Nevada History, Nevada National Parks
Nevada State Parks.
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About Nevada: History & ParksNevada History |
From the Utah Territory, the Nevada Territory (Nevada is Spanish for snow-capped or snowfall) was created by an Act of Congress. It was signed by President James Buchanan and became effective March 2, 1861. President Abraham Lincoln appointed James W. Nye of New York as Nevada's first Territorial Governor. Nevada became the 36th State on October 31, 1864, when President Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the Union. During the next 75 or so years, many mining towns flourished over the state. Since the early 1930's, tourism, particularly entertainment, legalized gaming (since 1931), and mining are important to Nevada's economy. Nevada is the seventh largest State with 109,895 Square Miles. The highest point, less than a mile from the California border in Esmeralda County, in the Inyo National Forest is Boundary Peak at 13,143 feet. Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states is 14,495 feet. Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park (not to be confused with Wheeler Peak in New Mexico) is the second highest peak in Nevada at 13,063 feet. It is in the Great Basin National Park, near the Utah border. Its east face forms a rock cirque (pronounced surk, that is a steep-walled semicircular basin) which holds a small glacier. Nevada's Wheeler Peak dominates the surrounding terrain, unlike Boundary Peak which has many mountains around it. The Lowest Point is the Colorado River at 470 feet. According to the 2000 census, the largest cities in order of size in Nevada are Las Vegas, Reno followed closely by Henderson, North Las Vegas, Sparks, Carson City and Elko. Nevada National Parks |
Great Basin National Park From the desert sagebrush to the 13,063-foot summit of Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park includes streams, lakes, alpine plants, wildlife, a variety of forest types including groves of ancient bristlecone pines, and numerous limestone caverns, including Lehman Caves. Open daily 8:00 to 4:30 Pacific Time, extended hours in the summer, Cave Tours daily. Park and Cave Tours closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. You may call the park at (775) 234-7331 (ext. 242 for Cave Tickets). Bookstore, Gift shop and Cafe. Vehicles over 24 feet in length are not recommended beyond Upper Lehman Creek Campground (3.5 miles). For complete information see http://nps.gov/grba.Lake Mead National Recreational Area (NRA) Lake Mead NRA provides a wide variety of unique outdoor recreation opportunities ranging from warm-water recreation to exploration of rugged and isolated backcountry. Nine roads provide access to the park. Lake Mead NRA has spectacular scenic vistas from park roads, the lake surface, and non-structured walks. Striking backdrops for all recreational activities include deep canyons, dry washes, sheer cliffs, distant mountain ranges, the lakes, colorful soils and rock formations and mosaics of different vegetation. Lake Mead is First National Recreation Area-October 8, 1964. Contact the Park at 702 293-8907 or 702 293-8990. Maps can be found at http://nps.gov/lame/maps.html. For complete Park information see http://nps.gov.lame.For all Nevada National Parks see Nevada National Parks |
Nevada State Parks |
Valley of Fire State Park Located near Lake Mead which is near Las Vegas, is Nevada's oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Valley of Fire derives its name from the red sandstone formations and the stark beauty of the Mojave Desert. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and a 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyph. Popular activities include camping, hiking, picnicking and photography. The park offers a full-scale visitor center with extensive interpretive displays. Several group use areas are also available. The park is open all year. It is located only six miles from Lake Mead and 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via Interstate 15 and on exit 75. The Visitor Center is open 8:30 to 4:30. All campsites are first come, first serve. Two campgrounds with 51 units are available. Campsites are equipped with shaded tables, grills, water, and restrooms. Contact the park at 702 397-2088. For Online Gift Shop, more information and large picture see Valley of Fire State Park.
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park |
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park offers a number of different areas for visitors to enjoy.  Sand Harbor is the most popular, with sandy beaches, a boat launch, picnicking and group use facilities. Sand Harbor is located three miles south of Incline Village on State Route 28. Memorial Point and Hidden Beach, between Incline Village and Sand Harbor, are areas which offer outstanding views of the lake and more secluded access to its shores. Spooner Lake, at the intersection of State Route 28 and U.S. 50, is popular for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, catch-and-release fishing and cross-country skiing . A group use area is available as well as rental cabins. Spooner Lake is also a trail head with access to the back country. The back country between Lake Tahoe and Carson City provides miles of hiking, equestrian and Mountain biking trails plus two primitive campsites. No vehicles are permitted in the back country, which has been designated as a State Primitive Area. Two of the more popular trails in this area are the Flume Trail above Sand Harbor and the Tahoe Rim Trail along the crest of the Carson Range. Cave Rock, located along U.S. 50 near Zephyr Cove, is a popular spot for boat launching and fishing. During July and August enjoy the shows put on by the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor.More about Lake TahoeLake Tahoe, at 12 by 22 miles or 193 square miles is larger than the country of Aruba, and 3 times the size of the District of Columbia. It is also the second deepest lake in the United States and the tenth deepest in the world, and third deepest lake in North America, with a maximum depth measured at 1,645 ft (501 m), and an average depth of 989 ft (301 m). Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake (1,949 ft or 594 m) in the US. The sun shines at Lake Tahoe an average of 274 days a year. The highest peak rising directly from the shoreline is Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. The highest point in the Tahoe Basin is Freel Peak in Alpine County California at 10,881 feet.Sixty-three streams flow into Lake Tahoe, but only one, the Truckee River, runs out. From Lake Tahoe at Tahoe City the Truckee River flows north along California State Highway 89 to Truckee, and turns east at Interstate 80. It flows through Reno Nevada turning north again at Wadsworth, Nevada flowing into Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Pyramid Lake is Nevada's largest natural lake (Lake Mead is the largest lake in Nevada, formed by Hoover Dam). More information about Lake Tahoe can be found at the USGS website, http://tahoe.usgs.gov. |
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