Best Tent Camping near Indian Springs, 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.

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.

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.

I make several trips out here each year and can't say enough good things. The group sites are large and have nice big pavilions at each site with picnic tables and fire pits.

Each site has walkways leading to platforms for setting up a number of tents.

This area Is notorious for having moderate to high winds so be ready to stake out all corners including the vestibules. Winds here are predominantly out of the east but can switch out of the west overnight. BE LIBERAL WITH TENT STAKES!

Each site has running water, trash bins and a pit toilet.

Close proximity to Red Rock Canyon, Hiking Trails and Climbing Routes.

For those who enjoy a good FREE campsite, this is a great site for getting away from the hustle of the city of Las Vegas and being able to enjoy the natural side of this area of Nevada. Close to lots of hiking or boondocks sites this site is a great place for the person who is wanting to set up a tent but have the comfort of a toilet.

This area is a great place to check out!

I found this space when wandering around close to Red Rock. I had sought out some camping in the area and found the Fish and Wildlife area and had to check it out. A lot of times I have found these free lands to be great for camping, well patrolled and lots of other like minded people enjoying the spaces. This one was the same!!

The campsite had a picnic table and fire ring so it was a pretty standard primitive dry camp. But what set it apart from some in the area was the friendly nature of those patrolling. We were there a while and a ranger pulled into camp and since we were outside of the tent he spoke to us about the grounds. You can stay here for up to 14 days they just ask that you respect the area and carry out all you carry in. He was very helpful in telling us the areas best for hiking and gave us a few ideas as to what to expect in way of wildlife in the area. SUPER HELPFUL!!

This campground itself is kinda small, only a few sites but they are spread far enough apart that you don't feel stacked on your neighbors. Throughout the area you will find boondocks in RVs and rigs all abiding by the same 14 day policy.

I will go back here during the cooler season for some more great camping. I LOVED it here!

There were only a few negatives I did find as a tent camper. High winds roll across this area and can create a lot of dust storms which were a problem on one of the days we were there, that made it a little difficult to enjoy the camp because there is no real shelter from this. Although this isn't an every day occurrence when it does happen it can completely ruin the day.

The only other negative was that it is kind of far from any civilization and with AT&T I had no signal, so this could make for some issues in case of an emergency.

TIPS:

• If you have a booster for cell signal make sure to bring it!
• Pack an outdoor shower booth as there are few places to set up a make shift shower area, bringing your own unit can make it a lot easier and private.