Nevada’s Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park to soon temporarily close for road repairs

Planning to head to Nevada’s Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park? Better hurry, as the park is closing for the spring and summer due to road repairs.

Nevada State Parks announced Wednesday that the park will close April 29 for road repairs and will likely remain closed through the summer.

The closure includes the ghost town, campground, picnic area and fossil shelter.

The park contains a ghost town built in the 1890s that is preserved in a state of arrested decay, with interpretive trails that tell the story of the town and its mine. The park also houses the largest known remains and most abundant concentration of Ichthyosaurs, ancient marine reptiles that swam in the warm ocean that covered Nevada more than 200 million years ago.

The park will undergo improvements to its access roads through a Federal Lands Access Program grant to improve the Fossil House and Union Canyon roadways. The roads will be resurfaced and widened to allow for two vehicles to pass simultaneously.

The roads and the parking lot at the fossil house will be graded, and erosion control measures will be installed, along with a retaining wall and guardrail.

For updates on the park’s closure status, visit parks.nv.gov/berlin.

Amy Alonzo covers the outdoors, recreation and environment for Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Reach her at aalonzo@gannett.com or (775) 741-8588. Here's how you can support ongoing coverage and local journalism.