Van Sickle Bi-State Park
Van Sickle Bi-State Park is a public recreation area straddling the border of California and Nevada, that overlooks Lake Tahoe and preserves the memory of Henry Van Sickle, a key member in the founding of the town of Genoa, Nevada and the surrounding area. The state park features trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. It is managed by the Nevada Division of State Parks in partnership with the California Tahoe Conservancy.
History
Henry Van Sickle came to the Carson Valley in 1852, where he erected a hotel, restaurant, blacksmith shop, and bar while also being the first toll officer of the Kingsbury grade toll road. Jack Van Sickle, Henry's grandson, purchased a large portion of the Van Sickle Bi-State Park property at Lake Tahoe from Cora B. Harding in the late 1940s. Jack and his wife, Beth Van Sickle, harvested thousands of Christmas trees while operating the popular Stateline Stables. The property was also the home to the area's only rodeo grounds, where a local horse trader hosted events. From the 1950s until 1993, the equestrian stable for tourists, Stateline Stables, operated on the site with 40 to 60 horses taking riders on trails throughout the scenic area. The Lake Tahoe property was owned by Jack Van Sickle when, in 1988, 542 acres of the land was donated to the Nevada Division of State Parks. In 2001, the California Tahoe Conservancy purchased his adjacent California property. The park opened to the public in 2011. The pre-1870 historic barn, which originally sat alongside Highway 50, was relocated around 1960 to its present location near the Van Sickle homesite and is now included and to be preserved in the Van Sickle Bi-State Park system.While the California Department of Parks and Recreation was initially involved, the organization dropped out due to continued funding woes. Although part of the park is in California, it is not considered a California state park.