Dayton State Park
| Dayton State Park | |
| Nevada State Park | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Nevada |
| County | Lyon |
| Location | Dayton |
| - elevation | 4,360 ft (1,329 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Area | 152 acres (62 ha) |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Management | Nevada Division of State Parks |
  Location of Dayton State Park in Nevada
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Dayton State Park is a 160-acre (65 ha) state park of Nevada, USA, preserving the site of the Rock Point Stamp Mill, which was built in 1861 to process silver ore mined from the Comstock Lode. Located within the town of Dayton, the park is in the Western Nevada Region of Nevada State Parks. The property was deeded to the state in 1954 under the management of the Nevada Department of Transportation and was officially established as a state park in 1977.[2]
The park
The park is separated into two distinct sections by U.S. Route 50, which runs through the center of the park.
Lower park
The park's main entrance is in the "lower" or eastern portion which preserves a section of woodlands along the Carson River. In 1997, the valley flooded and permanently changed the course of the river, which now runs significantly farther to the east than it once did. The now dry, former riverbed can be seen. Nature trails along the ever-changing Carson River provide for bird and wildlife viewing. Day-use and group picnic areas and a 10-site campground are also located here.
Upper park
The "upper" or western section of the park can be accessed through a pedestrian tunnel that runs beneath U.S. 50 to the Rock Point mill ruins. The Rock Point Stamp Mill was built in 1861 to process ore from Silver City and Virginia City. Wooden flumes (the remains of which are also visible) provided the necessary water for the milling process from the nearby Carson River. Rock Point was one of the largest processing mills along the Carson River and was finally dismantled and moved to Silver City in 1920. The area was then used as the Dayton town garbage dump for the next 30 years.
Foundations are all that remain of the mill. Remnants of the garbage dump are visible, as is a section of the old U.S. 50.
Facilities
- 10-site campground
- Day-use picnic areas
- Group-use picnic pavilion (available by reservation)
- Nature trails
- Historic Rock Point Mill ruins
