Berlin

Elevation: 6,676

A ghost town site turned state park in northern Nye County, 63 miles south of Austin.

The name "Berlin" encompasses the ghost town of Berlin proper, a former mining camp now fully preserved within Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, acquired by Nevada State Parks in 1970. The first mining activity in the region occurred here in May 1863 when a small group of prospectors discovered silver in Union Canyon. A relatively good assay in 1896 prompted the formation of the Berlin Mining District which included towns of Union, Ione, Grantsville, and later, Berlin, titled after the mine founder's home city in Germany. Despite the town's well-preserved ruins, the town never prospered to the same extent as other boom towns in the area mainly because it was a company town, arranged in the shape of U; the town essentially opened to the east to provide easy access to its "suburb" of Union, three miles to the east. Although Berlin saw extensive mining activity, the town had about 75 buildings, but only 300 residents. This low population partly accounts for the town's excellent state of preservation today.

Nevada State Parks preserves the town of Berlin in a state of "arrested decay." The Berlin Mine had three miles of tunnels, but produced less than $1 million worth of gold and silver during its lifetime. The Diana mine connects to the Berlin Mine at the fourth level and is preserved as a mining museum. Tours of the Diana Mine were halted in 2007 but resumed for visitation in 2010. Berlin's remote location only graces it with about 2,000 visitors a year, located at least an hour away from any town in any direction.

How To Get Here
The town of Berlin has been preserved within Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park, found at the end of SR 844 and unpaved County Road 21, 15 miles west of Gabbs. A small entrance fee applies to enter the state park.