Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tonopah, NV

I've passed through Goldfield Nevada several times and always wanted to stay long enough to explore it more. In October 2020 I did just that. I wasn't sure exactly when I'd get there so I didn't make a reservation ahead of time but when I got near Goldfield I called around and they had a space available. (I called a few campgrounds and I can't remember if others were full or if this one had the best rates. I think I paid $25/night for three nights. Their rates have increased to $35/night in January 2021 (I called to confirm this.) They do offer lower weekly rates.  People were friendly.

It's typical RV park. i.e. You're parked too close to your neighbors. My space was next to the "dog park" which was maybe a 20' x 10' fenced area so I didn't have another RV on that side. That made me happy. Few people actually used the dog park while I was there, They had full hookups. There may have been picnic tables I don't remember. They had showers and a restroom. I liked the location because I could walk just about everywhere. I didn't want to unhitch my trailer for such a short stay.

Overall it was a good stay. I prefer to camp BLM lands because you can spread out and there's a lot of space between you and other campers. I have solar, a composting toilet and running water on board so I'm pretty much self contained off-grid for a week or two.  I'd like to explore the nearby BLM camping next time. The disadvantage would be that you'd have to unhitch to go explore the town.

Forgot something VERY important. You have to visit the DInky Diner. Really good food. super friendly. The owner, Karie, has a story about how she started the diner. Check out the photos.

Parking lot right outside of town. Windy..no wi fi. Cable worked but was fuzzy. Laundramat at tonopah rv had 3 out of 5 washers working and 3 out of 8 dryers were working Right on the highway so a bit noisey. But then there is The Clown motel. Lol. Tonopah has some amenities. Food grocery, gas, all pricey.. Its a one night stay kinda place.. The parking lot campground was well lit at night. And there is a dump station.

This dispersed camping site is located right off highway 95 in Tonopah, about half way between Reno and Las Vegas. It is not a destination camping site, but a great place to get some sleep along the way. The best way to access the site is to take a right off the freeway onto the large gravel road, just south of the BLM office. (Wouldn’t advise going through the BLM parking lot as the map directs you, as it takes you to an AWD dirt road instead…this was not good for our eurovan;)). There is a small butte between the highway and the road that provides a little sound barrier between you and the traffic. There was another RV parked up the road a bit and plenty of space in between. Overall this campsite provides a peaceful and restful night along your journey. Tonopah seems to be a bit windy and a fine layer of dust accumulated in our van during the night so you may want to “batten down the hatches.”

We pulled into to Tonopah as a halfway stop between Reno and Nellis AFB. They are first come, first serve, so try to arrive before it gets too late. We have a great level spot, great water pressure, full bars of cell service, full hookup 30/50 and laundry facilities on site. As I write this we haven’t visited the restaurant yet. EJ the desk clerk was extremely friendly and helpful. We wanted to check in, she said, find a spot you like, hook up and come back and let me know your spot number. $27/for full hookup is EXCELLENT. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be back this way, but if I am, I’ll be stopping here again!

FREE and easy to get in and out.  Plus it was level.  This dispersed area is right off the 95 highway right as you come in to town or leave it based on the direction of travel.  You park up on a hill that overlooks a vast mountain range.  The scenery is just gorgeous and the sunsets are beautiful.  We were the only ones parked on the hill most of the time but a few overnighters did stop in.  We stayed on the hill for a week.  It's close to the town of Tonopah which is quaint and includes all the amenities you need.  We dumped our trash at the local Texaco station dumpster.  

You enter this location right before the BLM office.  Entry road is across from the Texaco station.  There are three paths, take the middle or the left.  The one on the right has a large dip you'll want to avoid.

We had stayed here about two years ago when we were again going North out of the Las Vegas area. This review is written from an overnighter point of view versus a destination campground (CG). We were glad to see a high of 90 here versus the 110 prediction we’d just left. We were amazed how Tonopah had changed in two years and found out the reason. Silver and gold veins had again been found in the hills near here. The discovery of silver is what originally got this town started. Even the famous Clown Hotel and adjourning cemetery had a new owner and face lift. Several movies and documentaries had been made based on this haunted motel. Check in was easy and we were assigned pull through site 18 with FHUs out in the front (all the sites here have FHUs). The cost of the site seems to be based on how many times you have stayed here. We got a discount for being repeat customers. We hooked into their WiFi and found it OK. We also used their cable and found it to be a little fuzzy. Last time we were here both were better but there are way more people staying in the CG and motel this time around. There was a class A checking in at the same time and since they were staying a week they were placed in another area west of the office behind the motel. The sites back there are spaced a little wider apart. There were way more gas stations and restaurant options than last time. Even better location now for an overnighter as long as the boom continues.

2022 40' Newmar SuperStar Class C

Great stop over between Las Vegas and Reno. Pull thrus available, as well as back ins. RV section behind the main building, with full & partial hookups and 50/30 amp pedestals. Restaurant food is good with friendly staff to answer questions. $27.00 + tax/day.

This is basically the back parking lot of a casino.

As a plus, it is only a few feet to a casino with food (Stage Stop Cafe), drinks (Shotgun Willy's Saloon), showers, laundry, toilets, etc. No road noise as you are out back. Raley's grocery store is off the other side of the same parking lot - super convenient. Maybe a 5-10 min walk down Main Street (Hwy 95) to everything downtown has to offer.

As a minus, it is a line of RV spots on an uneven paved lot. First come, first serve (2 out of about 15-20 spaces were in use when I came). Semi trucks unload at the casino/hotel/restaurant loading dock directly in front of the RV lots - during the day only. The parking lot also seems to be an expressway for OHV vehicles that aren't allowed on the Main Street - during the afternoon one spun by every 20 minutes or so.

For $40, it seems overpriced, but not a crazy ask. Rooms in the hotel for the same night were $87 by comparison.

Verizon Wireness was full 4 bars LTE speed. My speed test came in at 120 Mbps - great. The hotel has free wireless. I was unable to connect to the hotel standard wireless from the RV lot. There is a separate one marked "outdoor wireless", but that only achieved about 1 Mbps throughput. So using cell phone hotspot is the best alternative.

Water spigot did not work at my site, but they warned me about that and there were other site options. I used 30 amps with no issues.

Windy, minimal highway noise about 1-1.5 miles back in. Nice views. Joshua trees nearby.