Best Tent Camping near Nipton, CA
Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Nipton? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Nipton? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Situated on the shores of the Colorado River at Nevada’s southern tip, Big Bend of the Colorado River includes about two miles of sandy shoreline. Because the park is downstream from Davis Dam, the river is clear and cool year round. Popular activities are camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and bird watching. The variety of waterfowl and shore birds that make this park home include mallards, coots, herons and geese. Hawks, roadrunners, quail, hummingbirds, doves and owls are also abundant in the park. The nearby town of Laughlin offers the amenities of a Nevada gaming town.
$30 / night
This location was secluded and quit when I was there in January. There are at least six nice flat spots with fire rings. There were two burros in the area which were fun to witness. My only caution would be the road into. The road in is very narrow not sure how you would deal with another vehicle coming into the opposite direction ( sack up and back up). The road was also rough and steep in spots so I would be careful with larger vehicles. My promaster did fine.
Quiet, lots of room between campsites, and beautiful view of sunset and sunrises.
We are new to RVing and recently purchased a 2018 Jayco Greyhawk 29MV and wanted to take it some where close, so Davis Camp it was! Staff was great, neighbors were great, and the trip was very enjoyable! RV had no issues!
This is a great spot for an overnight stay about 11 miles down Kelbaker Road from Highway 15. There are two larger sites near the road, but if you drive a little way past those, you will find one small site before the little hill. We also found two more sites after the little hill and one of them was about 30 feet deep, which was good for us. We tried to go farther, but we didn’t see anything for quite a way so we turned around again. A word of caution, it is not easy to turn around because it’s very sandy.
The campsite we chose past the little hill was not visible from the other campsites and it had a great view of the valley and the mountains. You could barely see the highway, and you could not hear it.
Unfortunately, we did see some toilet paper around our site which we picked up. It is simple enough to just buy a toilet bucket at Sportsman‘s Warehouse and add a bag of pine pellets that you can throw away in the dump when you leave.
It’s a nice private spot and we will definitely stay there again.
No facillities, but beautiful quiet place to spend the night. No one else there, rings provided for fires.
Ivanpah is a world-renowned spot for land sailing. The BLM has set the playa aside for use only by non-motorized vehicles and the lake is fantastic! All types of land yachts, kite buggies and other wind-powered craft sail there.
Motorized vehicles must stay off the lake to avoid rutting the surface.
The area is closed and no vehicle movement is permitted when the surface is wet - you'll probably get stuck if you try.
There is a bathroom kiosk with picnic tables about half-way to the prime sailing area, which is about 3 miles from the turnoff at turn by the state lottery in Primm.
The larger dry lake is on the west side and a smaller lake is on the east, behind the casinos.
Don Laughlin’s Riverside RV Park Resort offers a prime location along the Colorado River with convenient access to all the entertainment and amenities of the Riverside Resort.
The park features spacious, level sites with full hookups and well-maintained facilities, including a laundry room and a dog park.
Guests can enjoy shuttle service to the casino, restaurants, and movie theater, making it a great blend of outdoor relaxation and vibrant nightlife.
Its proximity to the river also provides opportunities for boating, fishing, and scenic views, making it an excellent destination for travelers seeking both recreation and comfort.
Some of the best campground restrooms. Full hookups & affordable long term rates.
There are two ways to camp at the Riverside. There is an RV park across Casino drive with full hook ups and the other amenities' associated with an rv park including propane at the Nov 2024 price of $4.35 a gallon.
Across the street in the casino parking lot next to the road is dry camping area. Free for seven days and more if you play the games and get 25 points a week. Numbered spaces that accomodate any size rig. Upon arrival pick an open site and park. Go to the group check in desk at the south tower (closet one). It's just inside the door. They will have security come to your rig and check your vehicle license and insurance are current. Then TAKE THE FORM the officer gives you back to the group check in desk (I know. It's a long walk) to complete your check in. Oh. And you have to have a casino players card to stay. Generators from 7 to 10. Enjoy your stay and good luck
We absolutely love this place. Need reservations early. Well maintained. Too hot in summer.
Great spot to get away quiet every park with plenty of amenities
This is the worst RV park ever they are infested with cockroaches there's no maintenance whatsoever at the property they don't pick up trash they don't maintain sites they don't mow the grass for the pets it's utterly disgusting the bathroom showers are disgusting patched up drywall crumbling from the shower nozzles. Overall people in the office are rude when you make suggestion.
Full hookups but did not get cold water this time of year. Close to action. Casinos, food and shopping.
You have shared some good information so far. I would like to get more information about this place. Thank you so much for sharing.
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.
After climbing the giant hills out of Baker, my 1984 Vanagon was ready for a rest. We pulled off at Bailey Road and it was quickly dirt road, but certainly manageable for any SUV or Truck. After about 10 minutes (3.1 miles) there were campsites. Plenty of spaces and spread out. HOT in the late spring but overnight temperatures were excellent at about 65F.

Great campground for either tents, trailers, class A or C motorhomes. Quiet and close to Colorado River
Just 10 miles down a great, stereotypical, paved desert road off of I-15 you’ll find an unmarked turnoff as the road curves. The turnoff quickly becomes a dirt road that runs straight for miles. On the right side is the Mojave National Wilderness and on the left is the Mojave National Preserve where camping is allowed in designated areas only. These are marked pretty well and can easily accommodate groups (see “camping” below). The road is easy (see “Approach” below) and I’d feel comfortable taking a 2wd sedan to at least the first campsite which is only about 200m from the road. Fires are allowed in fire pits only which both sites I saw have.
