Best Dispersed Camping near Sloan, NV

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Sloan, Nevada

335 Reviews of 46 Sloan Campgrounds

• 

  Greg L.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 26, 2022

  Eight Mile Dispersed Camping near Government Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Long washboard road to trashy beaches

  8 mile road is open to free dispersed camping for 7 days. There is a couple dumpsters about a 1/4 mile in but that is all for 2.1 miles of terrible washboard road down to the receding water line. No water, toilets, trash cans at beach areas. The limited beach areas tend to be hogged by folks trying to keep other campers at a distance. I found floating trash all along the shore, styerfoam, plastic bottles, ect. Ugh

• 

  Kiley S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 19, 2021

  Government Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Winter Wonderland

  Govt Wash is my favorite place to stay in the wintertime. Temperature is manageable without auxiliary heat in my van.. 70s in the day, not below 40 at night through January. Love the views of the lake. Feels so far out but only 30 mins to Vegas. Henderson for groceries and gas is very close. Lots of coyotes, even during the day. Be mindful of that if you have a dog along with you. Free dispersed camping here (with NPs Pass) with bathrooms and dumpsters at entrance. Washboard road isn’t too bad, and you get get pretty close to the lake even without 4x4. I loveeee being here. Sunsets and sunrises are awesome.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 23, 2022

  Mesquite Rd BLM Dispersed

  Tons Of Space

  We stayed at this spot for a week while volunteering with the Homes On Wheels Alliance.  There must have been a hundred of us total, and there was plenty of room for all.  We stayed on the edge, just off Mesquite Rd, very minimal off road driving.  But you can keep going further back and there are so many open spots to choose from. This particular spot is huge and good for any size rig.

  Good cell signal here for Verizon and ATT.  It got windy every evening/night when we were there in mid October.

  Heads up that there is a shooting range across the street and the shots are loud.

  There's a county transfer station just down Mesquite Rd that takes recyclables (incl. glass!) and e-waste.

  This is dispersed camping on BLM land so there are zero amenities or services so please help keep it clean.

• 

  kevin J.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 27, 2023

  BLM dispersed camping west of Valley of Fire

  Dispersed camping struggles

  This spot is about 4 miles from the more frequented and popular dispersed camping spot. This spot has at least 4 to 5 fire ring spots but a lot of garbage. Not a good place if you are looking to level a 20’ plus camper. We ended driving west about another 4 miles to the more “formal” dispersed camping on BLM.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 30, 2018

  Boxcar Cove Dispersed Camping — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Who doesn't like a FREE Campsite... But read the fine print!

  As a budget travel blogger, you can’t beat a good find of a site. I tend to stray away from boondock camping because it isn’t really designed for the every day tent camper that I am looking to inspire to go on the road and try something new. Though I like primitive sites and will often do some back country camping, I also take into account that my followers don’t always. But this site was a bit different and made it worth checking out for my blog.

  Free Camping usually doesn’t come with a functioning bathroom, but this one does along with lake access. So what is the kicker?? There has to be one right?

  The first catch is free is only truly free if you have a National Park Pass, otherwise there is a day use fee which is charged as you enter the Lake Mead area. I have mine, so that means it was in fact free!! One of the only times this pass actually guarantees you any kind of camping related benefits.

  The other, the road to the campsite is a little sketchy at times. When I went it was post a good rain which had settled a lot of the dust and while I was afraid it would have ruts from people driving out, it wasn’t bad, just a little washboard feeling. In a small car that carries very little weight I usually find these roads to shake and rattle me all over, however it was minimal so I made it down to the camping area.

  This area is available to both tent and RV campers and is pretty open for those wanting to stay. When I was there I noticed there was no shortage of space available to me and I could select pretty much anywhere I want to be so I determined I would set up for my short daycation away from a couple of RVs which seemed to be traveling together.

