Top Free Dispersed Camping near Virginia City, NV

Looking for the best Virginia City dispersed camping? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Virginia City, NV (21)

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      1. BLM FLATTOP

      3 Reviews
      26 Saves
      • Pets
      • Fires
      • Phone Service
      • RVs
      • Tents
      • Group
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
      • No image available

        3. Dispersed Camping near Fort Churchill

        4 Reviews
        69 Saves
        • Pets
        • Fires
        • Phone Service
        • ADA Access
        • RVs
        • Tents
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
        Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

        4. Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

        14 Reviews
        21 Photos
        518 Saves
        • Fires
        • Phone Service
        • RVs
        • Tents
        • Group
        • Standard (Tent/RV)
        Camper-submitted photo from Scout Camp at Fort Churchill
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
        Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley

        6. Dog Valley

        4 Reviews
        16 Photos
        93 Saves

        There is no "campground here" Please be aware most of the Dog / Sardine Valley is private property and a working ranch. The places near the valley floor with picnic tables - those are sheep camps. The places with firepits, also sheep camps. Please respect private property and make sure you are camping in the BLM / USDA lands that rim the valley. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Dog Valley provides excellent viewing of both wildflowers and flowering shrubs. Forest, meadows, and streams make up Dog Valley’s landscape, creating a cool and refreshing retreat for this popular recreation area. Dog Valley is also home to two rare plant species, Dog Valley ivesia and Webber’s ivesia. Dog Valley ivesia can only be found in Dog Valley. Other attractions include wildlife viewing and the Crystal Peak Mine, a popular spot for crystal-hounds. Dog Valley offers a variety of opportunities to view wildflowers in the Jeffery pine forests and meadows. As you enter Dog Valley from Verdi, you will see the recovery from the 1994 Crystal Fire with displays of mahala mat, silvery lupine, and chokecherry. Explore the openings in the forest with extensive displays of mule’s ear, balsamroot, buckwheats, paintbrushes, yampah, bitterbrush, bare-stem desert parsley, and manzanita. Walking around, it is easy to enjoy the smaller, less visible flowers, including collomia, prairie star flower, and blue-eyed Mary. Wetter areas have displays of shooting stars, delphinium, and Rydberg’s penstemon. Best Viewing Times: The best time to visit is June and July. Safety First: Creeks and streams can cross the road. Be careful when crossing water and watch for washed-out portions of the road. The road can be very muddy. California OHV registration is required for all vehicles. Campfire permits are also required in California and can be obtained from the Carson District Office or the campground host.

        • Pets
        • Tents
        • Group
        • Equestrian
        • Dispersed
        • No image available
          Camper-submitted photo from Peavine Road Dispersed Camping
          Camper-submitted photo from Peavine Road Dispersed Camping
          Camper-submitted photo from Peavine Road Dispersed Camping
          Camper-submitted photo from Luther Pass Dispersed Camping
          Camper-submitted photo from Luther Pass Dispersed Camping
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp

          10. Moon Rocks Camp

          2 Reviews
          16 Photos
          38 Saves
          • Pets
          • Phone Service
          • RVs
          • Tents
          • Standard (Tent/RV)
          • Dispersed
        Showing results 1-10 of 21 campgrounds

        Recent Dispersed Reviews In Virginia City

        61 Reviews of 21 Virginia City Campgrounds


        • Tyler C.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Baldwine East Dispersed Camping
          Nov. 2, 2024

          Baldwine East Dispersed Camping

          NO CAMPING

          there was one other review that said the same, but this spot is just off the road so I thought I’d double check. it’s not only on a gas pipeline, but you’re also verging on private property.

        • Ciara W.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Echo Summit Dispersed
          Oct. 25, 2024

          Echo Summit Dispersed

          Not dispersed camping

          This spot is national forest, and overnight camping is not allowed. We had a knock from someone with the forest service the next morning who was very kind and let us know that overnight is not allowed.

          Look up lakes and forest in this area on google — not many places allow dispersed camping

        • ron R.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
          Oct. 12, 2024

          BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed

          Not easily accessible

          The two closest roads coming in from the West are blocked off and labeled no unauthorized vehicles. This is due to the construction of the new neighborhoods and they probably annexed the area. You could probably access it from the East but I have no idea how many miles it would be in from where you would come in.

        • ron R.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Peavine Road Dispersed Camping
          Oct. 12, 2024

          Peavine Road Dispersed Camping

          Complete trash dump

          It's sad where we have this public land to camp on and people just dump tons and tons of trash and abandoned cars and demolished cars on the property would not recommend going. There's some more BLM land about 15 to 20 minutes north on Red Rock road.