Camping There are two designated dispersed campsites that I saw. I didn’t drive much past the second site though the road wasn’t difficult. The sites are well established and well marked. Some places look like they could be campsites but they are marked as “No Camping.” Look for the established areas with a fire pit that have the designated camping signs. They are located next to rock formations that help block the wind and give you a place to get on top of to look around. Watch out for snakes! The first one is maybe 200m down the road on the left. It has a driveway leading to a circular area so it would be good for a pull through camper or two. It’s large enough for a few campers, I’d say, or several vehicles. Pretty ideal if you had a horse trailer (there is not water source) as across the site is a good equestrian/hiking trail. I chose this one because it was actually smaller and I didn’t want to take up the larger second site. The second site is visible from the first but not close enough to interact much. The rock formation is larger, it’s more hidden from the main road, and has more space for vehicles. Better for a group - even a large one. Check the sign on the way into the preserve to make sure fires are allowed that day. Firewood can be purchased at the market in Baker.
The Approach and Ace Test The exit off of I-15 is convenient - stop in Baker immediately on the right for supplies then right across the interstate is Kellbaker Rd - the paved road that goes through the Mojave. After the mile 10 marker, the road turns right and in the middle of the turn is an unmarked paved driveway. Turn onto that driveway and it becomes a sandy dirt road that runs straight. There are some signs that say “No Motor Vehicles” and “No Camping” but these signs are talking about not leavening the road. You’re fine if you stay on the road. There are some pull offs that look like campsites but they will have rocks across the path and have signs saying no camping. Look for the designated camping signs and pull offs with a fire pit. This road does pass the Ace test for me (Ace was my 216 VW Jetta that I took on roads like this often); however, there are a couple spots toward the second campsite and beyond that I, personally, would do with Ace but if you’re less comfortable, the first campsite is maybe 200m in and any car could make that easily.
Activities The trails are well marked and one can explore the Lava Tubes which is just across the dirt road and easy access. It’s hot even in spring so bring a lot of water - more than you think you need. WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES. I had a fire and it was great to sit, relax, and stargaze. There isn’t a lot of light pollution so on a clear night, it’s awesome. Further down the paved road, there are other things like more Lava Tubes, some mines, and a trail you can drive along to check out water tanks. I like this camp area because it’s isolated and out of town but close enough to get supplies while allowing access further into the preserve. You can also go check out the World’s Largest Thermometer in Baker as well as an Alien kitsch shop and a few restaurants.
Weather I was there towards the end of April and it was in the 90’s and sunny during the day, a hot breeze coming from the west. At night, it was clear and starry and a low around 65.
Cell Service and Other Services I had 3 bars of Verizon LTE and was able to text and send videos and do some of my remote work. There are no amenities; however, Baker is just 10 miles away and has a few gas stations and a market that have pretty much everything from laundry detergent to firewood.
Great spot just before Hole in the Wal About 1/4 mile down a road marked “4x4 high clearance only.” But if you’re just hitting the campsite you can make It in a lot less. There’s a turn around there for people towing trailers. No facilities, just a fire ring, red rock peaks and quiet. Absolutely stunning.
Lots of spots, but the area is trashed. Garbage all over the place and used tires, looks like folks use this area as a dump. Also looks like there are some folks living in a fifth wheel near the highway.
This place is great. It’s is beautiful. Everyone from the marina to the RV park we’re very helpful and friendly.
NPS turned this dry CG over to the marina as of Jan 1 2024. The marina charges $20 and no senior discount...guess the Lake Mead NPS wants out of the CG MGMT hassles.
$80 RV, $45 tent camping with No shade, CG is not even on the lake. Total crazy stupid ripoff by a pvt hospitality company leasing the NPS camping area.
Apple Maps wouldn’t get me here. Use google maps instead.
This is just a little pull off from Old Highway 93. Had to level my truck because there isn’t any flat ground and there unfortunately is a fair amount of trash.
That being said the views are amazing and it’s extremely secluded if that’s your jam!
Decent Verizon and T-Mobile coverage. Made it up here in 2wd but there are a few spots where clearance will be your friend.
We stopped here and ended up staying for a week. Jennifer and Jaimi are winderful ladies. They went above and beyond to help us with the area. The maintenance man had to change water spicket and had us going in 15 minutes.
This Place is awesome after 7 years still love it #66
This campground is open September through June and all sites are dry camping. There is a separate area for RVs, trailers, and vans but many camper vans (including ours) were in the tent section. The camper pads in this area are dirt/gravel and not all of them are level but we made it work. Each site has a fire ring, BBQ grill, and picnic table. Some of the sites (but not all) have a covered picnic table and the table is located on a cement pad.
There are more than sufficient vault toilets sprinkled throughout the campground and all the ones we used were clean. No showers. No dump station.
The hosts were great – they are from Minnesota, and it is their third year at this campground. They made daily rounds and were very friendly.
This campground is located just outside the park and therefore not subject to the park fees. You will need a timed entry for the 13-mile scenic drive from October through May (but if you enter before 8 am, you will not need it). We had only a fleeting one bar of Verizon cell service. Make sure you make reservations as the campground was full on a Monday night in mid-November.
Tent camping near Nipton, California offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stunning desert landscape, with various options for outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Nipton, CA is Ivanpah Dry Lake with a 3-star rating from 2 reviews.
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