Best Cabin Camping near Ely, NV

There were two of us in RVs. We stayed in spots 3 and 5.  We were able to park so that both of our RVs opened to make the area in-between us as the common area.  There are several big trees so we had some shade some of the time.  Rustic and a bit dusty, but for a base camp it fit the bill.   We were there in end of June 2024.  The weather was in the high 90s so we were so glad we had full hook-ups.  We did not use the bathrooms so I have no comments about them.  We did use the laundry room and they had several nice washing machines and dryers.   All spots were sold out on the weekend so make reservations early.  Jen, the manager, is super nice and friendly.  Note about Lehman Caves:  Lehman caves were amazing. Make sure you make reservations early and purchase your tickets for the tour of the caves before you get there.  Several people that just showed up were not able to get tickets to go inside Lehman Caves.

It’s a KOA Journey, so, close to a “major” road (RT 93), which was very quiet despite proximity. It’s got nice views across the street, so if you’re on the first row of campsites, you’ll get front row seats. The spaces are quite close together, so privacy is minimal, though everyone was very respectful and quiet during quiet hours. Nice spot for access to Great Basin NP (which is a jewel, btw). Lots of options for fishing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities nearby too. We went to Cave Lake and were not impressed but... maybe it was just the wrong time of year (end of May). Sites are mostly level and big-rig friendly, hookups on site were reliable!

We had wanted to camp near to Great Basin National Park, but decided against trying for something in the part, as we did not want to boondock for that many days. The TINY town of Baker has two small RV parks, and Whispering Elms was our choice.

It is a facility that is far from glamorous. The grounds are mostly dirt and weeds and the worst part about staying here was indeed the dust that got kicked up everywhere. The sites are kind of close together, and there's nothing like picnic tables or really any kind of amenities to beautify the place. It is quite humble. The bathhouse was pretty rustic, BUT, everything worked great. Nice hot showers, regular cleanings, plenty of paper products. No complaints. The electric we used was clean. Water pressure was good. Hook ups were convenient and close to each other.

Service was nice. We mostly interacted with Dakota and Sam; both were friendly and helpful. No issues there. And please note, the building where you stop to check in is ALSO A BAR! With a respectable tap selection of Nevada beers, a beer case full of interesting beers and some unusual bar selections too. We hung out there a little bit three days, just sit at a table and chat and have some drink service. I was so surprised to find a bar here!

Great Basin is way off the beaten path; I'm not sure my travels will ever take me this way again. But if we do come this way, and want to stay near the park(5 miles from Whispering Elms to Lehman Caves visitor center; less than a mile to the regular visitor center), I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. Just drive slow to avoid kicking up dust.

I would add a half star if I could; if you like funky, then maybe 4 stars. This is a typical parking-lot style RV park sprinkled with elm trees. Very convenient to Great Basin visitor center and national park, which offers great hiking and views. RV park surface was a mix of dust and gravel. Hookups were fine. Laundry was excellent: reasonably priced and very clean. Nice to have shared clothesline available for use. Bathrooms / showers were very clean. Would have appreciated signage requiring masks in shared areas especially coming into another Corona spike.

This place is giant! There are tons of RV spots as well as a tent area and some cabins. We stayed here to visit Great Basin National Park because the weather was going to be too cold to camp in the park safely without hookups for us. We also used this KOA as our midway point to dump and refill our water between campsites without water. It had what we expected of a KOA - friendly staff, full hookups, easy level pull through sites, a playground, store, etc. The surprises for us: no pool (not that we wanted one), adorable neighbor goats, and two dog parks areas (one with grass). Our dog loved the dirt dog park. It was great giving him a chance to run around off leash for a bit on our trip since everywhere we went he had to be on-leash. The goats were a fun surprise, too, since we love watching goats.