Best Dispersed Camping near Nipton, CA

Great location for exit out of Death Valley and close to Interstate 15. Mojave Preserve closed so stayed in Baker, CA on BLM land. Simple gravel pad, quite, opposite School. Close to overhead power lines. Mad Greek Restaurant awesome for evening meal and Chevron Gas station has great bathrooms and supplies!!

This is a perfect dispersed camping spot! Dirt road in was about 4 miles long from the highway but pretty well graded and easy to drive, big rig friendly. 

Plenty of camping spots along the water with some shade trees. Dumpster onsite and a few vault toilets for the tent campers. Very safe crowd.

Someone had told me we could do a little dispersed camping at Sloan Canyon, just outside of Vegas. In addition to many hiking trails this place has a pretty extensive area you can hike around to find some great views and camping.

We started out by stopping in the visitor center, which is little more than a mobile station at the beginning of the Petroglyph Trailhead with portable toilets. There wasn't a lot of information online about staying here only that it was in fact BLM land and it was accessible for those who are wanting to stay. To hike in we figured we needed a permit, but when we got there we just kind of got a puzzled look.

Finally a ranger helped us and told us that people do in fact hike in to camp dispersed but there was no permit. We hiked down the trail with our gear and about 2 miles in found a great spot just beyond the petroglyph gallery. It had a view of the mountainside and a great view of the sunset.

We settled in and enjoyed a quiet evening amidst the tall walls of the lower canyon. We had views of the larger mountain ahead but opted to not stay up higher because the winds get pretty strong I this area.

I will say that we were told you cannot set up in the petroglyph area because it is preserved, but it did make me realize that a lot of people probably don't follow this by the fact that there were numerous smaller trails leading through this area where people clearly are not remaining on the main trail. I think the most important thing about camping in a place like this is respecting the leave no trace rules. I you are visiting a place with such history and want to allow others to continue doing the same then you should respect the area you are in.

While this was a clean area for the most part you could see where some people hadn't respected the land the same way.

TIPS:

• Stop at the visitor center before closing hours to get a map and find out about the area. There are two routes to the area we were in and depending on your level of desired difficulty this hike can be easy or have some light scrambling.
• Remember this is a dark space so you will want to have your own light with you because there are several animals which roam at night and you will want to be able to see.

One of the best things about Nevada and Arizona are the numerous areas which offer dispersed camping. There are a lot of BLM lands in the area as well as Recreational areas so it is really quite easy to find a place if you are willing to look. Since I have several full-time friends who spend the maximum of 2 weeks at each site before moving on, someone suggested I check this space out when I was on a trip to Nelson, NV.

It was along the same stretch of highway and not very far away at all. While it was vast and open, there wasn't a whole lot to really say about it other than just that, it is what you make it when you visit.

So what is the benefit of staying at one of these remote locations you might ask? It is about 45 minutes from Vegas, so that isn't terrible if you want to go into the city itself and explore, but part of what makes these spaces a bit more exciting is that they are removed from everything.

I took a moment when I was there to check the basics like what is there to do closely that does not involved the city itself. I could quickly see why my friends recommended this location because it was not far from Lake Mead Recreational Area in an area which was a non-pay station entrance, it was relatively close to Searchlight and not terribly far from Boulder City so if you did need supplies you could easily get out to get them without issue and I think the most intriguing was the proximity not just to Nelson Ghost Town, which is free, but also the many abandoned and never sealed mines.

Lots of activities in the area to keep you busy. Sure it doesn't have amenities but it was a perfect canvas for making the world around you all yours. The friend which recommended it also happens to meet up with other full timers at locations like this so they have a sense of community so I could see how something like this would be a perfect space for that kind of traveling community to set up and enjoy.

TIPS:

• Be able to sustain fully off grid living. There is plenty of sunshine to keep your solar panels full.

• Check out the surroundings and bring a motor bike if you have one to explore so you will not have more options for driving around some of the more remote areas.

• Be careful of mines, though they are fun to explore, some of these are not as stable, I would check out the one just past Nelson which is more heavily trafficked and also stable.

Super cool hidden gem in the desert that’s for sure. Summertime gets a little tooooo hot but it’s perfect any other time throughout the year. It’s all dispersed so find a spot you like and enjoy!! Free camping!!! Winner!!! Make sure you build a good fire ring and make sure to put your fire completely out. Safety first! It’s Always best to take care of Mother Nature. If you have a 4x4 you can get to a much secluded area. If you don’t which we don’t have a 4x4 but we can make it pretty cool places so we’re happy.

Quiet, secluded spot between Las Vegas and Pahrump Nevada. First come, first served but it was very quiet when we were there. The Boondocking experience is my favorite part of camping/travelling and this was a great spot. Spent 2 weeks here and didn't come in contact with anybody! Other people were there but all well dispersed.  

