History of Cave Lake State Park

The Cave Lake Reservoir was originally built in 1939 by the Isbell Construction Company. The purpose of the lake was to store water for use by the CCC Ranch located to the west in Steptoe Valley. In 1949, the ranch and the lake were bought by Joseph and Antone Laxague of Ely. The Laxague brothers in turn sold the properties to the C.B. Land and Cattle Company in 1956. In 1961 work was done on the dam to enlarge it to 364 feet in length and 60 feet in height.

In 1968 all 1,240 acres of the park were sold by the owners of the C.B. Ranch for $10.00 to the Nevada Department of Fish and Game (now Nevada Department of Wildlife). Then in 1973, the Nevada Legislature transferred the land to the Nevada Division of State Parks. In 1977 the Nevada Division of State Parks constructed a campground, 40foot boat dock and day use areas next to the lake. Elk Flat Campground was built in 1988.

In 2005 the 1,240 acres was endorsed to be broadened to 4,560 acres with land transferred from the United States Department of Agriculture. The expansion was finalized in 2015.