Spring Mountain Ranch
Many first-time Nevada travelers are skeptical when it comes to visiting State Parks in and around the city of Las Vegas. Common misconceptions deal with everything from boring landscapes to dismal attractions and empty exhibitions. Thankfully, Dream Luxury Car Rentals is out to change this mindset, providing customers with informative overviews of a number of Las Vegas area parks. One such unsung jewel in the immediate Las Vegas area is the Spring Mountain Ranch Nevada State Park. Originally used as a campground for Utes and mountain men during the 1830s and 40s, the land encompassed in Spring Mountain Ranch features some of the oldest buildings in all of Nevada. Commonly referred to as Old Bill Williams Ranch after the infamous horse thief that secretively lived there, the Spring Mountain Ranch provides visitors with a crystal clear look back in time. Customers of Dream Luxury Car Rentals are invited to visit this exciting local treasure as part of an upcoming vacation, provided, of course, that they aren’t dubbed by false claims of boring attractions.
Horse Thieves, Chinchilla Ranchers, & Movie Stars: The History Behind Spring Mountain
There’s certainly nothing boring behind the history of Spring Mountain Ranch, begin with the properties first infamous owner. During the 1840s, a mountain man by the name of Bill Williams became one of the first semi-permanent residents of Spring Mountain, using the land as a place to hide horses he’d swindled from neighboring ranchers. During the 1860s, Spring Mountain became home to a small estate and included a blacksmith shop and sandstone cabins. Buildings built in this era can still be seen on the property, so be sure to take a close look at them during your Dream Luxury Car Rentals visit. These buildings are some of the oldest in all of Las Vegas. Around the time these buildings were built, a man by the name of James B. Wilson filed a claim for the land and renamed it Sandstone Ranch. Wilson’s friend, Willard George, acquired the ranch later in 1929 and proceeded to use the land for raising chinchillas. In 1944, the ranch changed hands again, this time going to Chet Lauck (“Lum” of the famous radio team of ‘Lum and Abner’). The ranch was renamed the “Bar Nothing Ranch”. Lauck and his friend Don Ameche of movie fame used the land to breed racehorses and raise cattle. The Ranch’s current name came about in 1955 when it was purchased by Vera Krupp, the German movie start who once owned the famous Krupp Diamond. From there, the ranch was sold to Howard Hughes. By this time the ranch featured everything from swimming pools to a secret passageway.
History
The Spring Mountain Ranch Nevada State Park is quite different from other state-owned lands. The house itself has been home to some of the world’s most intriguing characters, all of which have left their distinct mark on the property. Apart from the great beauty of the meadows and trees on the property, the Spring Mountain Ranch also features fantastic man-made conveniences. Members of the Spring Mountain Ranch Docent Organization explain the history of the site to customers of Dream Luxury Car Rentals during fun and informative tours of the property. Customers of Dream Luxury Car Rentals can also participate in self-guided tours of the property between 10am and 4pm daily. Guided tours are performed on weekdays at 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm, as well as on weekends at 12pm and 3pm.
If you were under the assumption that all Nevada State Parks were nothing more than desert and sunburns, think again! The Spring Mountain Ranch Nevada State Park is sure to provide you with plenty of excitement. To learn more about the Spring Mountain Ranch please call 1-702-875-4141. Customers of Dream Luxury Car Rentals will find picnic areas open in the park from 8am until dusk.
