Cave Lake State Park
The Cave Lake State Park is a state park 25 kilometers southeast of Ely in White Pine County, Nevada. The recreation area is accessible via U.S. Highway 50/6/93 and Success Summit Road and is located in the mountain range of the Schell Creek Range, surrounded by nature reserves of high Schell Wilderness and the Humboldt - Toiyabe National Forest. The water surface of the dammed lake is 13 ha and is located 2240 m above sea level. As part of the White Pine County Lands Act the terrain could be extended out of 5 km ² 16.83 km ² in May 2007.
Already in the 1940s, the first artificial dam was built to serve as a water reservoir for a cattle farm. Some 20 years later acquired the state Department of Wildlife, the property and increased the dam far enough to create a lake with fish. 1965 a small campsite was created and in 1973 the State Park was designated. In 1989 a second campground and the park visitor numbers reached 100 000 people per year.
The best forest areas of aspen, pinyon pine, juniper trees, Prunus virginiana and willows along the Cave Creek, which flows into the lake and the Steptoe Creek in the drained lake. Nacktschnabelhäher, magpies, chickadees, nuthatches and tree creepers Andes inhabit the forests as well as elk, white-tailed deer and cougar.
In the summer months the lake for swimming, boating and fishing invites, being the largest and heaviest fish were caught throughout Nevada, a brook trout with 12.4 kg holds the record. In winter the region is to be freeze cold enough around the lake. Since 2005 is organized every year the White Pine Fire and Ice Show in January, a competition for snow and ice sculptures on the frozen lake with fireworks at the end. 2009 the event with the centenary of the steam engine # 93, a well-preserved local railway was merged with steam locomotive.