Reviews

Maryj

Kind of an amazing history and wonder. Growing up in northern Idaho among many silver mines we never had anything like this. The technology they used for smelting wasn’t the most efficient. What they left behind is a wonder. There’s a short trail around the park and is easy walking. I was the only one left in the park after a short hike coming back to an empty parking lot - it’s definitely remote and something heavy snapped a twig so I didn’t panic because I did see cow poop so probably a cow or a big foot. LOL!!! 😂

Val Afualo Conway

If you like visiting oddities and weird places, this is for you. The Ward Charcoal ovens were named for a nearby city, long gone. These ovens were used to burn wood into charcoal, to be used as fuel in an energy plant. To keep up the demand for fuel, locals denuded the area of trees for miles around. Dogs ok. There is an honor system to pay for admission to this Nevada State Park and for added entertainment , everyone can speculate how the park rangers retrieve the money you shove down the concrete honor pipe. Pro Tip: Bring your barbershop quartet here and belt out a song in the middle of the oven. The sound is very weird.

Michele Sherman

The ovens were a neat find. They are a unique reminder of our country’s history and a little sad to think of how many trees it took to fill just one of the ovens to create the charcoal. While we were there, we saw a sign for Ward’s mining town. It’s actually before you get to the ovens. The cemetery is a very interesting visit.

William Vlach

Very cool old historic structures and history! That said, I don't think they should charge us the same for this 10-15 minute experience as they charge for an entire day at Cave Lake and other parks. Especially since it takes an extra half-hour round trip on an unpaved road just to get to it. Although I should add that the road to get there is in GREAT shape (60MPH easy! =) )

Cyndi Huffman

These were an interesting pitstop to make when we were in the area. Hard to believe how many trees that they used. They have been well preserved. It’s a bit of a long drive back to get them but worth it to check them out. Vault toilets in the area. And a picnic area too! A short half mile hike just past the ovens.

Kenneth Davis

Our first stop was the Ward Charcoal Ovens. Here, one will find six massive ovens used to make charcoal for the smelters. Silver mines abound, and the smelters were running overtime. Tons of charcoal was needed. Each of these ovens could hold six acres of trees. With six ovens running, that meant it took 36 acres of trees about every 12 days to keep this operation going. The silver mines ran out quickly, and these ovens were only in operation for 3 years. Yet, in those 3 years, they consumed every tree within a 35-mile radius of this operation. The workmanship in the construction of these 'bee hives' is something to marvel over.

William Whitaker

Great bit of history. Intriguing structures. Nice short walk, hardly any people. We got there during one of the ten wet days a year (9.6 in/yr. - V.dry) There's an actual creek near by.

Autumn Esparza

I went up to the ward charcoal ovens at around 3:00 p.m. on a tuesday, and I was the only one there. You do have to go down a dirt road for 8 me. It is in the middle of nowhere. The dirt road is well-maintained, you don't need a high profile vehicle or even a four-wheel drive on a good weather day. I read all of the information displays and checked out the ovens. I was there for maybe half an hour. I was tempted to go on the 1/2 loop hike, but I just came back from a major hike, so I decided against it. Overall, it would be a nice rest stop to stretch your legs.

Daniel Bustos

Perfect Campground.. highly recommend! Clean Facilities, Helpful Park Rangers, Access to Great Trails and Close to Fishing. A must visit when coming through Nevada!!

K G

Interesting piece of history. We came to this very remote location from Ely to see the ovens but moreso to view the night sky. There are a couple of signs about the ovens. The ovens were much larger than I anticipated, and one of my photos shows looking up to the top. The night sky was AMAZING. We came on a cloudless night just 1 night away from the new moon in early June. We arrived around 8:30pm and had to wait an hour or so until it was dark enough to see any stars. The view was amazing, and the longer we stayed, the more amazing the number of stars was. Thr only distraction was a very bright light in the distance behind us. It must have been from a mining operation but for a dark sky area, was a little disappointing. I think it delayed when we could see stars. We could also see quite a few satellites moving through space. We left about 10:30 because it was cold. If we go again, we will bring folding chairs, headlamps and a blanket. There is a bench that we were able to use, but I just assume have my own chair.