Echo Canyon State Park

Make Echo Canyon your waterfront basecamp as you park-hop your way through all six of Lincoln County’s state parks. Situated minutes from the living ghost town of Pioche, NV, stake your spot at campgrounds that overlook Echo Canyon Reservoir, cast a line into one of southeastern Nevada’s best fishing holes, watch for wildlife, hit up hiking trails with views of the entire valley, learn early pioneer history of the region, and much more at this pristine Nevada state park.

Echo Canyon Reservoir History

The first people to live in this region were the Fremont people, who moved around the American West with the seasons from about 700 to 1300 AD. Though they used the land in this section of modern-day southeastern Nevada for hunting and fishing, no permanent housing structures have been discovered, which suggests they only lived here seasonally. Original pottery was discovered within modern-day Echo Canyon State Park near the steel bridge, identified as Snake Valley pottery, and is now displayed at the visitor center at Cathedral Gorge State Park, located about 10 minutes south of Pioche.

As early pioneers forged west, many ended up staying in Lincoln County due to the abundance of water, which sharply contrasts the surrounding low-desert landscapes. Settlers first took advantage of water for farming and agricultural purposes, which still remains a dominant industry for folks living in the region today. To harness these natural resources, Echo Dam was built in 1970 to irrigate the valley’s sprawling crops.

Visiting Echo Canyon State Park Today

Today, this impressive 65-acre reservoir is connected by a waterway through the Meadow Valley Wash to Spring Valley State Park—a water system that eventually deposits all the way to Lake Mead in southern Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas. Though this recreational paradise is a portion of the Colorado River’s watershed, Echo Canyon and the area surrounding it is an example of typical Great Basin climate and vegetation. The Ash Canyon Trail, which leads into the park’s backcountry, is a favorite. Beginning in the upper campground, the 2.5-mile trail climbs 300 feet in a third of a mile to take hikers to the valley rim, and then descends into the dramatic, steep-sided walls of Ash Canyon.

Echo Canyon Reservoir Fishing

Be sure to keep your fishing tackle (and required Nevada fishing license) handy when headed to this part of Nevada. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, and even some German browns. Echo Canyon reservoir has a maximum depth of 27 feet and offers a boat ramp that is available during high water levels, but boats can also be launched from the shore. Even if you don’t have a boat, fishing anywhere from the shoreline is sure to satisfy the angler in all of us.

Echo Reservoir Camping

In addition to excellent fishing, the campsites at Echo Canyon are plentiful. The RV campground has 20 full hook-up sites that overlook Dry Valley, and the North campground has 32 sites (no utilities) with drinking water nearby. Campground facilities include flush toilets and an RV dump station. A group camping area can welcome up to 70 people, and it offers shade ramadas, grills, picnic tables, a comfort station, and drinking water. Reservations for campsites can be made in advance but aren’t required.