Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-27. Check linked official notices before travel.

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in central Nevada pairs the remains of a mining town with protected marine-reptile fossils. A day visit can combine a self-guided walk through Berlin with the fossil viewing area viewing area. Confirm tour arrangements before making the remote drive; viewing windows provide an overview when tours are not running.

A mining town and a fossil site

• Berlin townsite: Original buildings and interpretive signs explain the former mining community.
• fossil viewing area: Protected ichthyosaur remains are the park's paleontological focus.
• Two ways to learn: Read the townsite signs independently and use the viewing window if a scheduled fossil tour is unavailable.

Prepare before the high-country drive

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Check fire and winter-road conditions

Stage One fire restrictions apply. Wood or charcoal fires are restricted to developed or designated areas with approved fire enclosures; portable gas or pressurized-fuel stoves are allowed under the published order. A park may impose stricter limits. Read the current fire notice before using any flame.

The order also restricts smoking to an enclosed vehicle or a vegetation-cleared area and requires a fire extinguisher, shovel, and at least a gallon of water when operating a vehicle in wildland areas. For a winter visit, call about weather and road conditions before leaving.

Leave buildings and fossils intact

Do not remove or disturb historic structures, artifacts, rocks, plants, or fossils. Metal detecting and drones are prohibited. Keep pets on leashes no longer than 6 feet, drive only on established roads, and do not collect firewood inside park boundaries.

Plan for the fossil viewing area

Check whether a guided tour is scheduled for your date. The viewing window and interpretive signs provide an overview when a tour is not operating. Consult the official fee schedule and contact the park rather than assuming a vehicle entry fee includes a tour.

Reach the park from Gabbs

The park is about 20 miles east of Gabbs on State Route 844. Its terrain rises from roughly 6,840 to 7,880 feet in the Shoshone Mountains. Plan around actual road and weather conditions rather than treating the mapped location as an ordinary town stop.

Other regional parks by road

Fort Churchill State Historic Park is near Silver Springs on Highway 95A. Lahontan State Recreation Area is another Silver Springs-area option, with an entrance at Fir Avenue. Both require additional road planning from Berlin; check Lahontan's current algae advisory before considering water contact there.

Combine signs, surviving buildings, and fossils

Walk the townsite at your own pace and use the interpretation to distinguish the buildings' former roles. Then visit the fossil viewing area viewing area or a confirmed tour. These experiences tell different stories: one concerns a mining community, the other the animals preserved in the rock.

Bring supplies for a remote visit

The park has restrooms, covered tables, and seasonal drinking water. Bring the supplies your day requires and verify water availability before relying on a tap. For an overview of the destination and viewing arrangement, use Travel Nevada's park profile.

About Berlin and its protected fossils

A park created in 1957

The state park was established in 1957 to protect and display the ichthyosaur fossils. It also preserves Berlin's turn-of-the-twentieth-century mining town and the Diana Mine. Original buildings remain, and townsite signs draw on recollections of a former resident.

Sagebrush and pinyon-juniper slopes

Sagebrush covers the hillsides, with pinyon pine and Utah juniper higher up. Mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbits, western bluebirds, and pinyon jays are among the animals recorded by Nevada State Parks. The living high-country habitat is distinct from the fossil story, and sightings vary.

Contact Berlin-Ichthyosaur

Call 775-427-9332 to confirm tour arrangements, road conditions, and current services before the drive.