Pioneer Territory
To the north of Pioneer Territory, mountain ranges and long narrow valleys rise high above the timberline of Pinon pines. Further south, however, the land descends into the Mojave Desert, with its distinctive Joshua trees and creosote.
The Toiyabe Range in the Basin and Range Country provides spectacular mountain scenery (over 3000m/ 10,000ft). Walker Lake, the remains of an ancient inland sea, is now a popular resort for boating and fishing, and nearby Hawthorne makes a good base for exploring this region.
Beatty is the gateway to the famous Death Valley National Park, where visitors will witness unique geological features in the extremes of the desert. Scotty’s Castle is a popular, if slightly odd, century-old desert guest ranch. Amongst Nevada’s own parks in Pioneer Territory is the Berlin-Icthyosaur State Park, home to the well-preserved and greatly detailed ghost town of Berlin. The Cathedral Gorge State Park, towards the east, is worth visiting to see the spectacular spires and grottoes carved into the clay by natural erosion.
The mining town of Goldfield was founded in 1902, and contains the beautiful Goldfield Hotel and the Esmeralda County Courthouse, as well as the old mining district. The Lyon County Museum in Yerington has displays of a kitchen, sheriff’s office, barbershop, mining artefacts, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and a 100-year-old general store. The Belmont Courthouse State Historic Site is located in the ghost town of Belmont, and was the county seat of Nye until 1905. Visitors to the Pahrump Valley Winery in Pahrump can look forward to free tours, tasting and Saturday evening concerts, as well as a gourmet restaurant. In Hawthorne, the Mineral County Historical Museum houses animal, bird and fossil exhibitions, mining and fire-fighting equipment, buggies and a 1907 drugstore display.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Nevada’s Pioneer Territory in 2005:
Apr Annual Arts & Loon Festival (celebrates the return of the loons each year and includes guided boat tours), Lake Walker, Hawthorne. May Spring Mother’s Day Madness (women’s team roping), Yerington. Jun Spring Fling Car Show, Yerington; Portuguese Celebration (dance parade and ‘Sopa’), Yerington. Aug Spirit of Wovoka Days Pow Wow, Yerington. Aug 19-22 Lyon County Fair & Rodeo, Yerington. Sep Sundae in the Park (arts and crafts festival), Yerington. Dec County Christmas, Yerington.
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