  I noticed that there were no other campers in tents but later after settling in and meeting my neighbors they told me there had been and those people had been a bit more noisy. I was happy to know that the RV group there wasn’t in that same mind set so it was going to be an enjoyable quiet time.

  The outdoor space here is really nice. The beach is a mixed beach of harder sands and shells from when the lake used to be much higher and had a lot more life in the area. There are hiking areas all over Lake Mead so this is a great place to set your basecamp and move forward with adventures.

  TIPS:

  • Bring a car if you are in an RV so you can disconnect and move around the entire Lake Mead area more easily. You can also look into a smaller motor bike, however these are not permitted in all areas.
  • Bring batteries since there is no power you will want to make sure you have lots of batteries for your lanterns and flashlights, this is a true dark space at night.
  • Get Your America The Beautiful Pass!! This is a park pass which allows you access to all national parks and recreation areas for one calendar year. They do have senior and military passes available as well but the standard pass is $80 a year. If you travel to even a couple parks you have more than paid for it in savings as it doesn't just allow you personally access but up to 4 people in your car!
• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 11, 2018

  Sloan Canyon - Dispersed Camping

  A Little Difficult To Get Information

  Someone had told me we could do a little dispersed camping at Sloan Canyon, just outside of Vegas. In addition to many hiking trails this place has a pretty extensive area you can hike around to find some great views and camping.

  We started out by stopping in the visitor center, which is little more than a mobile station at the beginning of the Petroglyph Trailhead with portable toilets. There wasn't a lot of information online about staying here only that it was in fact BLM land and it was accessible for those who are wanting to stay. To hike in we figured we needed a permit, but when we got there we just kind of got a puzzled look.

  Finally a ranger helped us and told us that people do in fact hike in to camp dispersed but there was no permit. We hiked down the trail with our gear and about 2 miles in found a great spot just beyond the petroglyph gallery. It had a view of the mountainside and a great view of the sunset.

  We settled in and enjoyed a quiet evening amidst the tall walls of the lower canyon. We had views of the larger mountain ahead but opted to not stay up higher because the winds get pretty strong I this area.

  I will say that we were told you cannot set up in the petroglyph area because it is preserved, but it did make me realize that a lot of people probably don't follow this by the fact that there were numerous smaller trails leading through this area where people clearly are not remaining on the main trail. I think the most important thing about camping in a place like this is respecting the leave no trace rules. I you are visiting a place with such history and want to allow others to continue doing the same then you should respect the area you are in.

  While this was a clean area for the most part you could see where some people hadn't respected the land the same way.

  TIPS:

  • Stop at the visitor center before closing hours to get a map and find out about the area. There are two routes to the area we were in and depending on your level of desired difficulty this hike can be easy or have some light scrambling.
  • Remember this is a dark space so you will want to have your own light with you because there are several animals which roam at night and you will want to be able to see.
• E

  Elaine V.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 30, 2020

  BLM dispersed camping west of Valley of Fire

  Private boondocking site away from the clusters of other RVs

  We couldn't get a spot inside Valley of Fire State Park so we decided to boondock on the BLM land outside the park. We knew there were plenty of spots but a lot were out in the open where everyone can see you. We wanted a bit of privacy and wanted to feel like we were out in nature not just parked in an empty desert. We decided to go searching for a better option and went down a dirt road, crossing our fingers. Lo and behold we found what we feel is a primo campsite! It's just outside the park of a dirt road. The coordinates are 36.413656-114.616805 and there's actually 2-3 spots back there. The first one is the easiest for bigger rigs or regular cars. The other two are up steep, sandy hills that are more suitable for a Jeep or ATV. There are rock fire pits(but be careful about fire restrictions) to designate the camping areas. It's private with hills all around. You can faintly hear the road and if you need better cell reception hike up one of the hills. It's a fantastic private spot that felt remote and special. The ONLY negative we encountered was trash. We did a sweep and picked up a lot of broken glass bottles, some aluminum cans, a bunch of bullet casings, and other trash. And nearby there's an old washer or dryer that someone dumped and used for target practice. We didn't clean that up because obviously, that's just too big. Anyway, the spot is so close to Valley of Fire you can just head on into the park for hiking and day use or head back out to the freeway for more supplies. For us, this spot was absolutely perfect and we had zero troubles, but I can imagine if it rains or shortly after it's been raining that this particular spot might be terrible. DO NOT CAMP HERE IF RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Knob Hill BLM Dispersed Camping

