Kershaw-Ryan State Park, near Caliente, Nevada, is a charming campground that offers a mix of natural beauty and essential amenities for a comfortable stay. With spacious sites that include electric and water hookups, it’s a convenient choice for both tent campers and RV enthusiasts.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including well-maintained restrooms and showers that provide a refreshing break after a day of exploring. Visitors have highlighted the stunning views and the peaceful atmosphere, making it a great place to unwind. One camper noted, “The views from the windows were great,” emphasizing the scenic surroundings.

For those eager to explore, the state park features lovely hiking trails and picnic areas, perfect for a day out in nature. The nearby gardens and recreational areas add to the charm, with options for hiking and mountain biking just a short walk away. Plus, the campground's proximity to Caliente means you can easily grab supplies or enjoy local dining if needed.

While some campers mentioned the closeness of the sites, the overall vibe is friendly and relaxed, making it a welcoming destination for families and solo adventurers alike. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer retreat, Kershaw-Ryan State Park has plenty to offer for a memorable camping experience.

Kershaw-Ryan State Park

Searching for the best camping near Caliente, NV? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Nevada camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Caliente, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Caliente

The Best Camping Near Caliente, Nevada

Beautiful.  What a suprise. So peaceful 

This campground has super small sites that are close together and offer little to no "camp privacy". I would say that this is more of an RV/trailer friendly campground than tent-friendly. There are tent pads at a couple of the sites. Each site offers fire rings, grills and covered picnic tables. There is flushable toilets and free showers available which is super nice.

The more we explored this park, the more awesome things we found. Close to the day use area, there is a horseshoe pit and a very nice volleyball court. There are a couple short hikes super close to the campground also, that offer beautiful views of the fall foliage. I highly suggest visiting this in the Fall as the colors were amazing.

Small sites but the park is amazing

This is a little oasis is the middle of the desert. Camping area is very well maintained better for smaller tents but was able to find a space for my 12 man tent. Camping is done in the front of the park, the staff was amazing and went above and beyond. 3/4 of a mile in was a fantastic area with play grounds, a spring water filled wading pool, many beautiful flowers and trees. Hiking trails with scenic overlooks. Currently trail maps are out of date because they are currently updating and expanding their trails. There are also horse shoe rings and a volleyball net, but you need to bring your own ball and horse shoes.

Desert Oasis

Hands down the nicest campground I have ever stayed at! Friendly staff, super clean and nice bathrooms,(bring quarters for the showers) RV hook ups at each space on nice lighted pedestals. 

 Right at the entrance to Kershaw Ryan State Park!

 Super beautiful little park that has a hiking trail at the back that will take you up to some spectacular views, as well as some really cool mountain bike trails! Of which there several others in the area. If you Mountain bike, dont miss this opportunity to take advantage of these trails.

Caliente is only a few miles away, so if you forget anything, like I always do, there are places to shop. The locals couldn't be any nicer! 

Dont let the name of the town fool you, it can get quite cool at night. 

In short, great place and I will be back!


SO NICE!

Nice campground, clean, hot water, showers.   Showers are 25 cents for 4 minutes, nice warm water.

The campground is walking distance to a 1930s garden and day picnic park.  Plenty of hiking and mountain biking in the area.

Campsites are gravel with with tables and fire pits.

Nice place to relax

There are natural springs and the flora is gorgeous!!! The short overlook trail is absolutely stunning. Our trip was in Fall so the colors were amazing. We camped for only one night but had a good visit and plan to return since this is a very nice place. This is a small first come, first serve campground with electric hookups, restrooms, and more. Each site has a picnic table, BBQ, and fire pit. The picnic table has shade and there are trees around the campground. There are showers but I didn't use them to verify they work well or are warm. There are water spouts, for use but not to hookup. There is a dump station at the park entrance but no sewer hookups. We got the last spot in the campground, it fills up quickly and people came after us who had to leave to find another place. Lesson: arrive early in the day probably between 10am-1pm will get you a spot. The campground is at the park entrance and is 0.8 miles from the main park area where the playground, wading pool, grassy areas, and most trail heads are. That main area is also where you will find maps and the stamp to use on your Nevada state parks passport. When we came the wading pool was empty. But I guess during summer it's a nice refreshing place for children to play. There are two spots to play horse shoes and one for volleyball. The playground equipment is old but usable. Cellular service is better up at the main park area than at the campground but the campground does offer wifi for a fee. Just outside the state park is a grazing area with cows and just past that is the railroad- you may hear the train from your campsite. We liked that but I'm sure some people wouldn't. Animals in the area we saw: turkey, rabbits, kangaroo rats, frogs, and various butterflies. The camping price is$15 per night without hookups,$25 with hookups OR if you get the state park all access pass then camping is free and you just pay$10 for the hookups if you use them. Read up on the Nevada State Park website for more details.

