Hidden · Gabbs, Nevada, United States
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
A gold-rush ghost town and a barn full of ichthyosaur fossils, side by side on a mountain slope in central Nevada.
A mining town left standing, and fossils left where they lay.
Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park lies in far northwestern Nye County, Nevada, about 23 miles east of Gabbs. It covers more than 1,100 acres at 7,000 feet of elevation, on the western slope of the Shoshone Mountains. It protects two things at once: the ghost town of Berlin and a set of undisturbed ichthyosaur fossils.
Berlin was founded in 1896, after substantial gold veins were found nearby. The Berlin Mine produced 42,000 troy ounces of gold, all taken from tunnels by hard rock mining. By 1911 the mine no longer made money, and the town emptied soon after.
An ore mill, a fossil shelter and a tunnel you can enter with a guide.
In the ghost town the ore mill still stands, and visitors can see its stamps and mercury float tables. Other surviving buildings include homes, a blacksmith shop, a stagecoach shop and stable, a machine shop and an assay office. Some can be entered, while others show their contents through the windows.
The fossils belong to the species Shonisaurus popularis, first found here in 1928. Excavations ran through the 1960s and turned up the remains of roughly 40 ichthyosaurs, among them the largest ever discovered until 2004. Several were left in place under a large barn, and the public can see them. The shelter is about a 10-minute drive from the town, and the fossils were named a National Natural Landmark in 1973.
The ghost town and the fossil shelter.
Practical notes.
Before you go.
What is Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park?
A state park in Nye County, Nevada, that protects the gold-mining ghost town of Berlin and a group of undisturbed ichthyosaur fossils.
When was the town of Berlin founded?
In 1896, after substantial gold veins were found nearby. The mine stopped being profitable by 1911 and the town emptied soon afterward.
Can you see the fossils?
Yes. Several specimens were left where they were found and sit under a large protective barn. Guided tours of the fossil shelter run in the non-winter months.
Can you go into the mine?
Only on a guided tour, which goes about 500 feet into a tunnel linked to the Berlin Mine. All other access to the underground works is prohibited.
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