  Not heavily used

  One of the best things about Nevada and Arizona are the numerous areas which offer dispersed camping. There are a lot of BLM lands in the area as well as Recreational areas so it is really quite easy to find a place if you are willing to look. Since I have several full-time friends who spend the maximum of 2 weeks at each site before moving on, someone suggested I check this space out when I was on a trip to Nelson, NV.

  It was along the same stretch of highway and not very far away at all. While it was vast and open, there wasn't a whole lot to really say about it other than just that, it is what you make it when you visit.

  So what is the benefit of staying at one of these remote locations you might ask? It is about 45 minutes from Vegas, so that isn't terrible if you want to go into the city itself and explore, but part of what makes these spaces a bit more exciting is that they are removed from everything.

  I took a moment when I was there to check the basics like what is there to do closely that does not involved the city itself. I could quickly see why my friends recommended this location because it was not far from Lake Mead Recreational Area in an area which was a non-pay station entrance, it was relatively close to Searchlight and not terribly far from Boulder City so if you did need supplies you could easily get out to get them without issue and I think the most intriguing was the proximity not just to Nelson Ghost Town, which is free, but also the many abandoned and never sealed mines.

  Lots of activities in the area to keep you busy. Sure it doesn't have amenities but it was a perfect canvas for making the world around you all yours. The friend which recommended it also happens to meet up with other full timers at locations like this so they have a sense of community so I could see how something like this would be a perfect space for that kind of traveling community to set up and enjoy.

  TIPS:

  • Be able to sustain fully off grid living. There is plenty of sunshine to keep your solar panels full.

  • Check out the surroundings and bring a motor bike if you have one to explore so you will not have more options for driving around some of the more remote areas.

  • Be careful of mines, though they are fun to explore, some of these are not as stable, I would check out the one just past Nelson which is more heavily trafficked and also stable.

• T

  Tim N.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 26, 2020

  Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

  My favorite boondocking site

  Quiet, secluded spot between Las Vegas and Pahrump Nevada. First come, first served but it was very quiet when we were there. The Boondocking experience is my favorite part of camping/travelling and this was a great spot. Spent 2 weeks here and didn't come in contact with anybody! Other people were there but all well dispersed.  

  GPS Coordinates Latitude, Longitude: 36.0430242°,-115.6175106°
  Our elevation was about 6,000 ft 
  No services but also no Fee (Free) 
  Hiking for days

• 

  Brittney C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 7, 2020

  Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

  Dope little hidden gem

  Super cool hidden gem in the desert that’s for sure. Summertime gets a little tooooo hot but it’s perfect any other time throughout the year. It’s all dispersed so find a spot you like and enjoy!! Free camping!!! Winner!!! Make sure you build a good fire ring and make sure to put your fire completely out. Safety first! It’s Always best to take care of Mother Nature. If you have a 4x4 you can get to a much secluded area. If you don’t which we don’t have a 4x4 but we can make it pretty cool places so we’re happy.

• 

  Lyf Uninterrupted ..

