Best Tent Camping near Henderson, NV

You can take that heat from Vegas and completely forget you are in Nevada when you travel just outside the city and to McWilliams Campground and Mount Charleston area. But because of this break in the heat all summer you have to make reservations, even though they say there are walk up sites I wouldn't suggest banking on them to be there.

This campground is dry camping but with the setting of the mountains it hardly seems like any kind of inconvenience. There is a nice bathroom facility here without showers but plenty good for enjoying this place it is heated which makes for a lot better user experience especially I assume during winter months.

When I was there I saw a lot of RVs and Tents alike all pulled into spots and comfortable. While I didn't seem boxed in and overcrowded I did speak to someone who said when it is filled with more RVs it tends to get a little claustrophobic feeling.

Sleeping in a tent here I noticed that I could hear my neighbors pretty easily until around 11 p.m. after that it got pretty quiet and short of a few animal noises here and there it was silent. Temperatures dipped considerably at night so even though it was summer, in a tent I was finding I needed a little more cover than expected and pulled out the sleeping bag for some warmth.

Something I loved about this site was the set up for campers with the fire ring and table. The slab around the ring gives you a flat surface if you have camp chairs and also allows you do better manage your space and keep debris out of your fire.

TIPS:

• Bring a light or headlamp. Not sure if it really doesn't have light or if it was just burned out, I didn't check again, but the bathroom was dark at night so you want to have a way to see.
• Bring Cash or Check they didn't accept cards for the $25 nightly fee.

Great experience. I arrived late at night and was still able to check in with a pay stub. Even though it’s mid/late November the weather was great! Just take a cool weather sleeping bag and you’ll be good.

This campground is reservable 15 days in advance, but if you missed that deadline, there is first come-first serve camping as well. There were many spots open when I came. When you get here, scout for a spot, remember your site number and license plate info, and then go back to pay at the pay stub center (at the entrance of the campground).

Its $20 a night to camp here. BRING CASH! :)

No showers, just bathrooms.

This was my first time camping at Hilltop. I reserved online, which is great, so when I got there I just pulled into the spot. The camp host came by and asked for either my ID or the reservation.

I stayed in Spot 1, which is nice if you want to be a little secluded, but I did have a lot of traffic noise when trucks or loud motorcycles came by. The tent area was level and smooth, which was a big help when Tent #1, which set up beautifully in my living room, refused to, in spite of much coaxing and cursing. I had to drive back into town and buy Tent #2, which was watertight even when the rain came pouring down.

There is no running water in the campground. Spigots have been capped, and where there once were showers, there are now portable toilets. In the larger group areas, they (and the trash bins) fill up fast, but less so in the remainder of the campground. Walk a little bit farther and you'll likely find a cleaner portable. This campground is very tent friendly.

If you want truly incredible views, reserve spots 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18. 22, or 23. All are on the outside edge overlooking the valley below. There are also deer that graze when the campground is quieter, and nearby access to a lot of hiking areas.

At an elevation of 6200 ft this is a great place to get away from it all. But there are some things that those coming here should know. There is NO RUNNING WATER. Be prepared to bring your own if you are staying for any length of time.

There is NO CELLULAR SERVICE. The "toilets" are vault toilets (fancy outhouses) that are not regularly maintained, but were also reasonably clean.

There are 7 sites total. Two up one side on a small hill, two by the first vault toilet, one in the middle, and then a group site with two tent pads by the second vault toilet.

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and tent pad. Bring your own firewood. Pack out your trash.

I was there for 3 nights, when we arrived we were the only people there until late in our second day.

The roads were passable with a hearty 2wd truck/SUV, but 4wd is recommended. You will NOT get to this campground in a car. You need ground clearance to make it up the rough roads.

Weather was pleasant & dry. Nights were cold to cool. Lots of sun. Pack the sunscreen - ask me how I know.

Overall a great place to getaway to if you need a break from civilization.

Arch rock campground is further up the road from Atlanta campground. It used to be a first come first serve campground, but just this month changed to a reservation system. If a site is not reserved and it is after 3pm, you can pay the iron ranger $10 for the site. Arch rock sites are more scenic than the other campground, but also more primitive with just vault toilet and water spigots distributed throughout the camp. No electricity. Desert big horn sheep do frequent the area. It can be very hot temperature. Sites are only modestly separated with little screening. Though the sites further up the loop are more dispersed. Each site has sun shade, table, fire ring, and 12’x12’ tent pads. No T-Mobile.

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.

After 4 glorious days kayak camping along the Black Canyon, we moved our basecamp to Boulder Beach and spent a couple of days getting reorganized to hit the road further north. Since the wind was too strong to get out on the lake, we opted to bike along the path that runs next to the campground.  This gorgeous path is well-utilized by area cycling groups, and they are some of the most courteous and safe cyclists we’ve ever come across. 

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and all the sites are paved and level.  Don't normally love paved campgrounds, but the wind is so strong at times that it would be a total dust storm without them. All sites have a nice view of Lake Mead, but there is no water access to the lake from the campground. The bathrooms have running water and are kept clean and well stocked, but there are no showers. Water spigots are scattered throughout the campground and there is a sewage dump for RV’s. Most of the sites are designed for large RV’s, but there were some tent campers there as well.

Closest town is Boulder City, about 16 miles away, and has everything you need. There is strong cell service in the campground, and free wifi.