Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, near Blue Diamond, Nevada, sits at the base of Red Rock Canyon's Wilson Cliffs, on a site with a natural spring that has drawn use since at least the mid-19th century, when it served as a stagecoach and ranch stop. Later owners included German industrial heiress Vera Krupp, and in 1967 the Howard Hughes Corporation purchased the property but never developed it, leaving the ranch largely intact until the state acquired it in 1974. Original ranch buildings, including a sandstone cabin, still stand on the grounds. Its sandstone-cliff backdrop and green ranchland make it a distinctive contrast to the surrounding Mojave Desert.