Beautiful gardens and desert trails surround this modest campground

Located in a narrow canyon.  Sites are well laid out with all servics.  Day use area nearby has hiking, nice gardens,  horseshoe pits, and picnic areas.

Nice place to Camp

Beautiful views. Nothing much seperating the sites but was very quiet. Restrooms were clean.

Very clean and quiet

Absolutely stunning it’s a tiny state park but worth the trip. Holy cow trees, grass, playground for kids, camping, tables, flowers, grills, trails, bathrooms. 
What an incredible place.
We had an amazing lunch under the trees inside the coolness of this place. 
The campgrounds are standard desert camping but such a good stay. 
Love it here. 

Couldn’t believe how gorgeous...

You wouldn't think a place like this existed. The campsites are spacious and have electric and water hookups.  About a 5 min walk to the main park.  The park is extremely shaded and even has things for the kids.  My toddler enjoyed the wadding pool! 

Hidden gem

We arrived late afternoon to set up camp, we used the self pay station as there was not a ranger at the station and it was first come for choosing a site. We camped on the weekdays and there seemed to be plenty of open spaces. The sites had a decent amount of space between them and we didn’t feel to close to our neighbor. There is a field with some cattle across from it and was kind of nice to hear the moos from a distance! The showers were $0.25-$0.50 to use so have some quarters handy! There is a hiking and picnic area just up the road from the campsites, on the same property and it was really lovely! I also enjoyed the little book checkout station as I can never decide on which book to actually buy so I now have a book to finally read and will drop it back off the next time we visit! The rangers kept the property looking great and it is a very secluded campground, there is definitely no city light to disrupt our stargazing! Have a Tmobile and didn’t have any service. There was WiFi available for a fee. 

Peaceful and quiet

We didn’t stay in the Primitive camping because it was $15 a night. We ended up staying on the road in a pull-off section. 

The road was flooded and in very bad shape. The site was very spacious. 

There looked to be a Pull-behind in one area with no vehicle. A resident i presume. 

The mountain view was spectacular. Very cold as it snowed the day we decided to set up. 

We heard a coyote just outside our camper around 3am. It’s howls echoed throughout the range. 

Right next to a railroad track. There is no crossing so the trains don’t blow their whistles through there. We are used to trains as we have a home along the Mississippi river and about 10 yards away from BNSF railway. Felt like home. 

I would come back for sure, in warmer months. 

Pricey for Primitive 

We arrived at the campground in the early afternoon on a Friday.  There was no one at the gate but we had reserved a site so we did not need to check in.  Our site was ready for us so we quickly set up camp.  Our site was #16.  It was spacious and clean.  The views from the windows were great.  The sites are a little close to each other but not too close.  Our site was an end site so we had plenty of private space.  We had electric and water hookups.  All worked well.  The  bathrooms at the  campground were clean.  The showers were large and  private and water pressure was good.  It is a quarter for 4 minutes but it seemed to run much longer.  The campground has a little free library if you want a book to read and also offers firewood for a "donation".  The state park is very nice and has some nice trails to walk on.  Dogs are allowed on the trails.  The location of the campground was convenient for exploring the area.  We did have some military jets fly over the campground on Friday evening and again on Monday.  I guess they give the locals a break from their practice on the weekends.  The area is beautiful and there are lots of cool places to visit especially if you like rockhounding and history.  We did not have any cell service for 4 days in this area.  Verizon is the only tower and we have T-mobile.

Photos of Kershaw-Ryan State Park

Real photos from real campers