Best Dispersed Camping near Mount Charleston, NV

Mount Charleston, NV is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Mount Charleston. Find the best campgrounds near Mount Charleston, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Mount Charleston, Nevada (31)

    1. Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

    56 Reviews
    Blue Diamond, NV
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (702) 515-5000

    "Prefect place to get away from Vegas. Many places for camping and easy to pull a trailer. Main road mostly paved. Other roads were dirt but well maintained and manageable."

    "There were plenty of people camping out here last night but we found a private turn off with epic Mountain View’s. Paved road with dirt road turn-offs. No facilities. Many spots had fire rings."

    2. Champion Road Dispersed Campsites

    18 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    6 miles
    Website

    "When you pull into the empty turn around and onto the dirt road you could be immediately disarmed."

    "Everything else on the trail was kind of tight. It wasn’t terribly cold but it started snowing overnight! Woke up to 2 inches of snow and witnessed a gorgeous winter wonderland from my tent."

    3. Mack's Canyon Dispersed

    15 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (912) 441-2518

    $50 / night

    "NO facilities at all. No water, no trash pickup, and no toilets. Bring Everything and pack it all out. 

    If there are fire restrictions, PLEASE don't light campfires."

    "Most of the campsites are accessible with a 2 wheel drive vehicle you can only get so far. The views are amazing and it’s just far enough away to see the Milky Way at night."

    4. Harris Springs / Spring Mountains Dispersed

    9 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (775) 331-6444

    "Spent the night in a campervan here. Keep an eye on the GPS, the coordinates are correct, but Google maps switches the location on you once you start the directions. Ended up at the ski resort at Mt."

    "When you pull up to the campsite, you will immediately be intimidated by the steep and windy road up the cliff to access the campsites."

    5. Mt. Charleston Dispersed

    8 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (702) 872-5486

    "Started in Parump on Wheeler Pass Road and headed up Northeast until the Wallace Canyon Road turnoff. Beautiful desert drive that ends in pines. Saw close to ten mule deer off the road."

    "If you hike far enough you can end up near Lovell canyon. Everything here is amazing and nice and cool.

    Here are my star ratings based on my lifestyle and what I like."

    6. Spring Mountains Dispersed

    3 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (775) 331-6444

    "We went further up near intersection of 157 and 158. Lots of open spots and almost no one around. Height of your rig could limit site selection."

    "After a near disastrous attempt at finding a spot in the Champion Rd area (thought we would get stuck on that road) we came back down the hill and found this nice spot that was very easy to get to in our"

    7. Wheeler Pass Road Dispersed

    13 Reviews
    Pahrump, NV
    19 miles

    "Great TMobile and Verizon. 1 mile from highway behind Home Depot in open dessert criss crossed by multiple dirt roads. Scout ahead! Full of city services and a welcoming community."

    "There are several roads that some think give better access to campsites off HIghway 160 in town.  Wheeler Peak Rd is south of town.

    Best one might be Charleston Peak Rd. "

    8. Mack's Canyon Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Mount Charleston, NV
    7 miles

    "Mack’s Canyon Campground is a convenient and easily accessible spot just outside of Las Vegas, making it a popular choice for campers looking for a quick escape from the city. "

    9. Wheeler Pass Rd Dispersed Camp

    1 Review
    Indian Springs, NV
    14 miles

    "If wheeler pass camp is flooded, try coming to this hidden spot. Looks like other people already began camping here since there was multiple fire pit put together."

    10. Corn Creek Wildlife Refuge

    2 Reviews
    Las Vegas, NV
    18 miles

    "Campedboff dirt road where GPS sent me. There were some facilities I didn't have time to explore. Parked in day use area near dawn didn't get any grief. Was up late for full moon."

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Dispersed Camping Reviews near Mount Charleston, NV

237 Reviews of 31 Mount Charleston Campgrounds


  • Jay A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 22, 2022

    Mack's Canyon Dispersed

    Great Summer Tenting Area

    NO facilities at all. No water, no trash pickup, and no toilets. Bring Everything and pack it all out. 

    If there are fire restrictions, PLEASE don't light campfires. After years of drought, this place is a tinderbox. Your mistake could easily trap people further up the canyon with no way out. It is Illegal for a reason. 

    The first mile is an easy dirt road, suitable for RV's and Campers.

    The rest of the way is a fairly rough forest road - heavily rutted in places, with some steep drops. I wouldn't take anything but the smallest trailer back here, but it's perfect for tents. 

    That being said; my AWD Subaru Outback made it there and back with no problems. 

    Beautiful and cool during the summer - gorgeous stars at night.

  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 3, 2020

    Ash Meadows Dispersed Camping

    Ranger Review: Kuga Campervan at Ash Meadows

    Camping review: Dispersed camping just South of the refuge. There are lots of dirt roads off the main road outside of the refuge that you can camp on. There are little turn offs and cut outs for you to pull up in. Ideal for car camping or RV's. The main road heading into the park on the South side of the refuge so you can easily get into the park by foot or via the dirt roads. 

