A high-elevation Nevada state park featuring a recently restored 32-acre reservoir, limestone canyons, and year-round recreation in the Schell Creek Range.
Cave Lake State Park occupies more than 4,000 acres of limestone canyons and pinyon-juniper woodlands in the Schell Creek Range, just 15 miles southeast of Ely, Nevada. Perched at an elevation of 7,300 feet, the park centers around a 32-acre reservoir fed by Cave Creek. In June 2025, the park celebrated a historic reopening after a multi-year, 9.6 million dollar dam rehabilitation project that temporarily drained the lake to replace the aging 1930s-era structure with a modern, high-capacity spillway. To restore the aquatic ecosystem, wildlife officials placed 200 artificial habitats on the lakebed and stocked the refilled waters with 17,000 fish, including German brown trout, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass, restoring the park's status as a premier high-desert fishery.
The reservoir's origins date back to 1939, when the Isbell Construction Company built the original dam to store water for the Civilian Conservation Corps ranch located in the nearby Steptoe Valley. The property changed hands among local ranchers until 1968, when the CB Ranch sold the 1,240-acre parcel to the Nevada Department of Fish and Game for a symbolic ten dollars. Transferred to the Nevada Division of State Parks in 1973, the park expanded significantly in 2015 through a land transfer from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Today, overnight visitors can choose between two distinct campgrounds: Lake View Campground, built in 1977 along the shoreline, and Elk Flat Campground, established in 1988 in a more secluded meadow. Both sites feature modern restrooms and showers, providing comfortable base camps for exploring the rugged limestone cliffs.
Four developed trails wind through the park's dramatic topography, offering routes for both casual walkers and experienced hikers. The easy three-mile Steptoe Creek Trail follows the water's edge, while the five-mile Cave Springs Trail meanders through the surrounding hillsides. For panoramic views of the entire canyon, the strenuous 4.5-mile Cave Lake Overlook Trail climbs steep ridges dominated by big sagebrush, wild rose, and stands of shivering aspen that turn brilliant gold in autumn. When winter arrives, the high elevation ensures thick ice, transforming the reservoir into a hub for ice skating, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Each January, the park hosts Ely's annual Fire and Ice Festival, where artists carve elaborate snow and ice sculptures directly on the frozen lake, culminating in a fireworks display and the whimsical, freezing-cold bathtub races.
If visiting in the winter, time your trip for the annual Fire and Ice Festival in January to watch the frozen reservoir host snow-sculpting contests, fireworks, and the legendary lakeside bathtub races. Be sure to pack heavy layers, as winter temperatures at this 7,300-foot elevation regularly plunge below zero.