List of Nevada state parks

Map of State Parks of Nevada
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State parks; State historic parks; State recreation areas

This list of Nevada state parks comprises protected areas managed by the U.S. state of Nevada, which include state parks, state historic sites, and state recreation areas. There are currently 25 state park units, with Van Sickle Bi-State Park slated to open in summer 2011 as a partnership between Nevada and California.[1] The system is managed by the Nevada Division of State Parks within the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The Division of State Parks was created by an act of the Nevada Legislature in 1963.[2] Their mission statement reads: "The Division of State Parks plans, develops and maintains a system of parks and recreation areas for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors. The Division also preserves areas of scenic, historic and scientific significance in Nevada."[2] The parks are grouped into a Northern Region and a Southern Region.[3]

Contents

List of current state parks

Park name Image County or
counties		 Area in
acres (ha)[4]		 Elevation[5] Year estab-
lished[4]		 Remarks[4]
Beaver Dam State Park Lincoln &100000000000023930000002,393 acres (968 ha) &100000000000053480000005,348 ft (1,630 m) 1935 Preserves a section of Beaver Dam Wash in eastern Nevada's most remote state park.
Belmont Courthouse State Historic Park Nye &100000000000073920000007,392 ft (2,253 m) 1974 Interprets a partially restored 1876 courthouse in the ghost town of Belmont.
Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park Nye &100000000000015400000001,540 acres (620 ha) &100000000000069750000006,975 ft (2,126 m) 1957 Preserves several in situ ichthyosaur fossils and the ghost town of Berlin.
Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area Clark 1996 Overlooks the Colorado River within the town limits of Laughlin.
Cathedral Gorge State Park Lincoln &100000000000016080000001,608 acres (651 ha) &100000000000048190000004,819 ft (1,469 m) 1935 Showcases a gorge with soft bentonite walls eroded into dramatic spires.
Cave Lake State Park White Pine &100000000000041600000004,160 acres (1,680 ha) &100000000000071980000007,198 ft (2,194 m) Features a 32-acre (13 ha) reservoir in the northern Schell Creek Range.
Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park Douglas &100000000000000050000005 acres (2.0 ha) &100000000000047050000004,705 ft (1,434 m) Offers tours of structures from one of Nevada's first ranches, established in 1857.
Dayton State Park Lyon &10000000000000152000000152 acres (62 ha) &100000000000043600000004,360 ft (1,330 m) 1977 Features a stretch of the Carson River and the site of an 1861 mill built to process silver ore from the Comstock Lode.
Echo Canyon State Park Lincoln &100000000000010800000001,080 acres (440 ha) &100000000000053480000005,348 ft (1,630 m) 1970 Adjoins a 65-acre (26 ha) reservoir.
Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site Lincoln &100000000000034020000003,402 ft (1,037 m) 2005 Preserves a rural schoolhouse used from 1922–1967. Closed since 2008 due to unrepaired flood damage on Nevada State Route 317.
Fort Churchill State Historic Park Lyon &100000000000042550000004,255 ft (1,297 m) 1957 Encompasses the ruins of a U.S. Army fort staffed 1860–1869, plus a waystation on the Pony Express and Central Overland Routes, and a corridor along the Carson River connecting to Lahontan State Recreation Area.
Kershaw–Ryan State Park Lincoln &100000000000048050000004,805 ft (1,465 m) 1935 Features a verdant canyon first homesteaded in 1873.
Lahontan State Recreation Area Churchill and Lyon &100000000000042580000004,258 ft (1,298 m) 1971 Surrounds Lake Lahontan, a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) reservoir on the Carson River.
Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park Carson City and Washoe &1000000000001430100000014,301 acres (5,787 ha) &100000000000078800000007,880 ft (2,400 m) 1963 Comprises six units on the northeastern shore of Lake Tahoe and its backcountry.
Mormon Station State Historic Park Douglas &100000000000000035000003.5 acres (1.4 ha) &100000000000047830000004,783 ft (1,458 m) 1955 Interprets Nevada's first permanent nonnative settlement, established in 1851 on the California Trail by Mormon pioneers.
Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park Clark &100000000000019230000001,923 ft (586 m) 1991[6] Interprets a partially reconstructed fort built by Mormon missionaries in 1855, the first nonnative structure in what would become Las Vegas.
Rye Patch State Recreation Area Pershing &100000000000041370000004,137 ft (1,261 m) 1971 Adjoins the 11,000-acre (4,500 ha) Rye Patch Reservoir on the Humboldt River.
South Fork State Recreation Area Elko &100000000000040000000004,000 acres (1,600 ha) &100000000000052260000005,226 ft (1,593 m) Surrounds the 1,650-acre (670 ha) South Fork Reservoir on the South Fork Humboldt River.
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Clark &10000000000000520000000520 acres (210 ha) &100000000000037270000003,727 ft (1,136 m) 1974 Preserves the historic Sandstone Ranch established in 1876.
Spring Valley State Park Lincoln &100000000000058690000005,869 ft (1,789 m) 1969 Adjoins the 65-acre (26 ha) Eagle Valley Reservoir.
Valley of Fire State Park Clark &1000000000003488000000034,880 acres (14,120 ha) &100000000000024640000002,464 ft (751 m) 1935 Showcases red sandstone formations in Nevada's oldest and largest state park.
Van Sickle Bi-State Park Douglas &10000000000000725000000725 acres (293 ha) &100000000000062830000006,283 ft (1,915 m) 2011 Managed by the Nevada Division of State Parks in conjunction with the California State Parks. 575 acres lie within Nevada while 150 are within El Dorado County, California.
Walker Lake State Recreation Area Mineral &100000000000041930000004,193 ft (1,278 m) Provides recreation opportunities on the west shore of Walker Lake
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park White Pine &10000000000000160000000160 acres (65 ha) &100000000000070540000007,054 ft (2,150 m) 1994 Preserves six 30-foot-high (9.1 m) charcoal ovens used from 1876–1879 to produce fuel for smelting silver ore.
Washoe Lake State Park Washoe &100000000000080530000008,053 acres (3,259 ha) &100000000000050330000005,033 ft (1,534 m) 1977 Provides recreation opportunities on Washoe Lake, between Carson City and Reno.
Wild Horse State Recreation Area Elko &10000000000000140000000140 acres (57 ha) &100000000000062500000006,250 ft (1,910 m) Provides water recreation on the northeast shore of 2,830-acre (1,150 ha) Wild Horse Reservoir on the Owyhee River.

Previous parks

See also

References

  1. ^ "Van Sickle Bi-State Park". Sierra Nevada Geotourism MapGuide. National Geographic Society. http://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/van-sickle-bi-state-park/sie5698279F0D880465D.. Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  2. ^ a b "Mission and Objectives". Nevada Division of State Parks. http://parks.nv.gov/mission.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  3. ^ "Listing of Nevada State Parks and Regional Offices". Nevada Division of State Parks. 2011-03-14. http://parks.nv.gov/regionsoff.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  4. ^ a b c All data come from respective Nevada State Parks webpage unless otherwise noted.
  5. ^ "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/wwv_flow.accept. 
  6. ^ Puit, Glenn (1997-12-14). "Living History". Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, Nev.): pp. 1B. 

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