The park also offers camping, hiking and group facilities.
• Cathedral Gorge State Park – Panca, Nevada
• Cathedral Gorge is located in a long, narrow valley where erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay. Trails abound for exploring the cave-like formations and cathedral-like spires.  The area includes camping, visitor center, trails, and a historic site,.
• Cave Lake State Park – Ely, Nevada
• Cave Lake features a 32-acre reservoir and provides excellent trout fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, camping and picnicking. The 4,500-acre park is at an elevation of 7,300 feet in the Schell Creek Range adjacent to the Humboldt National Forest. Winter activities include ice-skating, ice fishing and cross-country skiing.
• Dayton State Park – Dayton, Nevada
• Dayton Park consists of 160 acres with typical Great Basin desert topography. Cotton wood, desert sage, rabbitbrush and willows are prominent.  Once a traditional Paiute Indian meeting place, Dayton was used by Paiute people as a base camp for fishing on the Carson River and as a winter camp sheltered from the snows of nearby Sierra.  The discovery of silver later turned it into a boom town for prospectors.
• Echo Canyon State Park - Pioche, Nevada
• Echo Canyon offers a 35-acre reservoir with a campground, picnic area, group use facilities and boat launch. Abundant wildlife, a wide variety of native plants and unique rock formations make exploration a favorite activity.  The area offers camping, trails, boating, nature study, and swimming.
• Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site - Caliente, Nevada
• Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site was closed indefinitely as of May 15, 2008.  This was due to heavy flooding that damaged the area in 2005.
• Fort Churchill State Historic Park – Silver Springs, Nevada
• Fort Churchill was once an active U.S. Army fort. Built in 1861 to provide protection for early settlers, it was abandoned nine years later. Today the ruins are preserved in a state of arrested decay. A visitor center displays information and artifacts of the fort’s history.  The area includes camping, visitors center, trails, historic sites, fishing, and nature study.
• Kershaw-Ryan State Park – Caliente, Nevada
• Kershaw-Ryan Park is situated in Rainbow Canyon in eastern Nevada.  The area includes fruit trees and a grass lawn surrounding a spring-fed pond, providing a beautiful contrast to the rugged landscape. A picnic area, children’s wading pool, playground, group-use area and trails offer visitors nature study, photography, picnicking and hiking.
• Lahontan State Recreation Area – Fallon, Nevada
• Lahontan Reservoir, with 69 miles of shoreline, covers 12,000 surface acres when full and features fishing, boating and water skiing, as well as camping, picnicking, boat launches, restrooms with showers and RV dump stations. Horseback riding and wildlife viewing are best in spring. Canoeing from Fort Churchill to the lake makes for a great day trip when conditions allow.
• Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park – Nevada
• Lake Tahoe is divided into three sections.
• ·         Sand Harbor - With 55 acres of long sandy beaches, rocky coves, shady forested areas and panoramic lake views, Sand Harbor offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to enjoy Lake Tahoe.  The area includes a nature trail, visitor center, boating, and swimming.
• ·         Spooner Backcountry - is a widespread recreational and natural oasis. Spooner Lake is popular for picnicking and catch-and-release fishing. It is also home to the Spooner Lake Outdoor Company, a park concessionaire that offers world-class cross-country skiing in the winter, an overnight stay in backcountry cabins and mountain bike rentals for riding miles of trails in the summer months.
• ·         Cave Rock - A small day-use area is tucked beneath the rugged volcanic face of Cave Rock. Facilities include a boat launch ramp and dock, comfort station, picnic sites, and a small sandy beach. The entrance is on Highway 50, three miles south of Glenbrook, just south of the Cave Rock tunnels.
• Mormon Station State Historic Park – Genoa, Nevada
• Mormon Station is the site of Nevada’s first permanent non-native settlement. A replica of the original trading post, built in 1851, houses a museum with pioneer-era artifacts. Picnic and group use facilities are available.
• Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in 1855. The fort was called Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort.  The area includes a visitors center and historic sites.
• Rye Patch State Recreation Area – Lovelock, Nevada
• Rye Patch visitors enjoy camping, picnicking, fishing and water-skiing at the recreation area’s 22-mile long reservoir on the Humboldt River.  Fishing for crappie, wipers, white bass, channel catfish, black bass and walleye is usually best in spring and early summer, with fall being a good season for catfish.
• South Fork State Recreation Area – Spring Creek, Nevada
• South Fork covers 1,650 acres and is surrounded by 2,200 acres of wildlife-filled meadow lands and rolling hills. It is popular for hunting, camping, boating, picnicking, winter sports and wildlife viewing. The park is best known for its trophy-class trout and bass fishery. Facilities include a boat launch, campground, trailer dump station and picnic area.
• Spring Mountain Ranch State Park -  Blue Diamond, Nevada
• Spring Mountain Ranch gives visitors an opportunity to view life at the ranch as it might have been. These programs, which began in 1992, include costumed role playing, demonstrations and re-enactments of historic events such as the Civil War.  The area includes a visitors center, historic sites, and tours.
• Spring Valley State Park – Pioche, Nevada
• Spring Valley is a popular area for fishing, camping and sight-seeing. Visitors also enjoy hiking, exploring and touring the historic Ranch House museum.   Eagle Valley Reservoir is the primary attraction at Spring Valley State Park. The 65-acre reservoir is currently managed as a put-and-take sport fishery. Rainbow trout is the primary species.
• Valley of Fire State Park – Overton, Nevada
• Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs. Popular activities include camping, hiking, picnicking and photography. The park offers a full-scale visitor center with extensive interpretive displays.
• Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park – Ely, Nevada
• Ward Charcoal Ovens Park is mostly known for its six beehive-shaped historic charcoal ovens. The park offers an array of recreational opportunities including camping, trails, nature study, and historic sites.
• Washoe Lake State Park – Carson City, Nevada
• Washoe Lake is known for hiking, biking, camping, boating, water sports, picnicking, equestrian activities and enjoying beautiful views of the nearby Sierra Nevada, Carson and Virginia Mountain Ranges. The park provides 8,053 acres divided nearly equally between land and water for year-round recreational use.
• Wild Horse State Recreation Area – Elko, Nevada
• Wild Horse visitors pursue rainbow trout. German brown trout, small mouth bass, wiper, yellow perch, and catfish are also in the reservoir. Fishing seems best during spring and fall.  Visitors to the area enjoy camping, picnicking, hunting, and boating.