Davis Creek Camp Grd Rd, Nevada 89704, USA

Davis Creek Regional Park

Park Description:

Davis Creek Regional Park is a 297-acre Washoe County park with restrooms. The park is located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains and is home to the Davis Creek Campground. Along with a pond that allows non-motorized boats, Davis Creek Regional Park offers acces to many hiking, biking, and equestrian trails and the Toiyobe National Forest.

Park Amenities:

62-site overnight campground (with hot showers) with an RV area, picnic area, barbecue area, hiking trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, volleyball court, and a horseshoe area.

Park Contact Information:

Washoe County Parks and Open Space (775) 828-6612

Park Highlights

1/1

Park History

Click the image to read each topic's full text!

Park History

Davis Creek Park Pond was originally part of the 4,000 acre Winters Ranch, which was known in the second half of the 19th century for its thoroughbred horses. Winter’s Ranch used the area to harvest ice in the summer. The park was opened to the public in 1969. In 1995, portions of the movie "Bonanza: Under Attack" were filmed here.

Today, this park is used for relaxation, camping, nature and geology studies, canyon and mountain hiking, and horseback riding. The park features sagebrush, bitterbrush, manzanitas, and Jeffrey pines which thrive on the east side of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Since this park is located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada range, this area receives some rain, but is mainly blocked from severe winds.

Davis Creek Park Pond

This natural shallow pond has been expanded over the years to its current size of 2.5 acres, and a depth of 15 feet. In 1998, the pond was dredged by Washoe County Regional Parks to improve the fish habitat. The southern and northern ends were deepened to 15 feet. The pond is fed by Davis Creek and by Ophir Creek (via a man made ditch). The pond has dried up three times in the past, including during the drought of 1987-94.

Davis Creek Park Pond is open year round with regular public park hours. The fish limit is three game fish per person. The pond holds rainbow trout which typically measure between 8-12.5 inches. The best method of catching these trout seem to be through using small worms or PowerBait.

Slide Mountain

Davis Creek Regional Park lies on the east side of the Carson Range. The Carson Range is a spur of the bigger Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and includes Slide Mountain and Mount Rose. Contrary to what most people believe, Mount Rose ski area in not on Mount Rose, but located on Slide Mountain. Mount Rose is the large mountain to the north of Slide Mountain.

On May 30th, 1983 around about noon, there was a devastating rock and soil slide. The winter of 1982/1983 was unusually wet and brought a record snowpack. But with an unusually warm spell in late May, high runoff occurred. The runoff infiltrated into the subsurface eventually causing a large avalanche of rockfall and debris. The avalanche damaged a small reservoir which further triggered slides and torrents of debris streaming downward over the alluvial fan (debris field) of Ophir Creek into Washoe Valley. Geological studies suggest that similar rock slides have happened at least nine times in the past 50,000 years.

Get Involved!

Donate:

Make a donation to support the Parks Project or your favorite Parks Foundation program, project, or wherever its needed! Click here to donate today.

Volunteer:

Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Davis Creek Regional Park on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

Washoe County Parks and Open Space - Davis Creek Regional Park
Washoe County: Davis Creek Camping Information
Davis Creek Facebook Page
All Trails information on hiking: Davis
NDOW: Davis Park Info and Lake Info
New to Reno: Davis Creek
Nevada, A World Within. A State Apart: Washoe County Davis Creek Park
Bonanza, Scenery of the Ponderosa: Davis Creek Park
“Davis Creek Regional Park, Washoe County, Nevada” by Axel Drefahl
NoeHill Travels in the American West: Nevada, “Winters Ranch”
NV Markers: “The Winters' Ranch (Rancho Del Sierra)”
Nevada Historic Markers in Washoe County: Winters' Ranch
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology: “Structural Geology of the Truckee Meadows”
Carson City History: “SLIDE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA 1983”
Reno Gazette Journal: Article on Slide Mountain

Contributor(s):

Patti Posten (history)

Haley McGuire

Alex Shahbazi

Last Updated:

August 26, 2022 at 6:22:55 PM

Back to All Parks

Biodiversity

Davis Creek Camp Grd Rd, Nevada 89704, USA

Davis Creek Regional Park

Park Description:

Park Amenities:

62-site overnight campground (with hot showers) with an RV area, picnic area, barbecue area, hiking trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, volleyball court, and a horseshoe area.

Park Contact Information:

Washoe County Parks and Open Space (775) 828-6612

Park Highlights

Park History

Click the image to read each topic's full text!

Get Involved!

Donate:

Make a donation to support the Parks Project or your favorite Parks Foundation program, project, or wherever its needed! Click here to donate today.

Volunteer:

Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

​

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

Contributor(s):

Last Updated:

August 26, 2022 at 6:22:55 PM