Lyon County: Desert, Water and History
Accommodation in Lyon County
Lyon County combines waterscapes, desert vegetation, riverbanks and historic sites with events, museums and regional traditions. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, it is worth first organizing the experiences you want: Lahontan Reservoir is ideal for fishing, boating and water skiing, while the area around Yerington offers nature, culture and events to suit a variety of travel plans.
Reservoir, Rivers and Wildlife
Lahontan Reservoir offers several opportunities for days spent on the water. Lahontan State Recreation Area also contains a nesting area for bald eagles. The recreation area can be reached via several access roads from U.S. 50 and via one access road from U.S. 95A.
A different landscape characterizes the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area: The floodplain of the Walker River runs through the area and provides numerous wild animals with food, shelter and water. The BLM-managed section of Wilson Canyon lies 13 miles west of Yerington on Nevada State Route 208. From Yerington, you can also reach Pitchfork Ranch via Highway 208 and East Walker Road; the entrance is another four miles away.
Historic Sites and Trails along the Carson River
At Fort Churchill State Historic Park, the ruins of Fort Churchill have been preserved in a state of controlled deterioration. The Carson River is the only year-round surface-water source near the park. The 2.2-mile Nature Trail between Buckland Station and Fort Churchill follows the Carson River in one direction and connects the two historic sites. Buckland Station offers a self-guided tour of the ground floor of the historic house.
Dayton State Park also combines nature and history. Rock Point Mill was built in 1861 and was one of the first mills to process ore from the Comstock Lode. Two short hikes lead there to the Carson River or the Rock Mill Site. The landscape includes cottonwoods, sagebrush, rabbitbrush and willows—a desert vegetation typical of the Great Basin.
Museums, Events and Regional Distinctive Features
The Lyon County Museum displays clothing, household items, clocks, a barbershop, a kitchen, a bedroom and an office from the courthouse. Images and exhibits of the Anaconda Copper Co. in Weed Heights also commemorate a significant local industrial operation from 1951 to 1978. The historic Jeanne Dini Center, which began as a community schoolhouse, opened its doors for the 1912–1913 school year; at that time, 130 students attended classes. Today, the Yerington Theater for the Arts there hosts live music, a craft fair and theater performances.
The Lyon County Fair and Rodeo takes place every August at the Lyon County Fair Grounds and includes a rodeo, a fair, a carnival, a demolition derby, tractor races and a parade. The host community of Yerington also holds the three-day Night in the Country event every year, featuring camping and country music. The Grange campgrounds used for the event can accommodate more than 3,000 RVs and tents. Searching for a holiday home can therefore be particularly worthwhile if you want to combine days in nature with a regional events program.
Discover Yerington and Other Places
The host community of Yerington serves as a starting point for hundreds of miles of off-road trails and for fishing on the Walker River. Hinkson Slough is one of the most important fishing ponds in the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area and produces trophy-sized trout. Nearby Mason Valley is known as the “Onion Capital of the West”; millions of pounds of onions are grown, packed and shipped worldwide there every year.
For more information about places in the area, you can also include Fernley and Yerington in your research. In Fernley, Main Street Art Park contains the 25-foot-long and 17-foot-high “Desert Tortoise” sculpture. Fernley 95A Speedway hosts national and local racing events, including the National Sprint Car Racing Series, midget races and go-kart races. This allows you to choose your accommodation based on the experiences that are actually most important to your trip.
For the broader travel overview: Nevada.
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