Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park – Austin, Nevada - Atlas Obscura
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Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

Austin, Nevada

Only intact Ichthyosaur skeleton in the United States. 

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A giant concrete Ichthyosaur beckons you to explore the park. http://www.whitetrashart.com (2010 White Trash Peg)
A giant concrete Ichthyosaur beckons you to explore the park. http://www.whitetrashart.com (2010 White Trash Peg)
Adobe house in the ghost town of Union, between Berlin and the fossils cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
Above the ghost town of Berlin cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Berlin Mill cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Diana Mine cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
Approaching Berlin from the west cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
The flag flying at Berlin has 45 stars, corresponding to the town's heyday cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Fossil House, the centerpiece of the park. This is a shelter built over partly excavated ichthyosaur fossils in place. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Fossils in the Fossil House, including broken ribs. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ribs and vertebrae. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Partly exposed ichthyosaur spine outside the Fossil House. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
The bas relief of the ichthyosaur Shonisaurus popularis found here, based on Charles Camp's reconstruction. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Bas-relief portrait in the Fossil House of Charles Camp, the paleontologist at the University of California, Berkeley who began studying this site in the 1950s. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Fossils in the Fossil House. Some long bones are visible. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
In-place ichthyosaur fossils in the Fossil House. The round, dish-like pieces are vertebrae. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Inside the Fossil House. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Inside the Fossil House. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
The fossils inside the barn cl94 (Atlas Obscura User)
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South of tiny Austin, Nevada, in desolate Nye county lies Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.

This area displays the fossilized remains of approximately eight Ichthyosaurs, including one that was, until recently, the largest known in North America. A reconstruction of this prehistoric dolphin-like reptile is shown on a giant billboard display. The vertebrae of these creatures are the size of dinner plates, and were reportedly used as such by miners living in Berlin.

Also inside of the State Park, one can find the ghost town of Berlin, which continues to draw visitors, even though there isn’t much left to see here: People have stripped the town attractions down to everything but the mine shafts. The Diana Mine in Ione is a popular attraction as, patrolled by State Park rangers with some regularity, it is considered to be safe and probably doesn’t house any squatters.

Know Before You Go

23 miles east of Gabbs, via State Route 844.

natural wonders water nature
Nearby
Gabbs Mine
16.80 miles
Ophir
18.57 miles
Nevada State Route 722
27.38 miles
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