Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, twenty-odd miles east of Gabbs via State Route 844, is still the valley’s one destination that draws strangers. The road is paved most of the way; the last stretch to the townsite is maintained dirt.

Fall hours mean shorter Fossil House tour windows. Day-use fees remain posted at the entrance: Nevada plates cheaper than out-of-state. Camping is first-come for the small loop. Water is seasonal.

There are no services in Ione. Fill in Gabbs. If you are coming from Austin or the Reese River, do not trust a phone map that sends you over an unnamed canyon road after a storm.

The ichthyosaurs stay in the rock, which is the point of the place. Leave them there. Metal detecting is prohibited. The Berlin mill and cabins are arrested decay, not a playground.