Long rider will get last stamp at Mormon Station

Nevada equestrian explorer Samantha Szesciorka and her horse, Sage will ride into Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa.

The team will be greeted by park staff and become the first to complete the Nevada State Parks Passport Challenge entirely on horseback.
The Nevada State Parks Passport Challenge requires getting special stamps during visits to 15 state parks. Visitors who complete the challenge win a free annual pass to all Nevada State Parks.
Szesciorka and Sage started the Passport Challenge in 2013 during their first historic long distance ride across Nevada. The two rode 500 miles across Central Nevada, making stops at Cave Lake, Ward Charcoal Ovens, Berlin-Ichthyosaur, Fort Churchill, and Dayton state parks. In 2016, during their 1,100 mile long ride around Northern Nevada, they stopped at Wild Horse State Park. In 2021, they rode 550 miles from Las Vegas to Carson City, with a stop at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park to get a stamp. The team has also ridden through Valley of Fire, Cathedral Gorge, Walker River, Lahontan, Rye Patch, Lake Tahoe, and Washoe Lake State Parks.
Szesciorka and Sage will ride into Mormon Station to collect their 15th stamp on May 3. While many people complete the challenge each year, no one has yet completed it on horseback.
“It took us a while, but I am so excited to complete the challenge,” said Szesciorka. “And I am so grateful to Nevada State Parks. Not every state park is open to horses, but they have always been accommodating to us in support of our horseback adventures.”
The public is invited to Mormon Station to see Samantha and Sage get their final passport stamp. The two will ride into the park following the 2 p.m. Western Heritage Days Parade.
Szesciorka is the founder of the Nevada Discovery Ride. She and her adopted mustangs, Sage and Fremont, have completed three solo, long-distance treks across and around Nevada. Szesciorka is a member of the Long Riders’ Guild, an international association of equestrian explorers. Next she plans to ride around Lake Tahoe. Visit www.nevadadiscoveryride.com for more information.
Visit https://parks.nv.gov/passport for more information on the Nevada State Parks passport challenge.