What to See & Do

Lahontan Lake, a large reservoir west of Fallon, is a favorite recreation area. Stillwater Wildlife Management Area and the Lahontan Marshes attract thousands of migratory geese and ducks which use the marshes as a resting point on their annual flyways. Fishing is good in Lahontan Lake, the Harmon and Sheckler Reservoirs, and the Carson River.

One of the most interesting scenes in the area is east of Fallon, a half-mile off the highway. Sand Mountain is 2 miles long, a mile wide and more than 600 feet high. This perfect hill of fine bleached sand has blown into a box canyon over thousands of years from the flats of Lake Lahontan, an ancient sea now dry. The huge pile of sand is available to ATV enthusiasts who buzz up and down the dune, with the constant winds covering the tracks in short order.

Near Sand Mountain is a lonely grave -- a reminder of the treacherous journeys made by early Western pioneers during the mid-1800s. Four children -- sisters Jennie (9), Louise (6), and Emma (3) LeBeau, and Wilson Turner (3) died in a wagon of diptheria in 1864. The original gravesite (a quarter mile west of this spot) was washed out in 1940, and the remains were reburied here in 1941. The grave was restored by father and son Johnnie A Johnson and Johnnie R. Johnson, and their thoughtful work lives on as a tribute to our pioneers.

A short desert trail leads from the foot of Sand Mountain to the tumble-down site of an original pony express overnight station, where the riders came to rest themselves and their horses. Visiting this spot gives you a good feeling for the hardship and many privations faced by these fearless riders.

There are two areas that geology and history lovers will find interesting. Grimes Point County Park is located a few miles east of town, with an Indian burial ground and displays of petroglyphs, as well as several bat caves. Hidden Cave is considered to be one of the country's most important archeological finds. East of the park along Highway 50, the base of the Fairview Mountains has jumbles of semiprecious stones, including geodes, agates, calcite, and jasper, which are there for the picking. On the eastern slopes of the range are more chances for rock-hounding. This is the location of a well-defined fault line.