Champion Road Dispersed Campsites

Fair warning, my boyfriend and I camped on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend so this may have skewed my rating.  

The campsite was amazing!  Private, very big for just the two of us, and a good combination of sun and shade.  The site was very easy to get to in a 4WD truck even on the narrow two way road, smaller cars may have some issues.  The views were limited but beautiful!  It was hot during the day and wonderfully chilly at night.  Bring lots of water, sunscreen, and good food that you can eat cold or heat up on a propane stove - no fires allowed! 

The bugs were BAD all day, I swore off DEET but that trip I would've bathed in it.  I was very excited for a quiet get away and quiet I did not get because of a group that rode their ATV up and down Champion road incessantly.  Due to this, the dust was absolutely horrible and unfortunately the birds stayed away which is my favorite part of camping :(.  The campsite was LITTERED with used pieces of toilet paper, baby wipes, glass, plastic - all the trash you can think of.  We spent about a hour trying to pick up as much trash as possible, please do the same.  We decided to call it a night when the sun set however people were blasting music in a neighboring campsite... why do people play loud music in nature? No clue.   

So to summarize, my boyfriend and I had a WONDERFUL trip however inconsiderate people really know how to test a camper's patience.

I've camped here a few times in the summer to escape the heat of Las Vegas when I don't want to drive too far anywhere else.  I have a Jeep Compass and had no trouble on the road - I watched cars get stuck though, but other cars were fine so it probably depends on your skills with a lower clearance vehicle.  The sites are nice and spread out.  I had to drive little ways in before I found empty space.  It is really beautiful with the trees and scenery and is probably my favorite place to camp in the summer.  

A few things I didn't like were that people leave poopy toilet paper all over the place.  I'd like to assume positivity and think maybe they think it will biodegrade because it's thin paper.  It doesn't.  Dig a hole, cover it up.  Put your paper in a plastic zip-lock bag and bring it with you.  The sites were also incredibly dirty with all kinds of other litter.  I filled up an entire 13-gallon garbage bag with trash when I got there.  So that was sad to see such a beautiful place being treated this way.  The other thing to be aware of here is noise.  There are large families or groups that camp here and play their music all day and into the night as well.  I hesitate to use earplugs because I like to be able to hear when I'm camping.

Beautiful mountain. In the summer months I’d like to camp higher up. This site is about half way up the mountain and the quick difference going from Vegas through the desert and ending up on top of a lush green mountain side nestled below overhanging peaks is amazing. I always seem to arrive during the night which is something I need to correct, don’t do that. Especially if you are a first timer and have zero knowledge of an area. 

When you pull into the empty turn around and onto the dirt road you could be immediately disarmed. The second you pull off the road you notice gang symbols spray painted on the tree’s (sad) and a lot of empty beer cans. It could be alarming but if you continue up the dirt road it clears up. Really beautiful sites all around. I went in February and got some nice slow flurries which was a nice treat. Problem was that is snowed through the night and I woke up to about three inches. When you’re going in its all down hill, exiting with snow reminds me why I need 4 wheel drive. Enjoy the photos, I will be back!

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

Super cool little area for sure. We don’t have 4 wheel drive but we managed to get in and out just fine by going slow. It was crazy windy and our ozark black out tent held its way just fine. It’s totally dispersed so you have no hook ups. Pack out what you pack in This place is gorgeous when the sun sets and sun rises on the mountains. A little chilly at night but our heater did us good.

Here are my star ratings based on my lifestyle and what I like. I'm also a mother, dog mama, and a wife so it's not just me it's my crew and i. 1 star- AUTOMATIC relocate… the property is no longer there, trashed or/and I could never have my children there and I wouldn't ever think about staying no matter what. 2 star- Not really my jam, and would NEVER go to again… It probably more of desert life and not really my style for sure…Being from Vegas I can't stand being in the desert and I love the Trees and the Green more than anything. 3 star- Would stay there again in a pinch, but not really my style, the reason its not is because not enough family things to do, the scenery, or the location… but I would go again and feel safe having my kiddos here but only if I needed to in a pinch. 4 star- a really good rating for sure, maybe needed some improvements, minor things like being on top of each other, not a lot of privacy, but honestly little cosmetic things that aren't anything to sweat and would be back again for sure. 5 star- MY FAVORITE… love the location, safety, the surroundings, big camp spots available to fit toys for my kids to play, hammocks to hang, our big family tent, cases of firewood, our suburban or RV, etcccccc….. I would not only come back but would live if I could!!! Anyway thanks for reading and enjoy every moment like it's your last! CHEERS!

Super neat camp ground and the best part it’s free.... trees everywhere pine and juniper trees. we have a suburban and it’s rear wheel drive so we push it to the limits.... this is a super easy road with two entrances... some places are a little sketchy but we managed.... no fires ONLY propane, don’t be a jerk and try to get by just follow the rules so everyone can Enjoy nature. The rangers come by and check and also to let you know it’s not allowed.... basically to keep you accountable. We brought wood because we were not sure so it never hurts to have just Incase they lift the fire restrictions.... try to search online they update regularly...Ok ok ok, so since when did we not have each other’s back and helping keep our forest clean?? Listen when you camp, fish, swim etc... just take 5 mins and do a sweep of your campsite or area and clean any trash.....and listen if you see something that’s not yours... just pick it up. We filled a trash bag of trash, it was super windy so I’m assuming people’s trash just was flying everywhere, either way let’s do our part so we can continue to enjoy... anyway besides that lots of flat areas and plenty of places to camp.

Got up there around 10:30-11:00am on Sunday. “Champion Road” is a decently maintained dirt/gravel road and there are camp sites scattered on both sides, all different shapes and sizes. I took a small road off to the right towards the mountain and found a pretty secluded site. My site had a rock fire ring from previous campers and a cleared away flat area for a tent. I brought a small table luckily because there was nowhere to put stuff other than hanging in the trees, on the ground or on a log. My tent is a 2 person 6ftx7ft tent and was too big for spot so my tent wasn’t positioned very well, other sites may have been better. I think because my site was a bit more off the main road it had fewer campers therefore was not as well kept. My site was very rocky and well covered by large trees, not another site within a 400 meter radius. I didn’t check out many other sites so can only speak for mine. It was a little dirty from previous campers, but after a quick walk through and clean up it was homey. Next time probably will find a little bit more “developed” spot with larger area for my tent and cleared away rocks. Great for the short time I was there and serve me well for getting away and hanging by the fire, listening to music and watching the stars. Definitely will be going back soon. Maybe do some thing to make the spot a little better for the next camper and bring bags to take your trash (and others trash) with you when you leave. Enjoy!