Kershaw–Ryan State Park is a public recreation area on
Nevada State Route 317
State Route 317 (SR 317) is a state highway in Lincoln County, Nevada, Lincoln County, Nevada. It connects the ghost town of Elgin, Nevada, Elgin north to U.S. Route 93 in Nevada, U.S. Route 93 (US 93) in the city of Caliente, Nevada, Caliente. ...
, south of the town of
Caliente,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. The
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
covers at the northern end of
Rainbow Canyon in an area that was homesteaded in 1873.
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History
The canyon was settled in 1873 by Samuel and Hannah Kershaw, who operated a ranch called the Meadow Valley Wash Ranch. In 1904, they sold the property to rancher James Ryan, who donated the land to the state in 1926 to be a public park. The Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
developed visitor amenities in 1934, and Kershaw–Ryan State Park was officially established as one of Nevada's first four state parks the following year.[ The trail system was expanded by 3.28 miles by the Great Basin Institute between August 2018 and late 2019.]
Activities and amenities
The park offers camping, picnicking, and a group-use area. Hikers can explore the Canyon Overlook Trail and shorter Rattlesnake Loop.[
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References
External links
Kershaw–Ryan State Park
Nevada State Parks
Kershaw–Ryan State Park Trail Map
Nevada State Parks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kershaw-Ryan State Park
State parks of Nevada
Protected areas of Lincoln County, Nevada
Protected areas established in 1935
1935 establishments in Nevada
Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada