Best Camping near Lovelock, NV

Lovelock is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Lovelock is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Lovelock, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Best Camping Sites Near Lovelock, NV (7)

    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area

    1. Rye Patch State Recreation Area

    29 Reviews
    58 Photos
    225 Saves
    Lovelock, Nevada

    Open year-round, Rye Patch State Recreation Area is situated on a 22-mile long reservoir that has 72 miles of shoreline and 11,000 acres of water surface when full. Visitors enjoy camping, picnicking, swimming and water-skiing, and fisherman delight in the available white bass, catfish, black bass and walleye. Trails around and throughout the park make it easy to enjoy the waterfowl and wildlife that abound, including hawks, eagles, owls, great egrets, antelope, deer and fox. The park also serves as a popular base camp for off-road vehicles, ghost town exploration and gold prospecting.

    The river campground below Rye Patch Dam has 22 units, a restroom with flush toilets and hot showers. The campground on the reservoir's west side has 25 units, a restroom with flush toilets and hot showers. A sanitary dump station with potable water is located on the dam's west side. A camping limit of 14 days in a 30-day period is enforced.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • RVs

    $15 - $25 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Candy Beach Campground
    • No image available
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
      Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping

      4. Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping

      5 Reviews
      13 Photos
      61 Saves
      Fallon, Nevada

      Overnight stays are allowed in two areas within the refuge boundary - on E Division Rd, 3 miles off Hunter Rd., and about 9 miles North on Hunter Rd. The overnight area is just before you cross the canal near the Center Rd intersection. Both sites are near vault toilets, but that's it for development and comfort - these are primitive sites with no other features! There are no fees for overnight stays, but they are limited to four (4) consecutive nights at one location, not to exceed twelve (12) consecutive nights on the refuge.

      • Pets
      • ADA Access
      • Dispersed
      • Trash
      • Toilets
      • Alcohol
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada
      Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch BLM Nevada

      5. Rye Patch BLM Nevada

      1 Review
      22 Photos
      14 Saves
      Winnemucca, Nevada

      Nevada's public lands are open to camping. There is no fee for dispersed, primitive camping, but there is a limit to the number of days one may camp in the same location. Dispersed, primitive camping is camping where there are no developed amenities such as water or toilets. Primitive campers are asked to follow the "Leave No Trace" land use ethics. Dispersed camping in a motorhome is allowed, but dumping black or gray water on public lands isn't allowed. Some campground are established that requires a fee to manage it.

      A person may not occupy undeveloped public lands or designated sites or areas for more than 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. Following the 14 days, a person and their personal property must relocate to a site outside of at least a 25 mile radius from the occupied site for a period of 14 days.

      • Pets
      • Electric Hookups
      • Phone Service
      • RVs
      • Tents
      • Group
      • No image available
        • No image available

        Pet-friendly camping near Lovelock

        Recent Reviews in Lovelock

        38 Reviews of 7 Lovelock Campgrounds


        • UThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Oct. 16, 2024

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          As noted in other reviews good stopover on long drive

          Stayed a night in June, then a night in September. 

          NV State Park that was not taking reservations at time we visited, and was 1st come/1st serve (might be different now). June: Picked out a nice spot on W side with shade, but neighbor had obnoxious generator going constantly so we moved to site 2, which was quite nice with shade, access to bathrooms, showers, a water tap on site. $20/night for dry camp for out-of-staters, many have a shade structure over the picnic tables and most appear fairly level. 

          For an extra $10 there are a few sites with electric on a bluff above the campground, which is below the dam, on the south side but NO shade or trees, basically on gravel. 

          Water in reservoir quite low, so no boats apparent but some rafters. Wild turkeys strutting around the campsite, including one Tom in full fluff. Cell service was one bar and supposed LTE in campground, but unable to pick anything up. Was able to get/send texts from parking lot at put in with Sprint/T-Mobile but limited access in actual campground. 

          Plan to check out west side campground later. September: Stayed again on way to Lake Tahoe. No one at attendant booth, just drive in and pay at credit card kiosk or with traditional cash and envelopes. Stayed in site#14 which was quite shady and next to bathrooms, although neighbor showed up late and his truck was parked very close and we heard their talking much of the night. Spotted a great basin gopher snake right next to our trashcan which was startling but it was gone by next day. Campground was initially pretty sparce (arrrived around 2p) but filled up pretty by end of day.

        • Maya G.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Sep. 17, 2024

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Good spot

          Just a short distance off the interstate. Was just passing through, quick overnight stop. Stayed in the upper level campground, did not go to the lower level with all the RVs and tents as I was planning on leaving super early in the morning. $20 for out of state, $15 for in state residents

        • M
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Aug. 7, 2024

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          A Welcome Oasis

          I camped here for two one-night stopovers. It is a great spot for breaking up long drives. Easy to navigate, spacious sites, pretty scenery. The only thing I didn’t like was the bright light at the charging stations above the lower campground. Try to get a southern spot to avoid that.