GPS Coordinates Latitude, Longitude: 36.0430242°,-115.6175106°
Our elevation was about 6,000 ft 
No services but also no Fee (Free) 
Hiking for days

Wonderful dispersed free camping in Mojave National Preserve. Find the first road adjacent to the white cross memorial. We arrived after sunset and we reluctant to drive too far down the uneven and non-maintained dirt road, but were rewarded with an outstanding campsite for our risky persistence!

The road has many wash out holes and soft sand, but I was able to navigate successfully (and slowly) in an AWD Honda Element. Higher clearance four-wheel drive vehicles will be able to explore additional camp sites further down the road, but there are a handful of sites near the entrance.

Tip: Stargazing at this site was outstanding. Rock formations provide comfortable platforms for laying on your back and watching for shooting stars. Camped here in December with overnight lows around 30 degrees. Bundle up and enjoy!!

This site is saying Telephone Cove is on the Arizona side and costs money? I stayed at Telephone Cove on the Nevada side....Dispersed camping and free! Took some effort to get there in a large motorhome...but we'll worth it. I kinda doubt there is a Telephone Cove on both sides of ....oh yeah...Lake Mohave...not Lake Mead!!?? Hmmmmm?

This place is special to me. My family used to come here every year, and 7 days free camping right on the river. The road is windy and narrow, but drivable, there is our house and no running water, but they do have a dumpster

Wonderful dispersed camping. Good gravel roads and Picturesque views everywhere you turn. About 15 degrees cooler than vegas and good cell coverage

Great views for sunrise and sunset. Dispersed camping with plenty of space between sites. Rock fire rings but expect no facilities. We only stayed one night but would stay here again! Cell service was excellent.

This is a free camping area inside the Lake Mead NRA but you do not have to pay an entry fee to access. 4.2 miles of dusty washboard gravel road, with some steep pops up and down, but folks haul TTs and Class As in there. The actual beach area is FCFS, 4 vault toilets, huge dumpster, but no potable water. Cell signal is best on far north end. Signs note 7 day camping limit, and park rangers do patrol this area.

I drove in at night and originally passed the campground because I saw people there, and thought it was a solo spot. It’s a beautiful little spot and has a cool history. It is close quarters to other campers compared to most dispersed camping, but you still have more room than your typical campground.

ok, when you drive in from the entrance off of bullhead make sure you keep driving and pass princess cove and just keep driving until you see a paved road on your left... PASS THAT and a little way down the road you will see a turn on the left that is a dirt road take that down and find your spot!!! You want daylight because you want to make sure you see where you're going.

This is free camping!!

If you park at telephone cove and boat up to here that's also a way to get there as well.

Make sure you pick up after yourself.

Great place, wasn't busy today but in less than a month this area will be busy with boats and trucks.

Great place for desert boondocking! Very quiet and amazing stars! Joshua Trees all around. Coyotes howling at night. Watch out for cacti which are enormous! A huge fire left a large area of this part of the preserve damaged but there are still some spots where the Joshua Trees are un damaged. It’s a dirt road with some large-ish rocks to get to the dispersed spots. We made it just fine in our pick-up towing a teardrop. 2WD cars shouldn’t have a problem expect. High clearance definitely makes your life easier for sure. Most sites have a rock fire pit and not much else. We opted for a spot against some jumbo rocks for wind protection. It’s a decently trafficked area but wasn’t at all crowded or trashed. We’d 100% stay here again.

Great place for dispersed camping and the main dirt road goes As far as the eye can see you so there’s plenty of places to pull over park camp and enjoy your time when you first pull in there’s decent spots for big rigs but I wouldn’t drive any further back if you don’t feel comfortable with the road so just know what your rig can handle Before you push the limits and searchlight there is a corner store beef jerky and a gas station as well as a McDonald’s In case you need anything that’s the nearest town and it’s about a 2025 minute drive but regardless if you need something it’s there besides that just you and your rig

Along this gorgeous stretch of the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam, you will find numerous backcountry camping options on both the AZ and NV sides, many with existing fire rings. In addition, you’ll find emerald green waters, hot springs/hot waterfalls, sauna cave, slot canyons and interesting features along the sides of the canyon.   All camping is first-come, first-served and no permit is needed.  Water can be filtered in an emergency, but it is the Colorado River; so we’d recommend bringing 1 gallon of fresh drinking water per person per day. Please Leave No Trace by bringing Wag Bags or other poop removal method, including your toilet paper. 

