Berlin-ichthyosaur State Park Campground

About

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park Campground provides a unique camping experience in one of Nevada's most remote and historically significant parks. Located in the Shoshone Mountains at roughly 7,000 feet elevation, the campground offers 14 well-spaced sites surrounded by pinyon-juniper woodlands. Each site features a fire ring, BBQ grill, and covered picnic table, with restrooms and an RV dump station available. Potable water is typically operational from mid-April through the end of October. The park preserves the 1890s mining town of Berlin in a state of arrested decay, with original buildings, mining equipment, and a cemetery still intact. More remarkably, the park houses the Fossil House shelter protecting the remains of several Ichthyosaurs, ancient marine reptiles that swam Nevada's prehistoric seas 225 million years ago. These are the largest and most abundant Ichthyosaur fossils found anywhere in North America. The campground's remote location in Nye County, about 23 miles east of Gabbs on State Route 844, means limited services and no cell coverage. Campers should arrive prepared with supplies, as the nearest towns are small and distant. The journey itself passes through classic Basin and Range terrain, making this a destination for those seeking solitude, dark skies, and genuine Nevada backcountry character.

Directions

From Gabbs, Nevada, travel east on State Route 844 for approximately 23 miles to the park entrance. The road is paved but remote with no services along the way.