Free Camping Collection with

Camper submitted image from Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 1

Camper submitted image from Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 4

Roads

Camper submitted image from Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area - 5

People

Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

28 Reviews

About

Bureau of Land Management

Suggest an Edit

Location

Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located in Arizona

Coordinates

36.03657 N
114.7099434 W

Open in Google Maps

The Dyrt Alerts

Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.

Learn More

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Available
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Good

Site Types

Dispersed

Features

For Campers

Phone Service
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Big Rig Friendly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area needs a permit.

Try PRO for Free

The Dyrt Alerts

Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.

Learn More

Ayumi N.

Scout

Reviewed May. 24, 2024

A Little Oasis in the Desert

There’s a lake at the end of the sketchy road that makes it all worth while especially in the heat. Water is clear and plenty of space to park if you’re just there to visit. May feel too crammed if you have a camper though. I thoroughly enjoyed staying here for 2 nights.

Month of VisitJune

lilly M.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 1, 2024

Beautiful location

The location was nice, quick drive In. Directly in the flight path for Vegas. Light pollution from the city

Month of VisitMay

melanie M.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 19, 2024

Amazing

This was an amazing campsite. The drive there was a bit choppy especially towards the end, but the view of the lake was worth it. There were wild donkeys that were friendly and a beautiful view of the lake. The weather was very nice too.

Month of VisitApril

Ferdi S.

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 17, 2023

Great spot

Went in November with rented RV (25ft 2WD) some bits of the road where very steep and bumpy, but we did make it.(even in the dark) Nice to wake up on this spot. Whould not go with this RV when road is wet. I think with AWD it is no problem.

Siteat lake

Month of VisitDecember

Tanner H.

Guide

Reviewed Dec. 2, 2022

Not the best, but would stay again

Decent spot to stay for a while. Made it to the water with my 20” travel trailer without an issue. I was a little worried about getting it back out since part of the road was very rough. Fortunately they graded the road while I’m here so it shouldn’t be a problem. Great AT&T service. T-Mobile service is meh. A few nights got extremely windy.

Sitewaterfront

Month of VisitJanuary

Eric G.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 20, 2022

Great location by water

This is a great spot to swim or boat. Very pretty. Not super busy during the week. Lots of room to park. Not very level. Vault toilet. Road coming in is 3 1/2 miles of washboard and ruts. Some bad hills with ruts. 4x4 if pulling a trailer is needed. You should see some wild burros and coyotes.

Month of VisitNovember

(9) View All

Kailey C.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 20, 2022

Great place on the water

Highly recommend keeping your sedans and low riders at home, watched a Honda Civic struggle to get out and since the road is one way in and out, could have caused some major problems.

Coyotes were out and all campers were peaceful. Scuba divers showed up in the morning to get some practice in which is around the time we headed out.

Month of VisitOctober

Nick

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 3, 2022

Good hiking, loud donkeys

Great dispersed spot. Other campers were respectful and the coyotes wandered free, except when harassing the donkeys. Amazing hiking around and the lake is fun to swim in.

Month of VisitJune

(5) View All

andrea W.

Scout

Reviewed May. 6, 2022

Rugged beautiful free site

I pulled in a little trailer and learned the hard way how imperative it is to go SLOW on the access road, disaster averted, but my hitch did pop off my ball without damaging anything thank god. A few choice folks daytripped, but the campers were all chill. Vault toilets were clean, donkeys were adorable, and coyotes were plentiful and bold-watch smaller pets close after dusk. Chose this spot for nearby hike to Arizona Hot Sorings, which was INCREDIBLE.

Siten/a

Month of VisitJune

Justin A.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 5, 2022

Crowded but Awesome

This is a really awesome place that’s super close to Vegas and just 4 miles off the highway.

You can get down in a 2wd car but I wouldn’t recommend it.

This spot is popular for fishing, Scuba Diving and Day use as well as Camping. It gets really crowded on the weekends but is still a beautiful spot to go to

Vinny D.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 1, 2022

Just incredible !