        • Anna T.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from 40.69420° N, 118.25481° W
          Jun. 23, 2024

          40.69420° N, 118.25481° W

          Easy to access off the highway

          Car camped here for the night on our cross country road trip. Easy to access off the highway. Surprisingly not noisy for how close it is to the highway. Lots of wildlife, including bugs (Lots of Mormon Crickets), and cow poop. However, beautiful views and only saw one other car on the road. Easy place to rest your head for the night. Spot is off the main dirt road towards the reservoir and has a homeade rock fire pit.

        • KThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
          Oct. 13, 2023

          Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping

          Awesome landscape w/ terrible camping

          Stillwater is visually spectacular and there are tons of birds, if you’re in to that sort of thing. The road in is very well maintained and any vehicle should be able to make it, unless there’s snow. But if you’re looking to camp (like tent and sleeping bag), then this isn’t the place for you.

          There are only two designated “overnight parking” areas, which are both next to the vault toilets. You could park an RV or a van here and be fine. But the only place to pitch a tent that’s not next to a main road is super loose sand. I can understand there being no fire rings being that it’s a wildlife conservation area, but there is zero demarcation of where you should pitch a tent.

          Overall, cool place to visit and take pictures but not a great overnight destination.

        • CThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
          Jun. 13, 2023

          Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping

          Complete different place

          We went to these coordinates and turns out they are 100+ miles off. We weren’t able to see the real place and had to go to a different campground. Type in the name of the place and not the coordinates to get to the actual place.

          DO NOT GO TO THESE COORDINATES!!!

        • JThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping
          May. 2, 2023

          Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Dispersed Camping

          Wild Nevada

          Spent two nights here away from everything.  Snow on the surrounding mountains, giant white pelicans in the marshes.  We felt like immigrants crossing the Nevada desert in a covered wagon (actually our custom built Ram Promaster adventure van).  Great get away.

        • GThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Apr. 2, 2022

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Great Desert Stopover

          There are 2 camps, one below the dam & a west side Campground where we stayed. VERY clean with new met al picnic tables and shade structures. Mostly gravel, excellent for RV not so goodfor tents.

        • K
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Nov. 24, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Easy access

          We ended up dry camping here overnight just passing through. It was a great spot with some nice scenery. The Ranger was helpful with some questions we had. We stayed in the upper lot as we arrived at dusk and didn't want to go down below with our rig and figure out a spot. They can accommodate large rigs without any issues, but we were just fine up in the lot. Our 5th wheel is a 43'er and would have been fine to go down there and find a spot, but I'd recommend a scout vehicle go first to find/claim your spot as it is First Come, First Served. I do look forward to staying again! 

          - Pricing was $20/vehicle overnight. 

          - Electric Vehicle charging stations were being installed in the upper parking/camping area where we stayed.

        • Sotnos B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Nov. 14, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Quiet, off freeway, overnight

          Arrived very late at night. Not well marked and difficult to navigate in the dark....I may have stayed in picnic area (with a few other self contained vehicles). But very quiet, far from the noise of the 80. The bugs are awful...open your door for a second and they'll swarm any lightsource. Nonetheless, I'd stay again while traversing Nevada for an overnight.

        • Nicole B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Sep. 27, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          It was okay

          The bathrooms were gross and my dog got stung by a scorpion, so my opinion is very low for this place. It seems like a nice place to stop and stay a night but keep an eye out for scorpions and I wouldn't recommend going in the water, found all kinds of articles about the water quality being poor. Also, turkeys, turkeys everywhere.

        • Candice T.
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Sep. 6, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Love this place

          One of my favorite campgrounds that I’ve stayed at. We paid $25 for one night, since we were out of state. For that much, we got toilets, showers, picnic tables, and running water to do our dishes and drink from. The campsites are close enough to the lake for it to be enjoyable. Really loved this place.

        • J
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Aug. 30, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          2x in ten days

          We enjoyed the quiet stay on our way out to California, so we stayed again on the way back from there.

          The entrance and overnight fees are not obviously stated on the entrance shack.

          We learned this on our return stay. Awakened by a ranger’s soft knock on the RV door, we were informed that we hadn’t deposited enough in the fee envelope. Although not asked to, we made up the difference for the first stay.

          There is:

          • potable water at various sites, tasted good
          • one dump site (total)
          • a garbage bin every so often
          • No mobile service
          • fuel close to the freeway entrances
        • Nicole B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Jul. 24, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          It's a nice stop, but weekends might be crazy

          The campground was very nice, the showers were kind of scary, but it was still a nice stop. It kind of seems like a party campground, so weekend might be loud. The site are mostly shady.

        • J
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Jul. 2, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Great little place to stop.

