Guernsey State Park

Guernsey State Park
Blue lake waters
Guernsey State Park is located in Wyoming
Guernsey State Park
Guernsey State Park
Location in Wyoming
LocationPlatte County, Wyoming, United States
Coordinates42°19′3″N 104°49′11″W / 42.31750°N 104.81972°W / 42.31750; -104.81972[1]
Area8,631 acres (3,493 ha)[2]
Elevation4,423 ft (1,348 m)[1]
Established1934
Administered byWyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
DesignationWyoming state park
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Lake Guernsey State Park
Guernsey State Park Museum
Area3,760 acres (original)
8,602 acres (increase)[3]
Built1934-39
ArchitectRoland Pray (original)
S. R. Deboer; Richard G. Redell (expanded)
Architectural styleNational Park Service Rustic, Bungalow/Craftsman
NRHP reference No.80004051 (original)
97001260 (increase)[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 26, 1980 (original)
September 25, 1997 (increase)
Designated NHLDSeptember 25, 1997[4]

Guernsey State Park is a public recreation area surrounding the Guernsey Reservoir, an impoundment of the North Platte River, one mile northwest of the town of Guernsey in Platte County, Wyoming. The state park has campgrounds, boat ramps and hiking trails as well as exceptional examples of structures created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.[5] Facilities are managed for the Bureau of Reclamation by the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites.[6]

History

Guernsey State Park Power Plant

The park began with the construction of the Guernsey Dam, started in 1925 and completed in 1927.[7][8] Between 1934 and 1939, workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps created recreational facilities on the land surrounding the dam's reservoir. Park management fell to the state of Wyoming in 1957.[3]

Lake Guernsey State Park (also known as Guernsey State Park Historic District, Lake Guernsey Park, Guernsey Lake Park, or Guernsey State Park) was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1997 for its design history and construction. The park's design was the result of the first collaboration between the National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation, and its infrastructure was built by Civilian Conservation Corps crews. The historic district contains 60 contributing resources: 14 buildings, three sites and 43 structures, as well as 46 non-contributing resources.[3][9]

Features

The Guernsey State Park Museum offers information about the CCC and the natural and cultural history of the area.[10][11] The park contains a separate National Historic Landmark, the Oregon Trail Ruts. Register Cliff, another feature of the Oregon Trail listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located two miles southeast of the park.[5]

Activities and amenities

The park has seven campgrounds and three boat ramps. Fish species include walleye, yellow perch and channel catfish. Fish populations are affected by the reservoir's twice-yearly draw-downs.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Guernsey Reservoir". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "Table 1. Facilities managed by Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails" (PDF). SOAR 2021. Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. p. 12. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Begley, Susan; Carr, Ethan (January 6, 1997). "Lake Guernsey State Park". National Historic Landmark Nomination. National Park Service. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  4. ^ "Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State". National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Guernsey State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Guernsey Reservoir Facilities". Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  7. ^ "Guernsey Dam and Reservoir". Wyoming Places. Wyoming State Library. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Wyoming: Guernsey Dam". National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  9. ^ "Lake Guernsey State Park: Accompanying 20 images (photos and plans), from 1977, 1994, and c. 1935". NRHP database. National Park Service. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Guernsey State Park". Sangres.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  11. ^ "Guernsey Museum Digitization Project". Wyoming State Parks & Historic Sites. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
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