**Weather & River Concerns: **

• If you are camping in a wash, be sure to keep an eye on the weather as flash flooding is a major concern during the rainy season.  
• We launched from Willow Beach marina (AZ side) and paddled up stream to the dam and back over 4 days. We had an amazing weather window, but have heard from locals that this place can be VERY windy (25-50mph), making it impossible to travel against the wind. 
• When the dam releases, it can also make upriver travel quite difficult (not impossible but difficult depending on your boat and paddling skills). Also, the river can rise 4-6 vertical feet when the dam releases water from Lake Mead, so haul your boats at least 50 feet up the washes and don’t camp close to the water or you’ll find yourself floating downstream in the middle of the night.
• Cell service in the canyon is very limited. We found a bit near the dam, but otherwise it was emergency calls only.

Note: If you’ve never done backcountry kayak camping, hire a guide or go with a group. There are numerous companies taking groups down the river each day.

Superb dispersed camping. This area can either be reached by turning down a dirt track at the Mojave Cross or by going down Kessler Peak road. There are a handful of previously established sites on Kessler Peak road plus a few small pull offs that doesn’t appear to be actual established sites. There are also a few sites on the road from the Mojave Cross. This dirt road connects to the Kessler Peak road after not to far but there are 3-4 great spots on the way. Two port-a-potties near the Mojave Cross as well. Sites are big and have lots of space, only down side is that there are only a few of them. Great for privacy but not great if you are a late arrival and they are full! Pack in, pack out. Stay on designated roads and please don’t create new sites! Such a fragile atmosphere. Lots of previously burned Joshua trees in the area but lots of live ones too! Gorgeous sunset over Teutonia Peak!!

• Free primitive campground great for boondocking! First come first serve.
• Right across from the Teutonia Peak trailhead. Perfect for going on a day hike and explore the landscape surrounded by Joshua Trees
• Shell gas station about 11 miles up Interstate 15 if you need to pick up water and supplies
• Dirt roads with gravel with some small rocks when approaching campground.
• Fires are allowed and some sites have firepits. You can always make your own with the rocks in the area.
• The land is owned by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and dedicated to the fallen soldiers of all wars
• The best sites are the two right around the White Cross Memorial boulders. The one near the front of the cross (entrance) is great for group camping. It has two picnic tables and is right next to a large Juniper tree. The one in the rear of the White Cross is very spacious and has large rocks that protect from the wind.
• Amazing star gazing in the dessert with very little light polution
• Some spots may be difficult for vehicles without high clearance. Beware of scraping the underbelly your cars or trailers on rocks in the road.
• Pretty secluded and remote camping. There were about 6 other campers near us -- mostly RVs and a few tent sites
• No showers, toilets, running water. Practice LNT and pack in pack out.
• Wifi is okay -- 2 out of 4 bars (AT&T)

There are several spots along Lovell Canyon Rd that you can disperse camp at. If you want to get more than 30 feet off the road then you won't want to do it in an RV, the roads are rough. I came on a Sunday in October and there quite a few people camped along here so grab one of the first that you see. Use the satellite view in Google Maps to find some clearings in the brush. The main road is not very active at night so it's a pretty peaceful sleep.

Prefect place to get away from Vegas. Many places for camping and easy to pull a trailer. Main road mostly paved. Other roads were dirt but well maintained and manageable. Lots of turn offs to disperse camp from main road. Be cautious, there were a couple of groups of campers off the main road that were target shooting into the woodline. If you come across the Red Rock canyon area. Rocky mt gap is the trail you can take to come across the mt in a high clearance 4wd vehicle. Mainly a jeep or something not to wide/long. My truck couldn't get pass some tight areas, so had to turn around.

This was a cool spot.

You wouldn’t think of getting as much privacy as one can in a National Park. The drive off the paved road isn’t as long/bad as you’d expect. I had a little trouble getting in but that’s partially my fault, try not to drive into a dispersed camping site at night when its the first time you’ve ever been. Getting in is a little harder than getting out because there is on particular steep, rocky hill on the drive in. Again, I only have front wheel drive but I questioned turning around at one point. Get over the first hill and your in!!

Total privacy at this hidden beach on Lake Mead. Listen though, its a pain, but if you get to the water and see someone else camping there... Follow the first come first serve rule. There is enough room for several tents in the area but given the surrounding terrain, if you don’t know them, move on. I can’t stress that enough. Luckily for me, no signs of human life were detected during my two night stay. That is of course excluding the time I went on a hike and came back to a warning stuck to my cooler. It was my fault, I brought a glass bottle of whiskey and left it out (NO GLASS ALLOWED). The park ranger whom I had not seen was nice about it though, just the warning and he didn’t dump it out or take it. THANK GOD. I will absolutely visit this site again, perhaps in the summer as you’re surrounded by that crystal clear water. 

-Chuck 
P.S. Don’t forget, always leave the area better than you found it!
          LEAVE NO TRACE. 

Traveling across country, Jeep camping. Spot was perfect and beautiful. Could have been off the road a bit more considering the amount of traffic for such a remote spot. Make sure to wear shoes as there are thorns. Also be ready to wake up to critters (mice? Chipmunks?) running across your exhaust, chewing on their dinner.