    You will need to look at maps to make sure you aren't on private property. The road going into the refuge is fine to for overnight stays, but if you want extended stays, you can go to Funeral Mountains Wilderness, which is across the main road on the way into Death Valley and stay up to 14 days for free. 

    Ash Meadows is a BEAUTIFUL refuge filled with wonder. A literal Oasis In the Desert. In this refuge you will find many endangered pupfish swimming along in the many warm springs in the refuge. They are federally protected so you will need to keep your distance. You can also see Crystal Spring. Crystal Spring pumps out over 2800 gallons of water a minute form an underground warm aquifer. It is also cerulean blue due to the limestone breakdown in the water. 

    There is also the incredible Devil's Hole located in the refuge. This is a geologic wonder of the world. It is a hole int he base of a mountain that is filled with the clearest water and the famous Devil's Hole Pupfish. These guys are incredibly close to extinction and live in a crazy environment. The Devil's hole is known the world over as a dangerous diving spot. Many divers have been lost in the underwater maze and no one even knows how deep it is. Some divers have even died trying to find out. Anywhere in the world if there is a large scale geologic shift (earthquake), it registers in this hole and the water will splash about like a wave pool. 

    The entire location is hike in only. You will need a map and check for permits at the visitor's center. 

    Travellers Autobarn Kuga Campervan Gear Review(Driving) 

    While out volunteering over a week for the Audubon Bird Counts, I was able to evaluate the AWESOME Kuga campervan. Since I was gone for 7 days, I broke my evaluation up into sections where the most important features of the van were utilized. If you want to see the rest, check out my reviews for **Pahranagat Wildlife Refuge, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, Desert Wildlife Refuge, and Big Dune Recreation Area. **

    This company is awesome, they come from Australia and New Zealand and we are super excited to have a truly affordable rental camper van in the United States! You can rent out different sizes and get an array of gear with them. This is perfect for music festivals, road trips, and for camping in extreme weather. 

    Check them out here: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com/campervan-rv-rentals/kuga-campervan/

    • Driving ability: This van is a pretty smooth drive for being such a big lug of a van. If you drive smart it gets about 500 miles to a 31 gallon tank which means I only spent about$250 total for a 7 day trip across Nevada and Death Valley Region. You have quite a few blind spots but if you leave the curtains open in the back window you can still use your rearview mirror in addition to the side mirrors. I kept the speed no higher than 55-60 so I could keep good gas mileage. 
    • Dirt Road Considerations: Even though this entire Refuge is dirt roads, do not take this on dirt roads if at all possible. They request that you keep to main roads that are paved with the exception of driving up to about 200 yards for campgrounds that are packed dirt. I saw why driving into this refuge when this hunk of a van was rattling and making me nervous. Mostly nervous because it wasn’t mine, but also because I didn’t put all my gear in safe places so I would occasionally hear a cup or book fall off the counter. They were smart and had little door button locks to keep the cabinets closed during drives too, which was handy!
  • Charlie C.
    Mar. 9, 2021

    Champion Road Dispersed Campsites

    Get a Breath

    Beautiful mountain. In the summer months I’d like to camp higher up. This site is about half way up the mountain and the quick difference going from Vegas through the desert and ending up on top of a lush green mountain side nestled below overhanging peaks is amazing. I always seem to arrive during the night which is something I need to correct, don’t do that. Especially if you are a first timer and have zero knowledge of an area. 
    
    When you pull into the empty turn around and onto the dirt road you could be immediately disarmed. The second you pull off the road you notice gang symbols spray painted on the tree’s (sad) and a lot of empty beer cans. It could be alarming but if you continue up the dirt road it clears up. Really beautiful sites all around. I went in February and got some nice slow flurries which was a nice treat. Problem was that is snowed through the night and I woke up to about three inches. When you’re going in its all down hill, exiting with snow reminds me why I need 4 wheel drive. Enjoy the photos, I will be back!
    
    -Chuck 
    P.S. Don’t forget, always leave the area better than you found it!
              LEAVE NO TRACE. P.S. Don’t forget, always leave the area better than you found it!
    
  • T K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 5, 2021

    Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

    Great for dispersed tent or small rv

    Prefect place to get away from Vegas. Many places for camping and easy to pull a trailer. Main road mostly paved. Other roads were dirt but well maintained and manageable. Lots of turn offs to disperse camp from main road. Be cautious, there were a couple of groups of campers off the main road that were target shooting into the woodline. If you come across the Red Rock canyon area. Rocky mt gap is the trail you can take to come across the mt in a high clearance 4wd vehicle. Mainly a jeep or something not to wide/long. My truck couldn't get pass some tight areas, so had to turn around.

