Craig Ranch Regional Park

Craig Ranch Regional Park
Aerial view of Craig Ranch Regional Park
Type	Regional park
Location	628 West Craig Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 89031
Coordinates	36°24′34″N 115°15′00″W
Area	170 acres (69 ha)
Created	2013
Operated by	City of North Las Vegas
Visitors	500,000 (2019)[1]
Website	Craig Ranch Regional Park

Craig Ranch Regional Park is a 170-acre regional park in North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, located along State Route 573 (Craig Road) and built on a former golf course.

History

Construction of Craig Ranch Regional Park began in 2009 and was completed in 2013, in response to the lack of public parks in the area.^[2] It is built on the former Craig Ranch Golf Course originally constructed in 1962, which was saved from future development by the City of North Las Vegas in 2005 when the city used Southern Nevada Lands Management Act funds to purchase the golf course.^[3]

In October 2015, an amphitheater with a seating capacity of up to over 8,000 along with an additional lake were built at the north side of the park using the city's award of $6.5 million from Clark County Parks of Regional Significance in 2013.^[3]

In December 2020, the city received $9.5 million from Clark County to build an additional six sports fields as well as more playground areas, restrooms, and another parking lot in the southeastern corner of the park.^[1]

In February 2021, Craig Ranch suffered severe damage to the trees, playgrounds, dog parks, and pathways within it due to the previous thunderstorm and heavy winds that impacted the area. The park was then temporarily closed for repairs.^[4][5]

Activities and amenities

Craig Ranch Regional Park features multiple playground centered around the ponds near the southern side of the park, along with three dog parks and several civic areas, an amphitheater for concerts and other events, open grass fields, and trails. For sports activities, the park currently has two baseball fields, four volleyball courts, six tennis courts, two basketball courts, as well as a 65,000 square foot skate park.^[3]

Featured within the park is a community garden with 62 personal plots available for annual reservation for $150 at the Craig Ranch Regional Park office.^[3]

Nature

The ponds at Craig Ranch Regional Park commonly attract birds such as mallard ducks and Canada geese, and in May 2021, red-eared slider turtles appeared. It is speculated that the turtles are either native to the Las Vegas Valley and navigated their way to the park or were pets released by their owners, as they are rarely ever found in North Las Vegas.^[6]

Events

Many different annual cultural and music events take place at Craig Ranch as the venue, this includes the Pirate Fest,^[7] Slides, Rides & Rock and Roll,^[8] and the Las Vegas Pride celebration among others.^[9]

References

1. Apgar, Blake (3 December 2020). "Craig Ranch Regional Park to get upgrades funded by county grant". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
2. Bartram, Samantha (31 January 2015). "Playground Land". National Recreation and Park Association. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
3. "Craig Ranch Regional Park". City of North Las Vegas. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
4. Olvera, Kaitlyn (14 February 2021). "Craig Ranch Regional Park closes after wind causes damage to trees, playgrounds". 8 News. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
5. Gartner, Jordan (15 February 2021). "Craig Ranch Park in North Las Vegas remains closed after Saturday's wind, storm". KTNV. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
6. Davis, Hillary (27 May 2021). "Turtles thriving in unusual home at North Las Vegas park". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
7. Dinant, Jason (17 April 2021). "Pirate Fest has returned to Craig Ranch Regional Park in Las Vegas". KTNV. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
8. "POSTPONED: Slides, Rides & Rock and Roll at Craig Ranch rescheduled for August". Fox 5 Las Vegas. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
9. "Events: Craig Ranch Regional Park". Las Vegas Pride. Retrieved 20 August 2021.