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Walker River State Recreation Area
In 1862, a wagon bounced over a stretch of dusty road from the booming mining town of Aurora to Nine Mile Ranch, just outside soon-to-be Yerington. On board was Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) racing to the aid of his seriously ill friend, Captain John Nye who owned the ranch. Nye recovered, but the trip cost Clemens a sizeable fortune. He lost his claim due to his absence. Clemens’ trek to Nine Mile Ranch was a costly one, but today, the benefits of visiting the area far outweigh any cost. The ranch is just one small part of the Walker River State Recreation Area (Walker River SRA) which opened in 2018.
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Ice Age Fossils State Park
Depending how you frame it, the creation of Ice Age Fossils State Park was either decades or millennia in the making. One could say the park began in 2017, when former governor Brian Sandoval designated it a state park, or in 1958, when the land was acquired by the Nevada State Parks. Perhaps the park really began tens of thousands of years ago during the Pleistocene Ice Age, when ancient animals roamed the lush Tule Springs area of southern Nevada.
Today, the 315-acre park preserves thousands of fossilized remains, including Columbian mammoths, bison, saber-toothed cats, American lions, dire wolves, and giant sloths.
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Ward Charcoal Ovens
Tucked back in the Egan Mountains about 30 miles south of Ely—and an hour from Great Basin National Park—is Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park. As you approach, you’ll spot its six massive beehive-shaped charcoal ovens peeking over the hills, a sign you’re in for a very different state park experience.
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Nevada’s State Parks
One of the lures of Nevada’s wide-open spaces is the ability to find a bit of solitude in a busy world. Sometimes finding that outdoor quiet requires long treks and dirt roads—not that there’s anything wrong with that! But sometimes, that quiet escape can be found just off the highway. No matter your choice, if you’re looking to go where the crowds aren’t, look no further than these naturally socially-distanced state parks.
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Best of Nevada 2015 Winners
18th ANNUAL READERS’ SURVEY To choose “the best” is a tough endeavor in a state as great as ours. Nevada is home to so many top restaurants, shows, attractions, golf courses, etc…we have just about run out of superlatives. That’s where you come in; each year, our readers vote for their favorite things about Nevada. We added some new categories this […]
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Ancient Nevada: Fossils
Ancient Nevada – Fossils Fourth of six-part series unearths specimens that are older than dirt. BY ERIC CACHINERO Evidence of ancient life is set in stone. Hundreds of millions of years ago, giant marine reptiles occupied the oceans that covered what would become Nevada. The ichthyosaur was one among many species whose bodies became […]
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Nevada State Parks, Part 2
As the second entry in our year-long series, Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park takes center stage, and not just because it’s the only state park in Nye County, but for the immensely important role it plays in Nevada history
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The Spark that Ignited a Valley of Fire
The Beauty of this Nevada State Park Burns Bright. BY ERIC CACHINERO Fire is a truly wondrous element. It can be used to heat, cook, forge, ignite, power, illuminate, and even sustain life. But it’s not flames that light up Nevada’s first state park, rather millions of years of geologic activity that gives the landscape […]
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Tour Around Nevada: Ely
Outpouring of votes shoots diverse eastern town to No. 1 spot. BY MEGG MUELLER When the votes were counted and Ely was revealed as the first winner of the Tour Around Nevada 2015, no one in the Nevada Magazine office was surprised. Not only did Ely take honors in our 2010 Tour Around Nevada campaign, […]
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Through The Lens: Cathedral Gorge State Park
THROUGH THE LENS CATHEDRAL GORGE STATE PARK Geological wonder has photographers and adventurers flocking to natural beauty. BY ERIC CACHINERO The otherworldly atmosphere of Cathedral Gorge State Park may give visitors the impression that they have stepped foot on—well—another planet. Forged from violent and fiery volcanic activity and wrought by millions of years of […]
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Fort Churchill
Fort Churchill State Historic Park offers a glimpse into Nevada’s pre-statehood past. BY GREG MCFARLANE Almost everything about life in mid-1800s Nevada seems difficult to fathom and even more difficult to have endured. We no longer worry about hostile natives, high infant mortality, and taking weeks to cross the desert on horse-drawn wagons, but at […]