  Guide

  

  Jun. 11, 2020

  Government Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Loved this free camping and view of the lake

  Our first time camping on this free land.  We call it free as we have a National Park pass and didn't have to pay to enter the park.  So many spots to camp and set up your rig that no one was on top of you.  Views of the water were amazing and the sunsets to behold!  There are trash dumpsters at the entrance to the dispersed camping area and we saw BLM folks out patrolling.  Many off road paths around to take your jeep or side by side.  It does get hot here in the summer so would recommend coming in during the winter or spring

• H

  Hannah L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 3, 2021

  Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Awesome place for swimming

  Drove through here looking for dispersed camping and saw a few sites but even better was the lake. The campsites themselves were gravel and pretty uneven but we expected as much. No coverage and little privacy for dispersed camping as all sites are right off the main gravel road. We swam for an hour and then departed to next campsite for more coverage as it’s 100+ degrees today.

• 

  Jake

  Guide

  

  Dec. 22, 2020

  Mojave Cross Dispersed — Mojave National Preserve

  Secluded Star Gazing

  Wonderful dispersed free camping in Mojave National Preserve. Find the first road adjacent to the white cross memorial. We arrived after sunset and we reluctant to drive too far down the uneven and non-maintained dirt road, but were rewarded with an outstanding campsite for our risky persistence!

  The road has many wash out holes and soft sand, but I was able to navigate successfully (and slowly) in an AWD Honda Element. Higher clearance four-wheel drive vehicles will be able to explore additional camp sites further down the road, but there are a handful of sites near the entrance.

  Tip: Stargazing at this site was outstanding. Rock formations provide comfortable platforms for laying on your back and watching for shooting stars. Camped here in December with overnight lows around 30 degrees. Bundle up and enjoy!!

• 

  Brittney C.

  Legend

  

  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

• 

  Greg L.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 28, 2021

  Eight Mile Dispersed Camping near Government Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Worse washboard road ever

  Note that this area is free camping, however Lake Mead has an entry fee, unless you have a Senior Pass. Wide dusty washboard road to access, 2-3 miles. Dumpsters at top by Northshore hwy but nothing later, no toilets or other facilities. I would never haul a trailer in there. 7 day limit free camping. Cell signal great though.

• 

  Gustavo O.

  Guide

  

  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.

• R

  Robert

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 16, 2023

  Wheeler Pass Road Dispersed

  Over 10 miles of campsites from just east of town to the mountains

  Wheeler Peak Rd is actually one of 4 roads that goes into this vast area. 

  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.  Turn east off 160 Highway by the Auto Zone store onto Panorama and go one block to Charleston Peak Rd turning right at the Chevy dealership. 

  This is paved road nearly all the way to campsites.  When the pavement ends go straight ahead a block or two to campsites or turn to the left and go north toward the power lines.  All BLM east of the power lines clear to the mountains. 

  Boondocked in this area 2  months with no complaints. Verizon Cellphone signal this close to town was very good as was my hotspot internet connection.

• 

  Rachel A.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 6, 2020

  Kingman Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Basic but lovely proximity to the Hoover Dam

  We stayed here on our way to the Hoover Dam and had a fine time. Nothing fancy, super basic free camping on public lands. Highlight was our visit to the dam itself

• N

  Name

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2021

  Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

  Stunning views, escape from Vegas heat

  Wonderful dispersed camping. Good gravel roads and Picturesque views everywhere you turn. About 15 degrees cooler than vegas and good cell coverage

• 

  Brittney C.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 3, 2021

  Boxcar Cove Dispersed Camping — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Rough roads

  Free camping!! Horrible roads!!! Trash cans right when you pull in so that’s nice and a bathroom about half way down and if your at the water and. 10 minute drive to the bathroom. So overall a nice place to camp. Plenty of little areas to get some privacy or pull over and make it your spot! It’s dispersed so the choice is yours. Also today it was not packed a few cars down by the water so I can see this place filling up within the next few weeks all the way until the end of summer. It’s hot and it’s early April so make sure you pack plenty of water and food. Don’t forget your sunblock. If you have a 4x4 you can go explore a few other places that I’m sure are a bit more Private.

  Oh I screen shotted my location, it shows we are in the water it’s actually desert and it’s the road down to the cove.

