Nevada is packed with outdoor adventures, history, and jaw-dropping scenery. The state boasts 17 state parks, 6 state recreation areas, and 5 historic sites, plus miles of rugged desert beauty and alpine escapes. The best part? With a Nevada State Parks Pass, you can explore them all with ease.
If you’re visiting Reno, Lake Tahoe, or Carson City, you’ll find eleven parks within about an hour’s drive. Whether you’re into hiking, history, boating, or just soaking in the views, these parks deserve a spot on your Nevada bucket list.
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Washoe Lake State Park – Carson City
4855 Eastlake Blvd. Carson City, NV – about 45 minutes to Reno
Nestled in a scenic valley where bald eagles soar, Washoe Lake State Park offers breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada, Carson and Virginia mountain ranges. A popular area for hiking, camping, picnicking, water sports and equestrian activities along with fishing and bird watching.
Hours: Always open
Fees: $5.00 ( $10 for Non-NV Vehicles )
Walker River State Recreation Area – Yerington
211 East Walker Road Yerington, NV – About an hour and 15 minutes to Reno
One of Nevada’s newest parks, the Walker River State Recreation Area, was created through a land donation from the Walker Basin Conservancy. Spread across five distinct park units, it blends historic ranches with wildlife habitats. Visitors can enjoy camping, hiking, biking, OHV exploring, and fishing. The Visitor Center also shares the area’s rich history.
Hours: Vary by location
Fees: $5.00 ($10 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Morman Station State Historic Park- Genoa
2295 Main Street Genoa, NV – about an hour to Reno
The site of Nevada’s first permanent, non-native settlement, Mormon Station was built in 1851 as a trading post along the Carson Route of the California Trail. Located in Genoa- Nevada’s oldest town- this replica of the original fort provides insight into history and the museum adds more with pioneer artifacts from original settlers. All of this with the eastern Sierra Nevada as your backdrop.
Hours: Park is always open, Museum is seasonal (see website)
Fees: Park is Free, Museum is $1.00
Fort Churchill State Historic Park & Buckland Station – Silver Springs
10000 Hwy 95A Silver Springs, NV – about 45 minutes from Reno
Fort Churchill was built in 1860 to provide protection for early settlers and westbound emigrants and guard the Pony Express and telegraph lines. Today the ruins are preserved in a state of decay within Fort Churchill State Historic Park, and visitors can walk trails to observe the ruins. The park also includes the renovated Buckland Station, an important way station in the 1800s for pioneer travelers on the Overland Route. Situated along the Carson River, the park is an idyllic place for camping, hiking, bird watching and canoeing.
Hours: Always Open, Buckland Station Museum: Sat. & Sun.: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fees: $5.00 ($10 for Non-NV Vehicles), Buckland Station Museum: $1.00
Dayton State Park – Dayton
825 US Hwy 50 East Dayton, NV – about 45 minutes from Reno
At the foot of the Virginia Range, on the banks of the Carson River, Dayton State Park is rich in picturesque beauty as well as gold and silver mining history. The park features the remains of the Rock Point Mill built in 1861, a remnant of Dayton’s mining glory days. Besides visiting the mill, the park offers hiking, camping and fishing.
Hours: Always open
Fees: $5.00 ($10 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Van Sickle Bi-State Park – South Lake Tahoe
30 Lake Pkwy South Lake Tahoe, NV – about an hour from Reno
Van Sickle is one the most accessible parks in the Tahoe Basin. A short climb from the trailhead quickly transports visitors to the serenity of the forest. The park’s easy to moderate trails are studded with rock outcroppings that present grand views of the largest alpine lake in North America and the surrounding peaks.
Hours: Open to pedestrians year-round, sunrise to sunset. Open to vehicles May 1 – October 31, sunrise to sunset.
Fees: Free
Cave Rock State Park – Lake Tahoe
Hwy 50 Lake Tahoe, NV – about 35 miles from Reno
Cave Rock is a great place to put in a boat and explore the beautiful blue waters of the largest alpine lake in North America. The boat launch offers a double ramp and the park has more than 40 spaces for trailer parking. A small beach at the south end of the park provides a perfect place for swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling, as well as a good spot to launch a canoe or kayak. A steep shoreline and rocky shoals make this a great location for fishing and enjoying the majestic beauty of Lake Tahoe.
Hours: Park: Sunrise to Sunset. Boat launch: Seasonal
Fees: $10.00 ($15.00 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Sand Harbor State Park – Incline Village
2005 Highway 28 Incline Village, NV – about 50 minutes from Reno
On its eastern shores of Lake Tahoe this park has gently sloping beaches, crystal-clear water and interesting rock formations allow for wonderfully sublime swimming, kayaking and scuba diving. Boaters, water-skiers and fisherman can easily launch from one of the park’s two ramps. If you don’t want to get water, there is plenty of hiking and opportunities for great pictures.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 hour after sunset. Boat Ramp: 6 AM – 4 PM
Fees: $10.00 ($15.00 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Spooner Lake & Backcountry State Park – Incline Village
P.O. Box 6116 Incline Village, NV – about 50 minutes from Reno
Nestled in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Spooner Backcountry is a widespread recreational and natural oasis, with a lake surrounded by aspens and more than 12,000 acres of forested, open space. The park features 50 miles of hiking, equestrian and mountain biking trails and primitive roads.
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Fees: $10.00 ($15.00 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Lahontan State Recreation Area – Fallon
16799 Lahontan Dam Road Fallon, NV – about an hour from Reno
Lahontan Reservoir offers 69 miles of shoreline and is one of most popular places in Nevada to boat, fish, water-ski, horseback ride, camp and enjoy the outdoors year-round. Canoeing from Fort Churchill to the lake makes for a great day trip when weather allows. You’ll see wild horses, bald eagles and lots of wildlife here.
Hours: Always open
Fees: $5.00 ($10 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Rye Patch State Recreation Area -Lovelock
2505 Rye Patch Reservoir Rd. Lovelock, NV – about an hour and 20 minutes
Rye Patch State Recreation Area is situated on a 22-mile-long reservoir that has 72 miles of shoreline. Visitors can enjoy camping, picnicking, swimming and water-skiing, and fishing.
Hours: Always open
Fees: $5.00 ($10 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Final Thoughts
If you’re exploring Northern Nevada, these state parks and historic sites near Reno and Lake Tahoe are a must. With a Nevada State Parks Annual Pass, you can save money while experiencing the full range of outdoor fun, from alpine lakes to historic forts and desert canyons.
*Pro Tip: Pick up the Nevada State Parks Passport Booklet at any park. Get stamps at 15 different parks, and you’ll earn a free annual pass for the following year.
Whether you’re camping under the stars, paddling crystal-clear Tahoe waters, or stepping back into frontier history, Nevada’s parks are the perfect way to experience the Silver State’s wild beauty. We love to share information and tips that we learn along the way to help you plan your next vacation. We hope to inspire you to find your adventures, have fun and make lots of memories. Don’t forget your camera!