  • S
    Feb. 13, 2025

    Shoshone - Tecopa - Dispersed

    Quiet, Peaceful & Private

    A great quiet and peaceful place - a smooth dirt/gravel road that was easy to navigate with a little car.

    There were pull off spots, basically individual camp sites for each person. There were others camping, too, including RVs and camper vans. They were nearby but not visible. We drove back in until we came to an empty spot.

    Quiet and peaceful all night. Great flat area for setting up the tent. Low cell signal, but consistently available.

  • Gustavo O.
    May. 5, 2020

    Mack's Canyon Dispersed

    Sweeping Desert Views

    I’ve camped at Mack’s at least 3 times now. It doesn’t get old. Most of the campsites are accessible with a 2 wheel drive vehicle you can only get so far. The views are amazing and it’s just far enough away to see the Milky Way at night. There are no services so remember to leave no trace. 5 stars for this dispersed camping area.

  • Brittney  C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2021

    Wheeler Pass Road Dispersed

    A lot of full times

    Literally free.!!! Cell service Dispersed Dirt roads Close to stores and everything in between Now a lot of people are like living here full time and well good for them right? Shoot... not a bad situation. Anyway free camping just pull over and you are good. No hook ups or anything special just you and your rv of choice. What’s better than free? Also Next door is an rv place and you can dump and fill your water if you needed to. Huge area by the way and plenty of open desert

  • S
    Mar. 10, 2020

    Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

    Close to Vegas but out of the Fray

    Lots of great spots. There were plenty of people camping out here last night but we found a private turn off with epic Mountain View’s. Paved road with dirt road turn-offs. No facilities. Many spots had fire rings.

  • Diana J.
    Oct. 24, 2020

    Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

    Gorgeous solitude and a clean site!

    This area is very close to amazing red rock hiking. Once you turn onto the Lovell Canyon Road, you go up about 3 miles and turn left. I went through a few sites, went up to a small dirt road, turned right, went down a very, very narrow road to find this site. Gorgeous sunsets, beautiful sunrises, is very quiet and not many critters at all. The turn off into this camping area can be quite busy that’s why it’s best to continue on through those first 10 sites until you find a small dirt road and turn right to find more seclusion. You can hear people but you can’t see them.


Guide to Mount Charleston

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Mount Charleston, Nevada, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots away from the hustle and bustle. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for those looking to escape into the wild.

Scenic Views for Dispersed Campers

  • Experience breathtaking vistas at Mack's Canyon Dispersed, where you can set up camp overlooking the valley and enjoy cooler temperatures during the summer months.
  • The Wheeler Pass Road Dispersed Camp offers a secluded location with stunning views, making it an ideal spot for those seeking privacy and tranquility.
  • For a unique experience, visit Cathedral Canyon Dispersed Camping, where you can camp in a canyon that has an intriguing history and offers a mix of eerie beauty and natural charm.

Top Activities While Free Camping Near Mount Charleston

Dispersed Campers Should Check Out the Unique Features

  • The Champion Road Dispersed Campsites provide shaded areas and a mix of sun and shade, making it a comfortable spot for relaxation and enjoying nature.
  • At Gass Peak Rd Camping Area, you can find a variety of terrains, perfect for off-road adventures and exploring the rugged landscape.
  • For a quieter experience, consider Wheeler Pass, where you can enjoy minimal wind and a peaceful atmosphere, ideal for unwinding after a long day of outdoor activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find dispersed camping on Mount Charleston?

Mount Charleston offers several dispersed camping options. Mack's Canyon Dispersed is a popular choice with multiple sites accessible by 2WD vehicles, though you can only drive so far in. This area has no facilities, so bring everything you need and pack out all trash. Another option is Champion Road Dispersed Campsites, located about halfway up the mountain, offering beautiful views of lush mountainsides and overhanging peaks. The stark contrast between the Vegas desert and the mountain environment makes this area particularly appealing. Remember that fire restrictions are common due to drought conditions, so always check current regulations before planning your trip.

Is there free camping available on Mount Charleston?

Yes, free camping is available on Mount Charleston and surrounding areas. Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping offers numerous free sites with many accessible pull-offs from the main paved road. Located about 3 miles up Lovell Canyon Road, this area features stunning mountain views, sunsets, and sunrises. Wheeler Pass Road Dispersed is another free option with cell service and dirt roads. This area has become popular for both short-term campers and some longer-term visitors. Both locations have no hookups or facilities, so come prepared with everything you need and follow Leave No Trace principles.

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Mount Charleston, NV?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Mount Charleston, NV is Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain) with a 4.5-star rating from 56 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Mount Charleston, NV?

TheDyrt.com has all 31 dispersed camping locations near Mount Charleston, NV, with real photos and reviews from campers.