Located 17
miles from Elko, the South Fork Recreation Area offers a wide
variety of water activities for the whole family.
Travel 7
miles south of Elko o State Route 227, 5.5 miles South on S.R.
228, and 3.5 miles southwest on Lower South Fork Road.
Excerpts
from "Old Heart of Nevada" by Shawn Hall:
"George
Crane, John Richardson, William Tucker, Thomas Chandler and Robert
Toller first settled the South Fork area in 1867. They made two
trips to Austin each year to stock up on supplies. In the fall
of 1868 George Shepherd organized the Denver-Shepherd toll road,
also known as the Hamilton road, which ran to Hamilton.It was
the first toll road to be built in eastern Nevada. At the time,
it was the only road heading south from Elko to Hamilton, but
the Gilson turnpike, which was completed on the east side of the
valley the following spring, ended Shepherd;s monopoly. Until
Elko Formed in 1869, the Taylor Morton stage used Shepherd's Station
as its terminus. Taylor was well-known for his ability with a
shotgun and was so feared that on on e ever harassed his stages.
Shepherd himself occasionally road shotgun for Well Fargo. she
settled at South Fork, and his station was the first overnight
stop south of Elko.
In 1869 Shepherd
built a bigger stage station and a hotel that contained a bar,
a dining room, and a large wine cellar featuring French wines.
A post office named Coral Hill opened at South Fork on March 25,
1870 , but closed on July 19,1871. Shepherd's toll road fell victim
to the vicious stage wars that took place during the 1870's. When
Hill Beachey took over the Gilson road, his lower prices and faster
route attracted business away from Shepherd's road. In 1870 when
the Woodruff and Ennor line changed to run on the Gilson road,
virtually everyone stopped using Shepherd's route. Not one to
give up, Shepherd opened a new toll road leading from Elko to
Bullion in 1870. On February 27, 1874, the post office reopened
with the name South Fork. On May 1 it reverted to its old name,
Coral Hill. The post office remained in operation until March
14, 1877, and Shepherd was postmaster during this entire period.
After some time had passed, Shepherd quit the stage business and
returned to ranching, but his hotel stayed open and was the "in
" place for Elko residents to go for dances, parties, holiday
gatherings, and weddings. Shepherd always promised that the table
would be full and the bar stocked. The county purchased Shepherd's
old toll road in 1882 and made it a public road. Shepherd later
served as Elko County Treasurer and server two terms as state
senator."
Today South
Fork State Recreation Area offers convenient camping for hunters
in area 10 and the southern proton of area 6. A developed campground
with 25 sites each contain a picnic table and small fire pit.
Restrooms, and showers and a dump station is located nearby for
people with travel trailers or motor homes. Primitive camping
is also allowed around much of the shoreline. A boat launch is
located on the North end of Reservoir.
Fishing,
camping, wildlife view, water skiing, waterfowl hunting, hiking,
and in the winter, ice fishing are all available at the South
Fork State Recreation Area. For the fisherman, small mouth bass,
large mouth bass, trout and catfish are waiting for you.
For more
information on the South Fork State Recreation Area you can contact
park officials at:
