Park Hours:

Dawn to Dusk

Dog Restrictions:

Dogs allowed off-leash

Park Description:

Acres: 871.3 acres
Location: Located east of the Deer Run Road Bridge and through the Carson River Canyon.
Purchase Date: January 2011 Purchased
Purchased Acres: 373.6 acres, 8 parcels 

A rights-of-way easement along the old railway bed, and across the entire route on the Carson River Canyon Open Space, was purchased by the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the Virginia and Truckee (V&T) Railway.

Carson River Canyon Open Space is one of Carson City’s most historic Open Space properties. This extensive canyon stretches three miles along the Carson River following the historic Virginia and Truckee Railroad Grade. The area plays host to many outdoor activities including fishing, river rafting, swimming, off-highway vehicle exploration, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Enjoy breathtaking views and sandy beaches in one of the many day use areas. 

History:
This beautiful canyon was once home to more than a dozen ore reduction mills and lumber mills. In 1869 the Virginia and Truckee Railroad made it’s way into the canyon, hauling ore from mines in Virginia City to the mills and returning laden with timbers for the mines.

In 1860, the first dam and ditch were completed five miles upriver from Empire City (now the Empire Ranch Golf Course). Water from the Carson River, a necessary component in mill operation, was diverted to power the Mexican and Mead Mills. Soon after, numerous businesses followed suit. The most notable were the Brunswick Mill, Merrimac Mill, Copper Canyon/Blue Canyon Mill, Vivian Mill, Santiago Mill, and the Eureka Mill. Today, little evidence remains of these once powerful operations. Travel along the remaining Railroad Grade and imagine the canyon as it once was. 
(Webster, Daniel. Mills Along the Carson River. 2015)

Flora and Fauna:

Carson River Canyon Open Space is home to riparian and upland ecosystems. The river is flanked in cottonwood (Populous deltoides) and willow (Salix sp.). Native upland plants include shrubs such as big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), bitter brush (Purshia tridentata), rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), horse brush (Tetradymia sp.), green ephedra (Ephedra viridis), purple sage (Salvia dorii) and desert peach (Prunus andersonii). Native wildflowers include sulfur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), prickly poppy (Argemone pleiacantha), narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) and paint brush (Castilleja cremosa). Invasive plant species found in the Canyon include cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), hoary cress (Cardaria draba), tall tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum), and dodder (Cuscuta sp.)- a parasitic plant found to be growing on sagebrush. Animals of the canyon include coyote (Canis latrans), mountain lion (Puma concolor), rattle snake (Crotalus lutosus), and mountain cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii).

Download Carson River Canyon Visitor Guide

Location: