Best Equestrian Camping near Jean, NV

Just 10 miles down a great, stereotypical, paved desert road off of I-15 you’ll find an unmarked turnoff as the road curves. The turnoff quickly becomes a dirt road that runs straight for miles. On the right side is the Mojave National Wilderness and on the left is the Mojave National Preserve where camping is allowed in designated areas only. These are marked pretty well and can easily accommodate groups (see “camping” below). The road is easy (see “Approach” below) and I’d feel comfortable taking a 2wd sedan to at least the first campsite which is only about 200m from the road. Fires are allowed in fire pits only which both sites I saw have.

Camping There are two designated dispersed campsites that I saw. I didn’t drive much past the second site though the road wasn’t difficult. The sites are well established and well marked. Some places look like they could be campsites but they are marked as “No Camping.” Look for the established areas with a fire pit that have the designated camping signs. They are located next to rock formations that help block the wind and give you a place to get on top of to look around. Watch out for snakes! The first one is maybe 200m down the road on the left. It has a driveway leading to a circular area so it would be good for a pull through camper or two. It’s large enough for a few campers, I’d say, or several vehicles. Pretty ideal if you had a horse trailer (there is not water source) as across the site is a good equestrian/hiking trail. I chose this one because it was actually smaller and I didn’t want to take up the larger second site. The second site is visible from the first but not close enough to interact much. The rock formation is larger, it’s more hidden from the main road, and has more space for vehicles. Better for a group - even a large one. Check the sign on the way into the preserve to make sure fires are allowed that day. Firewood can be purchased at the market in Baker.

The Approach and Ace Test The exit off of I-15 is convenient - stop in Baker immediately on the right for supplies then right across the interstate is Kellbaker Rd - the paved road that goes through the Mojave. After the mile 10 marker, the road turns right and in the middle of the turn is an unmarked paved driveway. Turn onto that driveway and it becomes a sandy dirt road that runs straight. There are some signs that say “No Motor Vehicles” and “No Camping” but these signs are talking about not leavening the road. You’re fine if you stay on the road. There are some pull offs that look like campsites but they will have rocks across the path and have signs saying no camping. Look for the designated camping signs and pull offs with a fire pit. This road does pass the Ace test for me (Ace was my 216 VW Jetta that I took on roads like this often); however, there are a couple spots toward the second campsite and beyond that I, personally, would do with Ace but if you’re less comfortable, the first campsite is maybe 200m in and any car could make that easily.

Activities The trails are well marked and one can explore the Lava Tubes which is just across the dirt road and easy access. It’s hot even in spring so bring a lot of water - more than you think you need. WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES. I had a fire and it was great to sit, relax, and stargaze. There isn’t a lot of light pollution so on a clear night, it’s awesome. Further down the paved road, there are other things like more Lava Tubes, some mines, and a trail you can drive along to check out water tanks. I like this camp area because it’s isolated and out of town but close enough to get supplies while allowing access further into the preserve. You can also go check out the World’s Largest Thermometer in Baker as well as an Alien kitsch shop and a few restaurants.

Weather I was there towards the end of April and it was in the 90’s and sunny during the day, a hot breeze coming from the west. At night, it was clear and starry and a low around 65.

Cell Service and Other Services I had 3 bars of Verizon LTE and was able to text and send videos and do some of my remote work. There are no amenities; however, Baker is just 10 miles away and has a few gas stations and a market that have pretty much everything from laundry detergent to firewood.

Summer time might not be the best time to try to camp in southern Nevada but with mild fall and winter this campsite leaves a lot of options for those looking for an outdoor adventure.

I spent much of early spring at Red Rock enjoying the facilities, the hiking, the vistas and yes the camping. This campground does accept reservations for group sites however individual sites are walk up first come first serve and with those mild weekends they do fill up quickly. Weekdays are suggested if you can make it out as it is a bit easier to get a site during those days.

One thing most do not consider with camping at this location is the proximity to the Las Vegas strip and all the tourists which that includes. This campsite is coveted and many who wish to venture beyond the brights lights find themselves at this nationally acclaimed facility.

A few things to also consider before traveling here:

1- No cell servIce at the campground for any provIder, fact is unless you hike to the peaks you wIll not fInd any cell service for miles.

2- Campground sometimes appears full when in fact people are parking here instead of camping so do not get turned away without a quick once through the campground itself.

3- No hookups for electrIcal or water at individual sItes. If you must have power you will want to consider alternative sources.

RV campers as well as tent campers are able to stay at thIs locatIon however It does sway a bIt more toward tent campIng In way of spacing and availabilIty.

Cost to camp are $15 for single tent campers like myself. ThIs Includes a pIcnIc table and awning but more Importantly proximity to the park itself. Most don’t inquire about stay length but for a blogger lIke myself I had to know and elected to ask, because who wouldnt want the best vIews In the area as long as possIble! 14 days!!

Great camp sites with shade, fire pits, tables, water and bathrooms near by. (bathrooms are not neighbors to any camp sites:)

Dirty Tip: Very popular spot in April and May, show up early so you don't end up with a walk up site

site: covered picnic tables. large. among the rocks. amenities: clean. attractions: hiking. grew views at sunset. I would go camping here again.

The name says a lot. This park is goreorgus with Red Rock mountains all around you. Impossible to take a bad picture and the lake was amazing for fishing we never caught so many fish. What wonderful memories we had at Red Rock Canyon. I would recommend this place to anyone.

Love this campground when the weather isn't too hot. Unfortunately not all the sites have shade, which can be brutal in the summer, early autumn and late spring.

Toilets were adequate, and the drinking fountains are much appreciated. Located a couple miles from the scenic loop and many great trails.

I went to Red Rock on a whim to get out of Vegas while visiting my boyfriend, who was working in Death Valley National Park. We both weren't super into Vegas and Red Rock was close enough to walk/hitch hike so we figured we'd go. What an amazing experience! We were both completely in awe by the natural beauty of the area and loved rock scrambling our way up the canyon walls. We found a sweet spot to set up our hammock in between the wall of a canyon and another rock and spent the day listening to all of the animals in the canyon and exploring the natural bridges and structures around us. At night, you could still see the light from Vegas but we had a pretty awesome view of the sky regardless. This entire area is so amazing, I highly recommend camping up here.

This campground is located near the park, but unfortunately is not in the park itself. Sites are first come, first serve. The campground itself is not particularly scenic, but it has what you need (firepits, vault toilets, water faucets) and it is just a couple mile drive into the park.

This is my favorite location to Camp.

Campsites are locate at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, an about 20 mile from, The Las Vegas Strip. ... Activities at Red Rock Canyon include "hiking, bike riding and rock climbing"

I really enjoyed my stay here. The campground is simple: dirt patch to camp on, vault toilets, fire pit, and a table for each unit. Spots fill up quickly and are first come, first serve; so get there early. Easily about 15-20 min drive to some of the father crags, which isn't bad at all. It was nice to hang out with some of the other campers as well :)

Unfortunately, we went to visit at prime climbing time so the campground was full of climbers. Instead, we had to camp at the overflow area which is about 10 minutes away and a little rough for a 2WD car to get to. We had to take it very very slow. Otherwise, Red Rock Canyon was beautiful!

Great campground really close to Vegas (at night you can see that light beam from the Luxor). It appears that they keep adding more awnings over the picnic tables, and there are nice little benches around the fire rings. No showers, but nice bathrooms and you can get cell service (if that is important to you). There's also a nice grocery store close by. If you are coming to Red Rock to climb, you will have plenty of friends here. There are a couple of nice trails through the dessert, and there are supposed to be big horn sheep but I didn't see any.

