Camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, nature study, star gazing — not your thing? How about mountain biking, horseback riding, boating, water skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating? Choose your favorite outdoor activity and Nevada State Parks will provide a place for it. Nevada’s 24 state parks, recreation areas, and historic sites are stretched across terrains as diverse as alpine forests and bone-dry deserts. Among them are natural lakes and man-made reservoirs, such as world-famous, 22-mile-long Lake Tahoe or the much smaller Echo Canyon and its 35-acre reservoir.
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Other parks provide glimpses into the past. Valley of Fire is one of the state’s oldest, with 3,000-year-old petroglyphs carved in sandstone and breathtaking views of maroon-colored rock formations created during the age of the dinosaurs. Mormon Station in Genoa and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort feature replicas of 19th-century fortifications and visitor centers explaining regional history.
Many campgrounds and RV facilities are open all year, depending on the weather — you even can stay in a yurt at Cave Lake State Park near Ely. All single campsites are first come, first served. Reservations are required for areas designated for group camping or day use. Trailheads are well marked, and facilities at many parks include RV dump stations, showers, and day-use facilities for groups. For information on Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) registration, go to Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) website.
Several parks offer seasonal programs: You can see Civil War re-enactors fire their rifles or go on a moonlight hike. Live performances in summer include the Shakespeare Festival at Lake Tahoe’s Sand Harbor and Super Summer Theater at Spring Mountain State Park near Las Vegas.
Although you can get into most parks year-round, it’s best to check ahead in winter, as access roads can be blocked by snow. Sledding, ice skating, and ice fishing are popular cold-weather activities. Cave Lake State Park near Ely hosts the White Pine Fire and Ice Show, which features a snow sculpture contest and fireworks.
Nevada State Parks offer you plenty to do all year long. Please enjoy your visit to our website — and to our many state parks.
- David Morrow | Administrator
Division Headquarters
901 S. Stewart St., Ste. 5005
Carson City, NV 89701-5248
(775) 684-2770 | Email
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES/EVENTS:
The Division of State Parks will be holding workshops statewide to solicit comments on proposed State Park regulations. Dates, times and place of workshops will be announced soon. The proposed changes will be available online soon.
Fire Restrictions for two southern parks, Spring Mountain Ranch and Big Bend of the Colorado SRA, effective May 11, 2013.
6th National Get Outdoors Day , GO DAY, June 8, celebrates America’s Great Outdoors and encourages kids and their families to explore the outdoors. Nevada State Parks will have events such as an astronomy program, geo-caching programs, bird watch program, evening campfire program, and guided hikes. Come out and bring the kids to a state park and participate in an outdoor program. Check out the events wesbite for the park and times.
Free Fishing Day in Nevada, June 8 – Echo Canyon State Park (near Pioche) – The annual fishing derby will run from 8 a.m. – noon. The derby is open to anglers of all ages and will include a tagged fish event with the chance to win an assortment of prizes. Admission for this event is free. For more information on this event contact Ranger Ben Johnson, (775) 962-5102. NDOW will host the annual Kid’s Free Fishing Day Derby at Cave Lake State Park. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the kids fishing derby runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is no charge for the participants, though parents must be present with their children.
National Trails Day, June 1 – To celebrate National Trails Day, Nevada State Parks will be holding hikes statewide in the parks. Check out the events wesbite for the park and times on this day.
During this Legislative session, the governor signed Senate Bill 121 transferring Belmont Courthouse to the Nye County, effective April 23, 2013.
LAKE TAHOE NEVADA STATE PARK-SAND HARBOR: “No Walk-Ins or Drop-Offs Are Being Allowed At Sand Harbor Due To Highway Safety Concerns.” A new transit system to access Sand Harbor from Incline Village is available for your convenience June 15 through Labor Day. Any changes to this schedule will be updated here.
