Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Round Mountain, NV

Nice little campground toward the mouth of Big Creek Canyon. The campground is right on the creek. Big Creek Canyon is beautiful about 15 miles from the town of Austin and is full of Aspens. There are probably about 10 sites in the campground with plenty of space between each site. Hunting season gets busy but I have never seen more than one or two groups in the campground at one time if it’s not hunting season. There is not a ton of privacy within the campground but there is plenty of space for each campsite. There are trout in the creek and easily accessible depending on how much snow the mountain range got the winter before. The road that goes through Big Creek Canyon is a decent BLM road that will take you to the summit of the range then down into Kingston which is a fun adventure. If you like camping in Nevada but don’t like dry camping or digging holes to use the bathroom, this place is awesome!

What a treat the Desert Skies RV Resort in Mesquite, Nevada is! The park is large and very spacious with FHU back-in and pull-through sites. The sites are double width with a gravel parking half and a concrete patio half, allowing for plenty of room for all your vehicles and toys. There are also some park model mobile homes that have full-time residents sprinkled in. It is located next to a beautiful golf course and near town and casinos. There is an office, mailroom, gym, laundry room, billiard room, restrooms, pool, hot tub, mini-golf course, dog runs, driving net, pickle ball courts, and access to desert trails for walking. So much fun to be had! All of the facilities here are very clean and there is no trash in the park. All of this and 360’ mountain views! If you are near Mesquite, this RV resort is worth a stay.

For videos on this park and others, check out our YouTube channel: Jeff & Steff’s Excellent Adventure.

An off the beaten path experience for anyone who loves ghost towns or fossils. The old 1800s ghost town of Berlin, Nevada provides the entrance to this unique camping experience. A short trail from the campground leads up to the fossil house where one can view the remains of the largest collection of Ichthyosaurs (ancient marine mammals) ever found. Most of the camping sites are pull through and there are very clean vault toilets throughout the campground. The only drawback for us is the fact that this campground does not accept reservations. After a long days drive we were lucky to find one of the last two spots, but under other circumstances it would’ve been difficult as there are no other camping areas nearby. Remember to bring cash for the self-serve pay station. $15 per night. Also, if you use a GPS to head toward Tonopah after camping here, be warned that you may end up on primitive roads for many miles. Even though the distance is longer, it would be safer to go back to the highway. Let’s just say we had that primitive road experience, and not in a four-wheel drive vehicle 😬

Free/dispersed only.

Great dispersed camping on BLM land, right next to hot springs. One of our favorite dispersed sites as well as hot springs. There are 5-6 different springs within close proximity and at different temperatures so look around and try them all. The abundant wild donkeys and pronghorn also use the cooler warm springs as a drinking hole which makes an interesting soak. The spots around the springs fill up but there are lots of hills and land around to get some space. No amenities of any kind, dispersed/boondocking only.

Between towns of Austin and Eureka on 50. When we were there, these little towns and few others on way to Tonopah believed COVID-19 was a hoax and many businesses & restaurants shunned mask use or social distancing (see photo).

The hot springs are easier to find first time if you come in off 376 rather than 50.

Plus code: 85F5 84GR+P3

The trail to Hidden forest starts off at Dead Mans Canyon trail head in the Nevada Wildlife Refuge. The road to the trail head is rocky and warrants a high profile vehicle and spare tires, just in case of a flat. The trail itself is fairly rocky all the way to the cabin, but the scenery is amazing. There are 2 campsites, one about half way up to the cabin and then 2 at the cabin. There is water at the cabin but its really reserved for wildlife and the Creek bed should be used to filter your own. The cabin itself is really an amazing piece of history, built in the late 1800's by unknown. There are big horn sheep, mountain lions, lots of birds and reptiles to peek at if your quiet. (We were not as this was our first pack in/pack out trip). Plan to stay warm in the cabin if it's still cold at night, the wood stove works nicely. If you prefer the stars like us, dress warm or warm some rocks in the fire and wrap in a blanket in the tent. If you're looking for solitude this hike has it and its an amazing find right outside of Las Vegas.

Located about 3 hours outside of Reno or 2 from Tonopah, this campsite sits adjacent to the well preserved ghost town of Berlin and the world’s largest collection of ichthyosaur fossils. The campsites are located halfway up one of the hills overlooking the vast valley (gorgeous!). This campsite only has about 14 sites that are not reservable and it’s a trek-and-a-half to get out there so keep your fingers crossed you get a site! Last 5 miles are on a decent washboard dirt road. Vault toilets were decently clean. Dump and fresh water available. Perfect spot for a 3-4 day getaway. Would recommend 1 full day to observe Berlin and ichthyosaurus and 1 full day exploring and looking for fossils. Word of advice, phone GPS apps will try to lead you MILES across dirt roads in attempt to get you there the fastest, DON’T DO IT! Take the main highways: Lincoln HWY to 361 around to NV State Route 884 (the last paved road to the campsite). It will actually save you hours and tons wear and tear on your vehicle and RV/Trailer.