Red rocks does NOT have a lot of camping options. It's basically here, or something illegal, or something 45 minutes away (Lovell Canyon). Staying on the strip, or an airbnb in summerlin are also good options. But I usually come here for short climbing trips and do enjoy the camping experience.

I think both times I was able to snag a reservation, I had to book a group site, as they are usually the last ones left. The minimum is 10 people. However I only had a group of 8. This wasn't a problem for us, but I don't know how strict they could be if they wanted.

I love how they have plenty of tables, and benches around the fire pit! BUT "fire season" is from May-October and they prohibit fires of any kind.

Vegas is great, but it's not really my kind of town. I prefer getting out of the city and getting back to nature. Red Rocks is a great place to make that happen. It's right outside of Vegas and offers a huge amount of pristine desert beauty. The trails vary in terrain from rocky to nice flat sandy treks. There is climbing available and if you're patient enough and have a quick eye, you can spot wildlife. we were fortunate enough to see a Kit Fox running around. I highly recommend getting out of Vegas and having an adventure here.

On the edge of beautiful Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Too bad it's not closer to the canyon, but this is as good as it gets. Clean restrooms, clean sites, modern shade covers with concrete pads & newer picnic tables. Don't come here for the camping, get out and enjoy Red Rock Canyon, one of Las Vegas' best outdoor attractions.

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.

Climbers galore or maybe just seeing the sights, Red Rocks and its campground is a sight to see.

Campground Review:

Red Rocks Campground in the cold season is rock climbers heaven! Jeremy and I decided to visit Red Rocks Conservation Area to go, you guessed it, rock climbing. This would be our first visit to this area so after seaching the area for campgrounds on [the dyrt](http://the dyrt ) we came across this one. We knew we would be testing our luck with camping with it being New Years Weekend with limited availability. However, we were able to ask somoene that was leaving if we could sneak in behind them. He was a climber and was super kind. Let us pull into the campspot right then and there a few hours before he planned on leaving. Everyone in the campground, aka the climbing comunity, is super kind and outgoing. The vibe during this season is a laid back yet pumped up.

Bathrooms were clean for them being drop toliets. Had a solar light in them which was a nice change for those types of bathrooms. They stayed well stocked thanks to the camp hosts. Just outside the bathrooms was running water with drinking water.

The campsites were set up amazingly! Most sites, like ours, had a patio cover, which was paired with a metal picnic table. A fire ring was set up with a grill on it as well as two benches to be able to sit at the fire. There was a seperate grill if you choose to make food that way. Just past that was the "tent pad". Since this is rocky terrain they set up what almost looks like a litter box of sand for your tents to be set up, rock free! Each site accomidates up to 2 cars and however many tents you can squeeze into the tent pad.

For everything you get at this site it is only $15 a night for each campsite. They are first come first serve. There is an RV section seperate to the rest of the campground, we did not see pricing or the sites for these because they are down in another section. They also offer "walk-up" sites. You park and can set up in a more condensed area that is strictly for tents. There are a lots of options for this campground!

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Boost Oxygen! Our whole reason to going for Red Rocks was to go rock climbing! An amazing place to test out Boost Oxygen's new medium size as well as the grapefruit flavored one.

We took the medium size natural flavor with us the first day out on the rocks. It was the perfect size to throw into our packed down climbing bag and gear. Packing for a day out on the rocks requires climbing gear ( harness, chalk, rope, grigri, quickdraws, and sometimes more), snack, water, and of course my Boost Oxygen.

Following the new perfect size, the mouth piece has been condensed from large size. Upon using it for the first time I immediately fel in love with the smaller mouth size. It still cups your entire mouth, but it has a snug fit. When breathing in I felt like I was getting every molecule of the oxygen. Though I will say, Jeremy still enjoys the bigger size!

The second day we used the grapefruit flavored one for the first time. I was hesitant on this flavor just because it seemed a little different compared to the other flavors offered. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't overly citrus-y, but rather light and complimentary.

