Reviews

For Dayton State Park: 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.

Posted Oct 25, 2020 by Val Weston from Nevada. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Dayton State Park: There are homeless people living near the trail and they have been using it as a bathroom. It stinks! And the dump station was closed. Right on the highway, so lots of road noise. We took a drive through and left. 8/10 spots were full on a Wednesday afternoon.

Posted Jul 24, 2019 by RJ from NV. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Dayton State Park: Only 3 stars because so close to road. That said, easy in/out. Lots of shade, nice trails. River right there - running high and fast right now. $15 for a site, so darn reasonable. Has a dump at other end for tanks - I think it was a $7 fee. So much to see and do around there. Will be back with family for group camping!

Posted May 09, 2018 by Gimmiepugs from Reno. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Dayton State Park: Thought the ranger was fine. Asked about no fires rule and he said my charcoal BBQ would be fine so long as I was careful with the leftover coals at the end, no hassle, no fuss.

Campsites are about 100 feet from US50 noisy all night. Nice group area but I don't think I'll camp here again because of the highway proximity.

If you're here check out the ruins of the silver mill on the other side of the hwy. There is a pedestrian underpass so you don't have to try to dash across the hwy.

Fort Churchill state park is 1/2 hour away and much more peaceful.

Posted Sep 29, 2016 by Moses from Nevada. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Dayton State Park: You can hardly call that a campground although they do have a nice restroom.
Watch out for the Ranger there he is a Barney Fife not friendly at all. He is a jackass

Posted Jun 14, 2016 by Billy Kid from Nevada. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.