• T

  Tracy

  Guide

  

  Jun. 23, 2022

  Valley of Fire Dispersed

  Simply gorgeous

  This place was off the charts Cool! The red rocks were beautiful. Just an amazing place. We dispersed camped outside of the park at snowbird Mesa. Great place for views and sunsets.

• 

  Mark D.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 25, 2024

  Lovell Canyon Dispersed Camping (Spring Mountain)

  Panoramic Views

  Great views for sunrise and sunset. Dispersed camping with plenty of space between sites. Rock fire rings but expect no facilities. We only stayed one night but would stay here again! Cell service was excellent.

• 

  Michael M.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 13, 2021

  BLM dispersed camping west of Valley of Fire

  Better than valley of fire

  Couldn’t get a site at valley of fire but this place is great. About 5 other campers in this dirt road. Can navigate with 2 wheeler vehicles but pretty bumpy. The surroundings are awesome. Great dispersed camping

• 

  Alex B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2018

  Mt. Charleston Dispersed

  Uphill battle that leads to AMAZING VIEWS

  My friend and I decided to hike Mt Charleston Peak in order to train for hiking Machu Picchu. Here’s a breakdown of the hike: 17 miles | 11,916 ft elevation | 8,241 ft prominence | Highest peak in Southern Nevada | 8th most prominent mountain in the U.S. | Most prominent mountain in Nevada. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

  In terms of camping, we decided to avoid the crowds, and camp on our way back, along the trail. Primitive/ dispersed camping available. Fire is allowed depending on the season, so check their website before hand. Pack-in-pack-out type camp.

• 

  Brittney C.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 6, 2020

  BLM dispersed camping west of Valley of Fire

  Right before you enter the gate

  So you will start to see people parked and tons of dispersed camping. If you ever strike out on a spot this is the perfect area.. obviously, it's dispersed to you get none of the amenities but it's right outside the state park entrance and it's all you need. Plus people have fire pits set up so you can enjoy a nice fire. Great spot for sure.

• 

  Ariel & John W.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 14, 2020

  Government Wash — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

  Pretty views, but buggy, rocky & crowded

  Big dispersed camping site right on the southwest corner of Lake Mead. Being the nearest to the NRA entrance from Vegas it gets crowded, especially weekends and holidays. A lot of day-users come to fish. Also very hilly and rocky once you get off the main drag to find a better spot. Common to see 4x4s stuck on the rocky/sandy hills.

  Views are pretty, sunsets are nice, and lots to do in the NRA. Lots of stone fire rings all over. There are dumpsters at the main lot. There are also water-fill, trash and dump stations at nearby campgrounds you can use for free.

  Donkeys and coyotes everywhere. Supposed to be bighorn sheep, too, but we haven’t seen any here yet. Also gets quite buggy, flies, gnats and mosquitos. Good cell service. Not our favorite dispersed site but it has its charms, including proximity to nearby Henderson/LV, good scenery and good cell service.

  There is a NRA entrance fee but free with the America Pass.

• 

  T K.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 6, 2021

  Mack's Canyon Dispersed

  Great dispersed camping for privacy

  Its a little bit of a drive (4 miles) into the wooded terrain to get to the listed campsite. However, you can camp in multiple areas along the route. Just about anytime I head towards this site, you will see people tent or truck bed camping. On occasion, I will see a motorhome or pull trailer in the area. Most of the time, they are near the front entrance, as the road and openness for large rigs are more friendly.   About a mile down the road is Sawmill trailhead. They have picnic areas and trails you can explore. Although, the current signage says not to camp overnight in the Sawmill area, you will see tents and rare times, small trailers (less than 20 feet) dispersed in the area. There are multiple nooks and private areas to disperse. As with any dispersed camping in this area or Sawmill, "No open fires." Just visited today and seen too many left over rock ring fires in the area. The usual from a long holiday weekend.