        • Paxton B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Merrill Valley Dispersed Camp
          Sep. 30, 2024

          Merrill Valley Dispersed Camp

          The road is terrible

          Not really sure if we camped in the right spot. It isn’t great, but it got the job done to just crash for a night. Felt like we were in a construction zone

        • Anna B.
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Sep. 8, 2024

          Moon Rocks Camp

          Camping on Mars

          (September 28th, 2023) Got here after dark and found an empty clearing to park in for the night. The moon and the stars were so bright, it felt like we were on another planet. Got to explore the area in the morning, such a cool spot! Very quiet when we were there.

        • Stephen B.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
          Aug. 30, 2024

          Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

          Beautiful, popular, treacherous

          I’m motorcycle camping and the ground level was about half full, mostly RVs, so I attempted to head up Scott Lake Road.

          The dirt was manageable but there are sections of large rocks difficult to pass on two wheels. I crossed several but I dropped my bike before the second circle. Defeated and exhausted from a long day’s ride, I headed back down to set up my camp among the RV set.

          No shade to the lifestyle but this is an awfully long drive to watch TV at top volume.

        • Julia H.
          Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
          Aug. 8, 2024

          Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

          Great

          Lots of people ! come early for a spot. nice views around. lots and lots of bugs. i sleep in my car and crack the windows a little bit and i woke up to a shit ton of bugs that got in my car. even more surrounding the cars. very quiet at night, maybe i just got lucky lol.

        • CThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Echo Summit Dispersed
          Jul. 23, 2024

          Echo Summit Dispersed

          Echo peak free camping

          this location was the site of a fire several years ago, this means that many of the trees have been cleared making it a good site for starlink users like me. There are some power lines and it might be prettier if it had some unburned trees, but it’s great in a pinch and private. Take echo summit road from El dorado and you will see several places to chose from. The road towards the cabins has a very tight turn that will not allow anyone over 25 feet- though i’d recommend smaller.

          most likely impassable after snowfall.

        • A
          Camper-submitted photo from BLM FLATTOP
          Jul. 6, 2024

          BLM FLATTOP

          Access Sucks

          The road kinda sucks but VC is a good time. It was nice other than the road. Please remember to pack everything out, there was a lot of trash I had to pick up that was left behind by others.

        • B
          Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
          Jun. 21, 2024

          Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

          Burnside lake

          We went just up the road into the wildlife reserve and drove all the way up to burnside lake. Beautiful. Definitely need 4x4 and the road is super bumpy. We had a great spot that looked over the mountains. Would definitely come back. Lots of places to choose from along the way to the lake.

        • B
          Camper-submitted photo from Luther Pass Dispersed Camping
          Jun. 21, 2024

          Luther Pass Dispersed Camping

          Good in a pinch

          This place is beautiful but it’s a designated free camp ground and has minimal spots on one side. The other side was so jammed full. We ended up squeezing in a parking space and asked the ranger for permission to use our pop up there (she was super nice about it). Trash, fire pits, bathrooms are all available there. Single lane road getting in to it was a little harry with other cars. Decent place if you need a safe space to rest.

        • Susan L.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
          Jun. 17, 2024

          Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

          What a beautiful place for our 40 ft 5th wheel

          We are new to dispersed camping and have a 40 ft 5th wheel as well as a GMC Denali 350 dually. We need a large space to fit into. We arrived on a Monday at noon and found that the large area about 1/4 mile in was not at all crowded. We had our choice of several places to set up. It is very quiet here, not hearing any road noise. A forest ranger told us there were more spaces up near the lake, but we didn’t venture up there.

        • Jr A.
          Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
          Jun. 9, 2024

          Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

          Easy access and lots of spots

          You follow a dirt road and have camping spots along the road. When I was here it was jammed packed RV, vans and tents all set up along the road. To me it was good for a an overnight stay. No At&t service what so ever. Little highway noise.

        • V
          Camper-submitted photo from Luther Pass Dispersed Camping
          May. 31, 2024

          Luther Pass Dispersed Camping

          Good Camping Spot Near SLT

          Parked my car and walked into my campsite 50m? Not ideal if you are car camping but not terrible. Tables, bear boxes, toilets and fire ring provided. First come first serve. Adequate TMobile service.

        • EThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Dog Valley
          Apr. 23, 2024

          Dog Valley

          Our favorite !

          Dog Valley is a special place where we come to boondock. It’s quite and has a great creek. People come out here to camp, ride atvs, side by sides, dirt bikes, or off road. People target practice a lot and the ranger is very nice.

        • JThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Scout Camp at Fort Churchill
          Apr. 20, 2024

          Scout Camp at Fort Churchill

          Site on the Pony Express

          Site had a pre-made fire pit. There’s a few spots here to choose from, although if you’re looking for privacy they are somewhat close together. There were 3 others here when we came. Lots of ATVs here. Overall pretty good for a nights stay, especially if you’re in to history!

        • M
          Camper-submitted photo from BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed
          Mar. 8, 2024

          BLM - Water Tank Road Dispersed

          One of my favorite spots

          I love the quietness of this spot and the view is wonderful! The only thing I don’t like is that they took the port-a-potty out, quite possibly for the cold season.

        • Genevieve R.
          Camper-submitted photo from Moon Rocks Camp
          Dec. 29, 2023

          Moon Rocks Camp

          Beautiful! Easy access.

          I live nearby, so my family and I went for the day. We left just before sunset. It's gorgeous here. The dirt road is pretty good and not difficult for my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. There were about 3 other groups. We were there on a Thursday. We walked around the whole area where the rocks were. The campsite overlooks a valley where there is an airport. We saw a couple of paragliders. On the way in from Reno, it's very easy to find. I would love to stay here in my travel trailer. There were some huge rigs out there. All of those people had dune buggies, but nobody was driving around on the rocks when we were there. There are no amenities at all. There is just a big clearing for campers. We took our dog. She had fun.

        • Genevieve R.
          Camper-submitted photo from Peavine Road Dispersed Camping
          Dec. 28, 2023

          Peavine Road Dispersed Camping

          Lots of trash and shells

          I live 10 minutes away, so I checked it out. It's sketchy driving in with a lot of trailers and cars along the road closer to the main road. There may or may nor have been people in them. We didn't see people walking around except one guy who was walking his dog on the dirt road and another guy nearby with a table next to his car. Maybe he was flying a drone. The dirt road was very rutted in a few areas. No big deal, but I was in my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. I didn't have my trailer with me. The view of the city is great, but that's it. The area to pull off is not that big, so I think it would be crowded with more than 2 other trailers. It wasn't windy at all when we were there, but I'm sure it could be because it can be very windy in this area. I wouldn't stay here unless I absolutely had to for the night. I did hear gunshots in the distance. We only stayed a few minutes to take a few pictures. No amenities like fire rings or tables.



        Guide to Virginia City

        Camping near Virginia City, Nevada, offers a unique blend of history, stunning landscapes, and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are several campgrounds that cater to different preferences.

        What to do:

        • Explore Historic Virginia City: This old mining town is packed with history. Visitors can stroll through the streets, check out the shops, and learn about the Gold Rush era. One camper noted, "The history here is incredible, and the town has a charm that’s hard to beat."
        • Hiking and Nature Walks: The area around Virginia City has numerous trails. A reviewer mentioned, "The hiking trails are breathtaking, especially with the views of the mountains and valleys."
        • Fishing and Water Sports: Nearby lakes offer fishing and kayaking opportunities. One camper shared, "We had a blast fishing at the lake, and the kids loved kayaking."

        What campers like:

        • Spacious Campsites: Many campers appreciate the roomy sites. A review from Fallen Leaf Campground - South Lake Tahoe highlighted, "Camping spots are spaced out enough that you are not right on top of your neighbor."
        • Clean Facilities: Clean restrooms and showers are a big plus. A camper at Tahoe Valley Campground mentioned, "The showers were perfect. Toilets clean."
        • Beautiful Scenery: Campers rave about the stunning views. One review from Eagle Point Campground — Emerald Bay State Park stated, "Lake Tahoe is such a beautiful place, and Emerald Bay is probably one of the most beautiful."

        What you should know:

        • Bear Activity: Bears are known to roam in the area, so it's crucial to store food properly. A camper at D.L. Bliss State Park Campground warned, "Be sure to use your bear box; we did get a visit from a bear one night."
        • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds may not have all the amenities you expect. A review from Granite Flat Campground noted, "The bathrooms were mediocre, and there are no showers."
        • Busy During Peak Season: Campgrounds can fill up quickly, especially in summer. A camper at Donner Memorial State Park Campground mentioned, "It’s a popular campground; it can be tough to get reservations last minute."

        Tips for camping with families:

        • Kid-Friendly Activities: Look for campgrounds with nearby activities for kids. One camper at Tahoe Valley Campground said, "This is a great spot if you have kids. Lots of stuff to do just at the resort."
        • Safety First: Always keep an eye on the kids, especially near water. A reviewer at Eagle Point Campground advised, "Make sure to supervise kids near the lake."
        • Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or snacks. A camper at Fallen Leaf Campground mentioned, "The picnic areas are great for family meals."

        Tips from RVers:

        • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A review from Sparks Marina RV Park noted, "The pull-through sites were easy to navigate."
        • Book Early: Reservations can fill up fast, especially in summer. A camper at Zephyr Cove Resort said, "We managed to get a spot at the last minute just before the 4th of July weekend."
        • Be Prepared for Dust: Some campgrounds have dirt roads that can get dusty. A reviewer at Tahoe Valley Campground mentioned, "My biggest issue with this campground is the dirt. It gets everywhere."

        Camping near Virginia City, Nevada, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation. With the right preparation, you can enjoy everything this beautiful area has to offer.

        Frequently Asked Questions

        • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Virginia City, NV?

          According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Virginia City, NV is BLM FLATTOP with a 3-star rating from 3 reviews.

        • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Virginia City, NV?

          TheDyrt.com has all 21 dispersed camping locations near Virginia City, NV, with real photos and reviews from campers.