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All the United States Nevada Las Vegas Tule Springs Ranch
AO Edited

Tule Springs Ranch

Now a city park, this site started as a stage stop, then was a working ranch, and finally became a dude ranch that specialized in letting wannabe divorcees establish Nevada residency.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Added By
slgwv
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Suspension bridge that formerly crossed a fish pond.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Suspension bridge that formerly crossed a fish pond.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
One of the Tule Springs ponds.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Ranch buildings in the park.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Park grounds.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the old ranch buildings.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Peacock displaying.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking east to the desert beyond. This area is now all developed.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Peahen with chicks.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Shady veranda.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Buildings and old water wheel.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Original outbuildings dot the lush green property   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
A lush green oasis and ranch   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
A lush green escape from the desert, the gazebo adds to the landscape   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
Ducks and other wild birds are abundant at the park   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
Original outbuildings dot the lush green property   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
Pea fowl and other wild birds are abundant at the park   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
Pea fowl and other wild birds are abundant at the park   TheColorDana / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Tule Springs lie in the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, at the edge of the present city. As a perennial water source in this arid land, the springs have always been of extraordinary importance to the area's people and wildlife. To this day several ponds support substantial waterfowl populations, as well as other wildlife and even fish stocks.

Unsurprisingly, the springs were homesteaded around the end of the 19th century. The ranch acted as a stage stop briefly for the early 20th-century mining booms centered around Rhyolite, about 100 miles to the northwest. When the stage line folded, Tule Springs again became a working ranch. After World War II, however, it became a dude ranch with a twist—a so-called "divorce ranch." People wishing to get a divorce could stay there to establish Nevada residency.

In 1931, Nevada lowered the time required to establish state residency to only six weeks. At a time when many other states had made divorces almost impossible to obtain, Nevada had already liberalized its divorce laws and a "Nevada divorce" had become notorious among celebrities and the well-heeled. The reduced residency time made this option available to a lot more people, and a cottage industry sprang up to accommodate those needing to become temporary Nevadans.

The grounds are shady and park-like, with big lawns and exotic birds such as peacocks wandering around. The old ranch buildings are largely whitewashed brick, which probably made them bearable during the Las Vegas summer even before air-conditioning. Lots of photographs and informational signs tell about the "divorce ranch" years.

Divorce ranches faded away in the early 1960s as other states liberalized their divorce laws. The area was acquired as a city park by Las Vegas in 1964, which (after some vicissitudes) it remains today. It was renamed for former state senator Floyd Lamb in the late 1970s, and the name has stuck—despite Lamb having been convicted of bribery in 1983.

Related Tags

Parks Spring Weddings

Know Before You Go

Take US 95 northbound toward Tonopah and exit right (north) at Durango Blvd. In about half a mile turn right on Brent Road, which turns into Tule Springs Road.

Community Contributors

Added By

slgwv

Edited By

TheColorDana

  • TheColorDana

Published

July 6, 2021

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Sources
  • https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Residents/Parks-Facilities/Floyd-Lamb-Park
  • https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/las-vegas-divorce-ranches
  • https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/las-vegas-divorce-ranches
Tule Springs Ranch
9200 Tule Springs Rd
Las Vegas, Nevada, 89131
United States
36.321833, -115.269971
Visit Website
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Photo of Las Vegas

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Las Vegas

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