Did you know that Nevada is home to the most public land in the lower 48 states? That’s right, corner to corner, Nevada is nearly 85% public lands. To celebrate this amazing resource of outdoor recreation, the state of Nevada has been hosting Nevada Public Lands Day on the fourth Saturday of September since 1979. This year, Nevada Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 25th. Everyone is invited to enjoy Reno-Tahoe’s state parks, monuments, recreation areas and nearby national parks for free.
Here are our top seven Nevada State Parks to visit on fee-free day:
- Sand Harbor in Incline Village is undeniably the most beautiful Lake Tahoe beach. The crystal clear water and rock formations are perfect for swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking.
- Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe is just a short walk from the casinos but instantly transports visitors to Sierra Nevada serenity. This easy to moderate trail is great for all ages with a magnificent view of Lake Tahoe.
- Mormon Station Historic State Monument and Museum in Genoa is the site of Nevada’s first permanent, non-native settlement. The lush lawns, mature trees and quaint small-town setting is a great place for families and groups to gather and learn about Nevada’s pioneer era.
- Washoe Lake in Washoe Valley is a birder’s paradise. Nestled between Carson City and Reno, Washoe Lake is a treasure and hosts a diverse range of birds and waterfowl, such as American white pelicans and Canada geese. Bald eagles are often spotted flying above!
- Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge at Pyramid Lake is an island sanctuary for nesting American white pelicans and other colonial nesting birds. Between 8,000 to 10,000 pelicans from as far a Baja, Mexico return to Anaho Island for it’s protected shores and nearby wetlands. This is a high-desert sight-to-see that’s been protected since 1913.
- Virginia City Historic District includes the towns of Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City and Dayton. An honest step-back-in-time, Virginia City is a carefully preserved and thriving mountain town, full of cultural sites, mining museums, Victorian architecture and other remnants of the once booming Comstock District.
- Reno-Tahoe is an ideal launching pad for a visit to Great Basin National Park in neighboring Cowboy Country. Great Basin National Park is a crowd-free national wonder of cascading mountain streams, mountain lakes and bristlecone pine trees more than 4,000 years old. The park is most known for its Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak, remnants of true ice glaciers and the darkest skies in the United States, ideal for stargazing.
Nevada Public Lands Day, as part of the National Public Lands Day, is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. There are two volunteer events in Reno-Tahoe:
- Bureau of Land Management is hosting a cleanup at the Fernley Swales, part of the historic California Trail, in Carson City. For more information, visit www.neefusa.org/npld/fernley-swales/fernley-swales-cleanup-california-national-historic-trial
- Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful is hosting a Truckee River cleanup in Reno. For more information, visit www.ktmb.org/volunteer
For more information on planning a visit to the Reno-Tahoe Territory, visit RenoTahoe.com.
About Reno-Tahoe Territory
The Reno-Tahoe Territory is a vast and diverse region of high desert valleys, majestic tree-lined mountains, and crystal-clear lakes. Encompassing the destinations of Carson City, Carson Valley, Reno-Sparks, North Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada. There’s no other place in the world that can claim the beauty of Lake Tahoe, the action and adventure of the “Biggest Little City in the World,” the rich history of the Comstock Lode, or the state’s oldest recorded settlement — all within 60 minutes of each other. Visit RenoTahoe.com for more. If you are looking to learn more about one of the coolest spots on the East Coast consider looking into Acadia National Park.
