If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Gardnerville, look no further. Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
Most of the land in the Naonal Forest is open to camping free of charge which is referred to as “dispersed” camping. Visitors can camp just about anywhere in the naonal forest, unless specifically prohibited*. Maps and staff are available at most Forest Service offices to assist visitors in finding a suitable spot.
Guide
okay. let’s be real. the road is a beast. I would not drive it with any vehicle other than SUV/Truck. DO NOT bring up an RV/Trailer. you’ll regret it. we stayed and car camped. an awesome view of the lights of Reno. can be very windy but if you get between some of the trees it’s not to bad.
Scout
Came on a Saturday around 4pm, there were 2 other campers other than me so it wasn’t busy at all. No service for at&t. Overall had a good stay here with my 2 dogs
Guide
This spot is national forest, and overnight camping is not allowed. We had a knock from someone with the forest service the next morning who was very kind and let us know that overnight is not allowed.
Look up lakes and forest in this area on google — not many places allow dispersed camping
Scout
Free camping
Ranger
The two closest roads coming in from the West are blocked off and labeled no unauthorized vehicles. This is due to the construction of the new neighborhoods and they probably annexed the area. You could probably access it from the East but I have no idea how many miles it would be in from where you would come in.
Ranger
It's sad where we have this public land to camp on and people just dump tons and tons of trash and abandoned cars and demolished cars on the property would not recommend going. There's some more BLM land about 15 to 20 minutes north on Red Rock road.
Guide
Standard dispersed camping on national forest land. Paved main road with dirt roads and areas for camping branching off. Plenty of room. Some areas have beautiful views of strawberry valley!
ScoutNot really sure if we camped in the right spot. It isn’t great, but it got the job done to just crash for a night. Felt like we were in a construction zone
Scout
So disappointing this app has failed us like 5 times now on camping spots. Not the right location.
ScoutI’m motorcycle camping and the ground level was about half full, mostly RVs, so I attempted to head up Scott Lake Road.
The dirt was manageable but there are sections of large rocks difficult to pass on two wheels. I crossed several but I dropped my bike before the second circle. Defeated and exhausted from a long day’s ride, I headed back down to set up my camp among the RV set.
No shade to the lifestyle but this is an awfully long drive to watch TV at top volume.
Scout
This is a beautiful lake. I like visiting it and geometry dash breeze which is amazing. Upon reaching the lake, you will discover approximately twelve camping spots. These sites are fairly basic, each equipped with uncomplicated stone fire pits, though only around half of them seem to feature picnic tables based on my observation. Upon our arrival, all the Lakeview sites were occupied, prompting us to locate a pleasant spot towards the back to set up our camp. Unfortunately, there is a segment of the camping area that would typically be open for use but was closed off by the Department of Fish and Game(DFG) due to environmental concerns. It's regrettable as there were some appealing campsites situated beyond that wooden barrier.
Scout
There’s no legal “dispersed” camping at Luther Pass; there are 11 tent sites with a maximum stay of five days. Very nice campground, though.
GuideWooded campground, cool weather, good phone reception, many spots taken with no activity probably by locals. Lake, hiking, close shopping.
TravelerLots of people ! come early for a spot. nice views around. lots and lots of bugs. i sleep in my car and crack the windows a little bit and i woke up to a shit ton of bugs that got in my car. even more surrounding the cars. very quiet at night, maybe i just got lucky lol.
Travelerthis location was the site of a fire several years ago, this means that many of the trees have been cleared making it a good site for starlink users like me. There are some power lines and it might be prettier if it had some unburned trees, but it’s great in a pinch and private. Take echo summit road from El dorado and you will see several places to chose from. The road towards the cabins has a very tight turn that will not allow anyone over 25 feet- though i’d recommend smaller.
most likely impassable after snowfall.
Traveler
We recently spent a night at this campsite and found it to be perfect for a quick overnight getaway. The area is spacious and conveniently located not too far off the main road, making it easy to access without feeling too isolated.
There are plenty of sites to choose from, catering to different preferences. However, we recommend taking some time to survey the land before setting up camp, as some spots are slightly sloped.
A huge plus is the gas station just about 5 minutes down the road. It’s well-stocked with all the convenient store items you might have forgotten at home, making it easy to grab any last-minute necessities.
Overall, it was a delightful stay. Just remember, always practice Leave No Trace principles—pack out what you pack in!
ScoutThe road kinda sucks but VC is a good time. It was nice other than the road. Please remember to pack everything out, there was a lot of trash I had to pick up that was left behind by others.
Scout
Site looks beautiful but road turns from pavement to 4x4. Pulled over right after the pavement ended. Lots of mosquitos
TravelerWe went just up the road into the wildlife reserve and drove all the way up to burnside lake. Beautiful. Definitely need 4x4 and the road is super bumpy. We had a great spot that looked over the mountains. Would definitely come back. Lots of places to choose from along the way to the lake.
TravelerThis place is beautiful but it’s a designated free camp ground and has minimal spots on one side. The other side was so jammed full. We ended up squeezing in a parking space and asked the ranger for permission to use our pop up there (she was super nice about it). Trash, fire pits, bathrooms are all available there. Single lane road getting in to it was a little harry with other cars. Decent place if you need a safe space to rest.
Traveler
Pretty easy to get to and lots of spaces for dispersed sites. There was trash EVERYWHERE. Broken glass, toilet trash, bottles and cans, we were really disappointed. We found a spot pretty hidden which was rad but someone was shooting litteraly all night long which was frustrating. We probably won’t come back.
TravelerNot sure if my wife and I found the right spot or went far enough, but we found a great spot about 4 miles before silver fork camp ground. Nice and flat, right next to the stream, already had some stones for a fire ring. Easy road to get out there.
ScoutWe are new to dispersed camping and have a 40 ft 5th wheel as well as a GMC Denali 350 dually. We need a large space to fit into. We arrived on a Monday at noon and found that the large area about 1/4 mile in was not at all crowded. We had our choice of several places to set up. It is very quiet here, not hearing any road noise. A forest ranger told us there were more spaces up near the lake, but we didn’t venture up there.
ScoutGreat location. Not sure it would be a good location if it's been raining. May hear the occasional road noise
TravelerYou follow a dirt road and have camping spots along the road. When I was here it was jammed packed RV, vans and tents all set up along the road. To me it was good for a an overnight stay. No At&t service what so ever. Little highway noise.
ScoutParked my car and walked into my campsite 50m? Not ideal if you are car camping but not terrible. Tables, bear boxes, toilets and fire ring provided. First come first serve. Adequate TMobile service.
TravelerDog Valley is a special place where we come to boondock. It’s quite and has a great creek. People come out here to camp, ride atvs, side by sides, dirt bikes, or off road. People target practice a lot and the ranger is very nice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Gardnerville, NV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Gardnerville, NV is Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping with a 3.9-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Gardnerville, NV?
TheDyrt.com has all 31 dispersed camping locations near Gardnerville, NV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