Coming down and off the wall it was nice to grab my Boost Grapefruit and just take a few deep breathe with it and feel back at 100% to be able to jump back on the wall. It helped me relax my pumped muscles and focus on my next climb ahead of me.

I always recommend Boost Oxygen to anyone that is looking to push there limits to the next high. Boost gives you that umf that you need to get to the next level in your athletic lifestyle.

On our last night of a week long trip to Utah and Arizona, with an early flight out the next morning, this campground was perfect. It's only about 40 minutes form the Las Vegas Airport but feels like you are forever away from the hustle and bustle of the strip.

Each site has a set place for the tent so you aren't trying to find a flat piece of ground for your tent as one is already provided.

Although we only used this as a stop over on our last night, we will be back! There is so much good hiking right there in Red Rock Canyon. Wish we would have had more time to explore!

Conveniently located to Vegas and Red Rock Canyon, this campground is always full (and people are rather rude stopping by to see how long you will stay)

Sites are nice, especially if you get one with a covered picnic table to escape the sun/heat.

Wow! What can I say except we spent two nights here and found it to be a perfect entry to the actual loop. It was late May and the morning heat made it too uncomfortable to sleep in. Thank God! The trails and sights in the loop are amazing. I would suggest if entering from the north (Charleston) go ahead skip the first trail in the park. EVERBODY stops here and it is quite crowded and plenty of rude people. Go up to marker 3 or 7 for a better experience. An easy hike is Redrock over look. Flat, fairly smooth, but zero shade. An early morning or evening hike. Do not miss Icebox Canyon, especially if the snow is melting or rain. Great "pop up" waterfalls all around. The canyon realty comes to life. I wore my boots for this one in case a little traction needed for water and keep feet dry. Could've kept my trail runners on and had a little better time with the heat making my feet uncomfortable. Lots of lizards, squirrels, rabbits, and we heard coyotes hunting at night. Desert is blooming and perfect to wander

No better place to boondock! The canyon is majestic, the trails here are not in the National Park loop so all are free to access. Abundant wildlife all around us. A ram, owls, rabbits, lizards, butterflies, etc. we primarily boondock or hike into a camp. This is the place for that. Many of the tails are day use only though so ensure you watch the markets at the top of the trailhead. Also it is super dry now so fires are out. Spring Mountain Ranch Nearby was once owned by Howard Hughes and has a secret room. The ranger was super cool and after a great conversation he allowed us to hike on non public access trail to an old cemetery. Incredible. Be cool, share the wine, and hope you can go too!

This offers a nice and quick getaway from the city of Las Vegas. You get a better view of tge nightsky and its quiet.

Campsites are super nice with sand pads for your tents and clean bathrooms nearby, but no showers. Not all campsites have a shelter for shade. Extremely dangerous in the summer if you have no shade, so I would bring pop up tarp if you have one. The views are beautiful and Red Rock is astounding!

Tis place has nice campsites and well maintained bathrooms. The rock walls sweep straight up to the sky and look as if theyve been stroked by a paintbrush. There are also a ton of climbs here both trad and sport, from single pitch to multi! If you want to just plan a day trip escape from the city this is well within reach

love this campground!!!! A lot of nice hikes to go on and things to see. Always very clean and quiet and well! Just be careful if it's windy as the dust can kick up pretty bad. But overall it's amazing!

Very beautiful!

This place gets the most barren campground award. Almost zero vegetation. Periodic headlights and sounds of cars motoring past on the road which is right there (~60 yards away from some sites). Night was frigid and windy (we were there late fall)- we burned through a load of wood trying to be social around the fire and then settled on being social from our sleeping bags. You definitely don't come here for the campground itself, but as a launchpad to get to the stunningly beautiful park. The campground had a faucet to fill up on water, which tasted like a swimming pool but had all the hydrating properties one hopes for in water.