Just incredible! A fairly rough road but if it were easy everyone would be here. 4 WD not necessary. When I got here + - 5:30 there were 4 or 5 families here enjoying the lake. At sundown they left. Maybe 6 camping folks but absolutely quite. Sunset was outrageous. If you zoom in on the satellite and see my blue dot… my rig should be in about 10 ft of water. Gives another perspective on the water crunch. Wondering how long ago the pic was shot.

Siteclose to water’s edge

Month of VisitMay

Kevin H.

Scout

Reviewed Mar. 19, 2022

Hidden gem

About 4 miles of washboard road but then an amazing lake stay. Room for dozens of campsites right on the water

Month of VisitApril

theresa

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 25, 2022

Wild camping

The road in is wash board narrow in spots, you do not need a 4x4, but just go slow and be patient and the destination is well worth it. The camp sites are 1st come, there is a pit toilet about 3/4 of the way down. We stayed at a spot just up from the lake and the view with campfire was spectacular. You can hike around here and the views are beautiful.

Month of VisitMarch

Lauren D.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2021

Nice spot

This was our last stop before Vegas and we had a lot of fun, the was really nice, the spot was not crowded at all, the only thing negative I can say is there were a lot of bugs but what do you expect when camping lol. Would definitely go back!

Month of VisitOctober

savannah

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2021

Absolutely. Incredible.

I think about this campsite so often that I had to come back and write a review for it. I was able to manage my Ford Fiesta all the way down and up with no problems... just take it super slow. My dog and I had so much fun waking up to the lake view, sitting in the sun, and continuously swimming. I even pushed back my plans so I could stay here an extra day. I will most definitely be back!

Month of VisitOctober

Hannah L.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 3, 2021

Awesome place for swimming

Drove through here looking for dispersed camping and saw a few sites but even better was the lake. The campsites themselves were gravel and pretty uneven but we expected as much. No coverage and little privacy for dispersed camping as all sites are right off the main gravel road. We swam for an hour and then departed to next campsite for more coverage as it’s 100+ degrees today.

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

Jenae A.

Guide

Reviewed May. 10, 2021

Rough road popular spot

Took my 2wd on the road there a couple times, ok if youre an experienced driver but still rough on suspension...Was able to get a shady in AM spot off the shore of the lake, away from the hustle and bustle of the late nighters, which there seems to be every night, so had 2 firepits and decent privacy. Otherwise youre just parked anywhere you can out in the open with dozens of other neighbors. Having the water so closeby was definitely a major plus! Stayed up north at Government Wash and it is MUCH cleaner, doesnt SMELL OF ROT, and stays much cooler in the day, although if you can stand the smell and the bugs, Government Wash is better for privacy and space. Gets pretty windy but all the spots do around here for the most part. Also, we took a hike exploring the area theres lots of cool little coves off the grid you can hike to, cool rock/partial caves etc.

SiteKingmans Wash

Month of VisitMay

(4) View All

N I.

Legend

Reviewed May. 5, 2021

Best kept secret ever

Found this jewel when need a spot close to the dam. We were going kayaking on the Colorado down Black Canyon and had to be there at 0730 hours. Kingman Wash is down a long gravel washboard rutted road. We were towing a small cabin and it wasn’t bad. When we got to the end of the road there is a pit toilet but no other services. Several fire rings no designated spots several right on the water. People please police up behind yourselves. Our fire ring had trash in it. That is not fair to leave your trash for someone else to burn or remove. PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT.

SiteNo markers

Month of VisitMay

(6) View All

Joseph W.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 14, 2021

Our 2nd time here! Great SIMPLE place.

We found this place on accident on our first overlanding trip. It was a bit difficult to find, but once we got there...plenty of places to park, right on the water even! Relatively clean, however people burn pallets so watch for nails! PLEASE DO NOT BURN PALLETS AT SITES LIKE THIS. As always "pack it in, pack it out" and even take alittle extra with you!

There is a pit toilet 1/2 mile from the water.

Stoney P.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 12, 2021

Amazing!

Went down a long dirt road at night and woke up to this! Truly amazing out here

Stephen G.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 8, 2021

4x4 needed, otherwise OK for a one night stopover

4 wheel drive is definitely needed if you want to get to the lake. The spots that are motorhome accessible are right on the road which was very dusty and very busy on a Friday night. It made a great one night stopover after visiting Hoover dam, but I wouldn't want to stay there any longer.