          So this is the campground just below the damn (cross damn first and turn left), but there are other sites up and around the reservoir and boat ramp. This particular campground has trees and paved road/pads. No hookups at individual sites. Water spigots dispersed. Free dump station at top of damn. Every site has a steel fire pit and nice big steel picnic tables. Lots of open space for tents and such in fairly level and Sandy ground. My 40’ rig would fit in most spots no problem. Has free showers, but due to the current extreme drought the damn level is WAY low so they are closed, and no fires right now either. My cell signal (t-mobile) only above damn, no service actually down in the campsite. Overall clean though and nice atmosphere and perfect stopping spot for a night or two traveling through.

        • C
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Jun. 5, 2021

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Shady spot by the river

          Nice campground located on the river below the dam. Some very shady spots and some not so much. Water available here and there. Quite busy on a Friday night, with generators on most of the evening and lots of motorized traffic. Bathrooms ok and 2 showers in the upper part.

        • Daniel P.
          Camper-submitted photo from Rye Patch State Recreation Area
          Dec. 7, 2020

          Rye Patch State Recreation Area

          Stars galore, easy access, clean setting

          Rye Patch SRA is the perfect layover spot when driving through NV.  There are sites for tent camping, rv camping with and without hookups, and group camping that I saw.  I have made a video that shows the fee schedule (make sure to pay or you will get fined), the sites, etc.  Hope you find it helpful. 

          https://youtu.be/us0c4_5hHpM

          Cell reception with Verizon is spotty...



        Guide to Lovelock

        Camping near Lovelock, Nevada, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and unique experiences. Whether you're looking for a quick stopover or a longer stay, there are several campgrounds that cater to different needs.

        What to do

        • Explore the outdoors: Rye Patch State Recreation Area is perfect for hiking and enjoying nature. One camper mentioned, "Easy to navigate, spacious sites, pretty scenery," making it a great spot for outdoor activities.
        • Birdwatching: Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for bird lovers. A visitor shared, "There are tons of birds, if you’re into that sort of thing," highlighting the area's rich wildlife.
        • Dune adventures: If you're into off-roading, Sand Mountain is the place to be. One reviewer noted, "Great spot for RV camping for a fun weekend of riding ATVs and dirt bikes on the dunes!"

        What campers like

        • Clean facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness at places like Rye Patch State Recreation Area. One review stated, "Very clean," which is a big plus for many.
        • Spacious sites: Many enjoy the roomy campsites at Rye Patch State Recreation Area. A camper mentioned, "Lots of space between sites," which is great for privacy.
        • Friendly staff: Campers at Desert Rose RV Park often rave about the helpfulness of the staff. One visitor said, "Lovely folks run the place," making it a welcoming stop.

        What you should know

        • Limited amenities: Some campgrounds, like Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, lack basic amenities. A reviewer pointed out, "There are only two designated 'overnight parking' areas," so plan accordingly.
        • Noise levels: If you're looking for peace and quiet, be aware that places like Sand Mountain can be noisy. One camper noted, "This is not a quiet and peaceful desert camping trip," due to the activity from off-road vehicles.
        • Access issues: Some areas may have rough access roads. A visitor to the BLM land near Fort Churchill mentioned, "Narrow dirt roads with sagebrush to scratch you," so be cautious if you're driving a larger vehicle.

        Tips for camping with families

        • Choose spacious sites: Look for campgrounds with ample space, like Rye Patch State Recreation Area, where families can spread out. One camper said, "Easy to find a spot to set up camp."
        • Plan for activities: Bring along games or outdoor gear to keep kids entertained. A family at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge enjoyed the hiking trails, saying, "There are lots of hiking trails and interpretive trails."
        • Pack snacks: Having food on hand is essential, especially in areas with limited markets. A visitor at Pyramid Lake Marina and RV Park mentioned, "The Marina has a great store for just about anything you may need."

        Tips from RVers

        • Check for hookups: Make sure to choose campgrounds with the necessary hookups. Desert Rose RV Park offers electric hookups, which many RVers find essential.
        • Be prepared for dust: Campgrounds like Winnemucca RV Park can be dusty, so keep your RV clean and consider bringing a dust cover.
        • Stay connected: Some campgrounds may have spotty internet. A visitor at New Frontier RV Park noted, "Tried to get the internet, no such luck," so plan for offline activities.

        Camping near Lovelock, Nevada, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to check the amenities and plan your activities to make the most of your trip!

        Frequently Asked Questions

        • What camping is available near Lovelock, NV?

          According to TheDyrt.com, Lovelock, NV offers a wide range of camping options, with 7 campgrounds and RV parks near Lovelock, NV and 2 free dispersed camping spots.

        • Which is the most popular campground near Lovelock, NV?

          According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lovelock, NV is Rye Patch State Recreation Area with a 4.2-star rating from 29 reviews.

        • Where can I find free dispersed camping near Lovelock, NV?

          According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Lovelock, NV.

        • What parks are near Lovelock, NV?

          According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 parks near Lovelock, NV that allow camping, notably Martis Creek Lake and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.