3/5 Val W. 3 years ago on Google
Dayton
State
Park
is
a
lovely
little
park
with
a
historic
background
surrounding
silver
mining
in
the
area.
There
are
only
10
campsites
and
until
Covid-19
hit,
you
could
almost
always
find
a
spot.
That’s
no
guarantee
now
but
I
suspect
visitation
will
subside
over
winter
with
no
hookups
at
the
park.
It
does
get
quite
cold
here
in
the
winter.
The
sites
are
gravel
and
largely
level.
The
first
half
of
the
loop
is
more
tent-friendly
sized
spaces
and
the
latter
half
have
a
bit
more
room
for
larger
rigs.
They
are
all
surrounded
by
majestic
cottonwoods
that
are
utterly
glorious
in
the
fall.
The
tree
cover
is
great
for
summer
shade
but
a
challenge
if
you’re
managing
a
solar
setup.
There
are
some
sites
that
are
less
shaded
to
offset
that,
though.
There’s
central
water,
flush
toilets,
and
trash
receptacles.
The
dump
station
is
open
intermittently
and
I’ve
yet
to
understand
the
pattern
to
when
it
is
and
isn’t.
There
are
two
free
dump
stations
I’m
aware
of
in
Carson
City,
though
--
at
the
Maverik
(at
Hwy
50
and
College
Ave.)
and
the
new
Golden
Gate
(at
College
Ave.
and
Retail
Dr.)
The
park
is
split
by
Hwy
50
with
the
stamp
mill
ruins
on
the
west
side
and
the
campground
and
restrooms
on
the
east
side.
There
is
a
foot
tunnel
connecting
the
two
bits
but
it’s
a
bit
dicey
from
a
safety
standpoint
so
I’d
recommend
strolling
to
the
aboveground
crosswalk
a
little
down
the
road.
Dayton
State
Park
is
a
sweet
little
place
full
of
potential
but
largely
unloved
and
overlooked.
As
a
former
Dayton
resident,
I’ve
gotten
to
witness
the
park’s
challenges
over
time.
In
talking
with
the
park
supervisor
about
it,
she
acknowledged
Dayton
has
its
struggles,
sometimes
involving
crime,
and
that
the
Nevada
park
system
is
underfunded
and
understaffed
like
most
public
lands
departments.
I’ve
not
had
any
issues
when
staying
there
but
have
witnessed
some
questionable
activity
in
the
day
use
area.
It
seems
the
tide
is
turning
as
locals
have
begun
to
reclaim
it
in
recent
months
and
have
been
putting
in
substantial
volunteer
time
to
freshen
it
up
and
give
it
the
love
it
deserves.
I’m
hopeful
that
effort
will
help
Dayton
SP
become
a
destination
instead
of
just
a
place
to
stop
over
for
the
night.
We’re
looking
forward
to
joining
in
after
our
post-full-timer
lives
once
we
get
our
house
built
nearby.
A
note
about
fires:
this
is
a
volatile
wildfire
area
so
charcoal
fires
and
smoking
outdoors
are
often
banned
much
of
the
year.
Don’t
count
on
being
able
to
grill
in
any
Nevada
State
Park
during
fire
seasons.
Have
a
backup
plan
or
support
some
of
the
local
business
in
my
little
town
--
Js’
Oldtown
Bistro
on
Main
Street
is
absolutely
wonderful.
It’s
my
absolute
favorite
restaurant
but
since
it's
off
the
main
drag
(US
50),
you
might
not
notice
it.
And
for
scrumptious
tamales
and
other
Mexican
fare,
The
Lady
Tamales
is
right
by
the
park.
The
Pizza
Factory
has
also
delivered
to
us
in
the
park
if
you’re
looking
for
your
dinner
to
come
to
you.
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