Jeff

Traveler

Reviewed Jan. 4, 2021

Dispersed Camping

Great place to disperse Dry camp. Spots are scattered along the main road. You can camp close to the interstate or 3 miles away at the lake. The lake shore gets crowded. The road is bumpy but we saw cars all the way down to the lake. The sign recommends 4x4 high clearance vehicles. The mine road offers good views and a few camp spots. 4x4 is definitely recommended for this road. There is no garbage collection so pack it out. One vault toilet near the lake. Bring your own firewood. No trees for wood in this area. Wood can be purchased at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Campground Store. We spoted motor homers near the interstate, ground tenters, rooftop tenters, van campers and pull behind campers at the lake. We camped up the N Mine Road with our RTT trailer.

(4) View All

Rachael

Scout

Reviewed Nov. 19, 2020

Great drive in camp site with dispersed camping bring your own wood for fires as wood is scarce. Careful driving in, the last 3 miles off of Exit 2 is a dirt road with no where to turn around on big rigs with a few tight turns. Saw an RV get stuck. There is quite a bit of trash and glass here and there so make airs to wear shoes and be cautious at the shore.

Nice

Brittney C.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2020

Water shoes a must

Wear water shoes or some old shoes that fit good because the ground is rocky. One of the many little coves in Lake Mead that has access from the main freeway. This is Arizona side but us living in Las Vegas it was only a short hour - two-hour drive, Pretty clean-cut road, and easy access for small or big vehicles, 4wd, and anything in between. The water temp is lovely and it's not over crowded. Good place if you and a lot of your friends or family are planning to come and camp for the weekend together because you're likely to get a waterfront spot. We saw RVs that stayed a little further up from the water who also were camping and they just had a little pop up near the water for during the day use. If you have 4wd you have the ability to make it up a little higher and a little deeper to a little more secluded areas. Most of us have rafts and kayaks which are enjoyable to get in and explore outside of the cove. Good spots for fishing too. Near the water, it's VERY rocky like I first mentioned so be careful if you plan to have the back end of your vehicle near the water to make sure you have the ability to get out.

Sitedisperesed

(21) View All

Randi M.

Scout

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2020

Primitive, lake access

Just stayed 1night, wide open area with 10-15 rock fire rings, there were a few other campers but everyone spread out nicely, there was a toilet 1/4 mile up the hill from camp spots(we just dig holes) beautiful scenery, gravel road 3.5 miles to lake, rutted in a few spots but we made it just fine in 2wheel drive!:)

Ariel F.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2020

Lovely for a night of dispersed camping

Went on Wednesday September 16 2020 to escape the wildfire smoke in Los Angeles. The 3 mile dirt road in a Prius was not optimal but it happened. One or two hills on the way back were tough. There were several groups around swimming when we arrived, most of them left, a few camped overnight. There is a main beach, but we took a left up over the hill to a more secluded area and camped on a rather rocky surface overlooking the water. It was beautiful, we heard coyotes in the morning, some little animals rustling at night, and the swimming was lovely. Rockier than we would like even with thick camping mats though. There are a lot of prickly plants in the rocks that will cling to your skin and clothing and are painful and difficult to remove. Watch out for those fking bastards.

(5) View All

Overland Pioneer ⛺.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2020

Fun and peaceful

This place has a good trail of you’re arriving on a vehicle. 4x4 is not needed but it is recommended. It’s almost 3 miles of dirt road with a couple of hills. You can boat to this location, hike or driver. When you finally make it you will see that it is worth it. A lot of space for multiple people. It’s usually empty when I go on weekdays. You can take your jet skis and other toys. Fishing is good and camping is awesome. A lot of start in the sky and it’s a good time with friends. Highly recommended.

(8) View All

Rachel A.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 6, 2020

Basic but lovely proximity to the Hoover Dam

We stayed here on our way to the Hoover Dam and had a fine time. Nothing fancy, super basic free camping on public lands. Highlight was our visit to the dam itself

(10) View All

Find free camping nearby

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is good.