Twenty Years, Twenty Stories
ASLA + NPS Partnership: Silver Saddle Ranch Park
Carson City, Nevada, 2008
The 703-acre Silver Saddle Ranch and 2300 acres of adjacent public lands are located at the eastern edge of Carson City, form a landscape that includes mountains with spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, portions of the Carson River, and an historic ranch that represents the rural heritage of northern Nevada. Owned by the BLM, the site was considered for transfer to Carson City for park use. There were several differing ideas proposed for the type of park and uses to develop on the site, and eventually the Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch applied for assistance from NPS to work with the BLM, City, and community to develop a broadly-supported, locally-driven vision for the site’s future.
NPS reached out to the Nevada Chapter of ASLA to identify landscape architects in the region to volunteer to help guide stakeholders and community members in exploring how to transform the community’s vision into plans for the site. Eventually, the BLM placed a conservation easement over the property which was then conveyed to the City in 2015. Today, Silver Saddle Ranch Park provides opportunities for passive recreation and experiencing the ranching heritage of the Carson City area.