3851 Cashill Blvd, Reno, NV 89509

Caughlin Crest Park

Park Description:

Caughlin Crest Park is a 2-acre Reno park without restrooms. This public park is owned and maintained by the Caughlin Ranch HOA.

Park Amenities:

Playground, pathway, and tables/benches.

Park Highlights

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Park History

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Crissie Caughlin and the Andrews Ranch

George W. and Bettie Andrews were among the first settlers in the state when they arrived in the 1860s. The couple first settled in Washoe City but eventually purchased land in Reno from the Central Pacific Railroad to grow alfalfa. The land was originally known as the Andrews Ranch, and later as the Caughlin Ranch. George engineered and supervised the construction of the Last Chance Ditch, which cut through their ranch.

Christine “Crissie” Caughlin was born to George and Bettie in Washoe City around 1868. Crissie was well-educated, having attended the Bishop Whitaker School for Girls and graduating in the second class from University of Nevada in 1892. She inherited the ranch after the divorce of her parents and the untimely death of her brother. She married local sheriff William Henry Caughlin in 1895, thirty years her senior. After his death in 1932, she managed the operations of the ranch for many years, which at one point totaled 6,000 acres—including land inherited from her family and land purchased by her—covering an area from the Truckee River to Skyline Boulevard. On the ranch they raised cattle and other domestic ranch animals, and grew alfalfa.

Image: Parks in 1990; Source: Google Maps.

Modern Caughlin Ranch Community

The Eastridge and Caughlin Crest Parks are part of the Caughlin ranch land purchased by Lakeridge Developers Don Lonie, Alan Mears and Sam Jaksick in the early 1980s. The land was sold by the daughters of Crissie Caughlin to the developers because it was costing too much in property taxes. Their hope was that the land would be kept “as pristine as possible.”

At the time the daughters sold the land, the area was part of unincorporated Washoe County. Reno annexed the area in 1987.

The Caughlin Ranch development includes 2,300 acres of single-family homes, townhouses, and convenience center. According to the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association, the old ranch property now has 26 separate residential neighborhoods, eight non-residential land uses, one public facility, plus several privately-owned parks and recreational facilities.

Image: Caughlin Ranch HOA

McCarran Boulevard

West of the parks is McCarran Boulevard, also known as the McCarran Loop. The road is named for Pat McCarran, a prominent Democratic politician from Reno who served from 1933 to 1954 in the US Senate.

The loop road was conceived in 1955 and completed in 1990. In the late 1950s, studies were undertaken to determine population projections, traffic patterns, accidents, and auto usage. The result was a recommendation for a 22.4-mile road to ring around Reno and Sparks with arterial streets connecting to that ring road. The ring road was estimated to cost $5.3 million, not including right-of-way purchase.

Construction began on the east section in May 1967 with much of the road finished by 1973. But the last piece--Cashill Boulevard to Plumb Lane--was not finished until September 1990. Cashill Boulevard was completed in 1962.

Image: Pat McCarren in 1947; Source: Library of Congress

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Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Caughlin Crest Park on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

City of Reno Parks & Facilities Directory - Caughlin Crest Park
Caughlin Ranch HOA. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2021, from HOA: caughlinhoa.com
Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association: caughlinhoa.com
Fine, L. (2005, December 2). Blast from the past. Reno Gazette-Journal , p. 89.
Grady, S. (1998, September 11). 'Building around nature' motivated developers. Reno Gazette-Journal , p. 101.
Trudell, M. (2003, December 5). How our past explains our present. Reno Gazette-Journal , p. 108.

Contributor(s):

Jill Richardson (history)

Haley McGuire

Alex Shahbazi

Last Updated:

May 25, 2021, 5:48:16 PM

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3851 Cashill Blvd, Reno, NV 89509

Caughlin Crest Park

Park Description: