McWilliams Campground

So nice to escape the heat in Las Vegas. Campground was well thought out and maintained. No showers, no hookups.

This site is perfect if you want to escape the Vegas 100+ degree summers and it's only 45 min away.

• No T-mobile signal
• Clean bathrooms
• Scenic drive up to camp

Really peaceful and walking distance to the Bristlecone trails. Besides an incredibly rude group of people who didn’t understand quiet hours we had a great time! Restrooms were clean and camp host made frequent trips around the campgrounds.

We were planning on dispersed camping but when we checked out the campground we decided to stay here. It was just so pretty, and having a bathroom is so nice. I forgot to take many pictures as we hiked most of the time we were there and then collapsed into the hammock upon return. The bathrooms were clean, the water was potable, and the scenery was amazing. It’s cold here most of the time in June. Sites are kind of spendy. People everywhere we’re having campfires though I thought there was a fire ban.

We went here out first time camping and realized we preferred dispersed. Very very close to your neighbors. Lots of people. But it’s a beautiful area and the temperature is a nice break from Vegas heat

McWilliams is a beautiful campground over 8000 feet in the Spring Mountains.

Went on Memorial day weekend and it was not crowded at all. However the sites that were able to be reserved seemed to be full.

Patchy snow still on the ridge and in the mid 30s at night. Don't be fooled though, still got a sun burn!

Even got a visit from some wild mountain burros.

Mt Charleston is beautiful place to re-energize and reconnect with nature.

I’ve explored almost every part of this mountain, but I never camped here before, as I enjoy camping at places that offers fishing.

I decided to take a chance on camping at McWilliams Campground, and I wish I didn’t wait so long to do so. Please enjoy my review.

June 1, 2021, Tuesday, 75 dgrs - Arrived roughly after 3pm. There were no reservable spots, but the even numbered campsites were first come first served. After going almost around the entire loop, campsite 70 popped out.

This site is located across from a restroom and a water spigot. Three things that stood out were the amount of shade coverage, the proximity to the restrooms and the distance between our neighbors. The site was almost like a 2-story apartment, where the picnic bench, fire ring, bbq and a gas stove top were on the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor was where the tent pad is located. There was a slight breeze. There were your usual bugs, flies and ants, but not too many annoying/dangerous bugs.

Day 2 - The sun starts to heat up at 7:30am, full sun on the tent pad and partial sun on the 2nd floor. Around 10:30am, the shade returned to the entire area. The temperature was perfect, mid 70’s until around 9pm. There were wild donkeys and chipmunks, which was a pleasant sight. Star gazing was beautiful in the evening too.

$25/night, 2 car max, 8 people max.

This campground is pretty magical with forest ponies wandering in the woods.  At night the stars are incredible and I usually see multiple shooting stars.  I camped here one night during a meteor shower and it was awesome.

The bathrooms are clean and have flush toilets with sinks.  There are water faucets throughout the grounds and water tastes really good.

I've seen horses, donkeys, deer and squirrels here.  The tent sites are nice and clean and lots of dumpsters for garbage.  The camp host is also very nice.

Anything after 64 you are good but anything before that Be prepared to be on top of each other not an issue if you’re gone camping all day but definitely if you plan to stay up late and enjoy your your company you might definitely want to select a spot 64 and above other than that you’re right on top of everybody this is a really nice camp spot, Fire rings barbecue grills and it’s really well kept by all the camp host overall a nice campground in your nearby to so many hiking trails that don’t ever think you’ll get bored if the children want to go play bring their bikes because the roads are paved and it’s a perfect place for them to get out all that energy. Another bonus right right by Lee Canyon

Here in late March and a good amount of snow on the ground. It’s a beautiful campground - each site with a picnic table, fire ring, and grill. It’s a good climb to get here but the views are worth it. Very well kept and doesn’t feel congested at all. 10/10 would come back.

Being so close to Las Vegas, the campground fills up fast. This is a great escape from summer temperatures in the valley. There is a mountain meadow not far from the campground and wild horses go there to graze, we have also seen mule deer near the meadow. Paved parking sites with tent pads, fire rings and picnic tables. There are always fire restrictions but you can have fires in the fire ring. Restrooms are cleaned every morning.

A big group of friends and I went up to McWilliams Campground for the weekend and it was awesome. First weekend of October was perfect weather during the day. At night time it got a little chilly, especially with no firewood burning the weekend we were up there. However, a propane fire pit sufficed. Bathrooms were clean and maintained. There was a bunch of little flying beetles everywhere during the day time, but they would disappear at night. Took some hikes up the hills and just enjoyed the peace and serenity.

I gave this campground a 4 only because your literally right on top of one another, I’m the type of mama who at least wants trees in between other campers... we usually stay at camp unless it’s to take a hike so we like to have our own space. Besides that this camp ground is spotless and maintained so well that they deserve 10 stars. Great camp hosts and clean bathrooms. The roads are freshly paved perfect to jog on or push your baby in a stroller while you take a stroll. Plenty of room for pop up trailers, Rvs, and long trucks. Currently they are not allowing fires or grill use unless it’s propane, Las Vegas has been having an extremely hot summer so it’s just not worth us ruining Mother Natures beauty... so pack extra propane and bring a sweater it gets chilly. This camp ground holds 75 camping spots You can reserve a few spots ahead of time and they have over 50 sites that are first come first serve so get there early if you didn’t make a reservation.

The best spots are anything after 61 and they have combined dolomite and McWilliams and lee canyon all in this place

Nice facilities and accommodating host. I camped on a weekend when the campground was full and I didn’t feel cramped or crowded. Tent pads are a little small (reason for 4/5). Flushing toilets and running water. Well maintained facilities overall.

The McWilliams Campground, recently renovated and well maintained is my go-to campground when visiting the Mount Charleston area. When the Las Vegas heat smothers the Vegas Valley it is usually over 25 degrees cooler in the mountain, so it seems appropriate that it is referred to as a “sky island” because as a Las Vegas local it feels like an island getaway within an hour drive.

If your navigation app can’t find it try entering the Lee Canyon Ski Resort because that is less than a mile up the road. The campground sign will be on your right heading up the mountain just past the Lower Bristlecone Trail . The even number sites are first-come while the odd numbers are reservable but go quickly when released. My trip this week saw a full campground but it was a family crowd and no rowdy campers. They designed sites for tent or small trailer camping on the back loop and a lot of fairly level sites for RVs dispersed throughout. RV hookups won’t be found here so be prepared to dry camp.

Mule deer grazed in the woods behind my camp site in the early morning. Wild burros and horses also inhabit the area. Wild horses congregate a short walk away at the Meadows in cooler parts of the day. Blue birds and hummingbirds are a common sight as well for birding.

The camp host was friendly and helpful. There were a few drinking water pumps out of order so he helped me find one down the road and offered to drop my 5 gallon jug back at my site up the hill so I didn’t have to carry it.

Droughts affect the mountain and campfire restrictions are common in the summer months. Waterfalls and creeks dry to a trickle. Majestic Bristlecone Pines well adept to the climate provide shade for many sites.

Mount Charleston itself is quite sparse in trees but the few high pines shade the campgrounds below. The air is nice and fresh although the air can be more thin than accustomed to so take breaks on hikes.

The campground is managed well and ranges from busy to vacant. No river running through.

Very clean camp grounds. Reserved 2 spots mid week and had a blast. So many hiking trails around the area. Loved getting out of the Vegas heat for couple of days. Would definitely go back .

Just went here for my first time and I love it. Scenery is beautiful, it’s a lot cooler than down in the city(which was nice to get away from the heat), and it was clean. I think next time I’ll definitely reserve a spot I want because it was a little packed.

This place has great campsites and friendly staff. The bathrooms are clean. Your just a few minutes away from Lee Canyon Resort and about 20 minutes from the Mt Charleston Lodge.

Lots of sites here. Nicely spaced out. Camp hosts are nice. We go here every year.

Clean, well manicured restrooms! Nicely spaced from other campers. Beautiful and lots of wildlife.

The camp host was great. He helped us find the very last site on the mountain. We came with no reservations during the week. Sites are clean, with concrete pads, bbq’s, pedestals, and nice fire pits. Very well kept, bathrooms were very clean and had heaters for colder months. I believe it was recently redone.

This is now a combination of the old dolomite and McWilliams's sites. What an improvement! Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, flat and level area for tent/parking, and easy access to toilets. A great trailhead is at the top of the dolomite area. Prime time on this trail is actually dusk as there are large colonies of various bats that roost near. Wonderful to watch them against a fading sky. The camp can get noisy on weekends, and lots of little ones so if families are not your cup of tea then this mountain probably isn't going to suit you. The trails are awesome, and of varying degree of skill required to traverse the area. The summer days provide ample light for exploring all day. If you are mobile, don't miss cathedral falls which is a short drive and hike away. Two of the nearby camps are closed for similar improvements and if course, hilltop is open and has showers.

You can take that heat from Vegas and completely forget you are in Nevada when you travel just outside the city and to McWilliams Campground and Mount Charleston area. But because of this break in the heat all summer you have to make reservations, even though they say there are walk up sites I wouldn't suggest banking on them to be there.

This campground is dry camping but with the setting of the mountains it hardly seems like any kind of inconvenience. There is a nice bathroom facility here without showers but plenty good for enjoying this place it is heated which makes for a lot better user experience especially I assume during winter months.

When I was there I saw a lot of RVs and Tents alike all pulled into spots and comfortable. While I didn't seem boxed in and overcrowded I did speak to someone who said when it is filled with more RVs it tends to get a little claustrophobic feeling.

Sleeping in a tent here I noticed that I could hear my neighbors pretty easily until around 11 p.m. after that it got pretty quiet and short of a few animal noises here and there it was silent. Temperatures dipped considerably at night so even though it was summer, in a tent I was finding I needed a little more cover than expected and pulled out the sleeping bag for some warmth.

Something I loved about this site was the set up for campers with the fire ring and table. The slab around the ring gives you a flat surface if you have camp chairs and also allows you do better manage your space and keep debris out of your fire.

TIPS:

• Bring a light or headlamp. Not sure if it really doesn't have light or if it was just burned out, I didn't check again, but the bathroom was dark at night so you want to have a way to see.
• Bring Cash or Check they didn't accept cards for the $25 nightly fee.

When we want a camping retreat ans a break from the Vegas heat, McWilliams Campground is definately the choice. I can honestly say, for being a desert, we’ve got a pretty great camping spot here.

While I love the outdoors and ‘roughing it,’ I have my limits, and plumbing is where I draw the line. I will camp wherever a good site is, but if there aren’t functional toilets, I’ll pass. Thus the reason McWilliams was such a great find. Not only do they have restrooms, they also have potable water and the campground pads each have a flattened base for tent setup, and a concrete pad with grill, stove stand, picnic bench and fire pit.

I have a full review and recap of our camping experience at McWilliams here: https://www.nvilloria.com/single-post/2017/10/06/Camping-Retreat-in-Vegas

We love camping at Mount Charleston in the summer! It provides the perfect break from the Vegas heat! McWilliams campground was renovated in 2015 featuring paved parking areas at each campsite. Bathrooms are modern but no showers. Lots of hiking available! We had a very small herd of wild mustangs go through our site! Very cool! Campsites fill up fast!! It can feel crowded. Best to reserve your site in advance www.reserveamerica.com. Campground is dog friendly! There are no RV hook-ups and no dump site.

We went for a night while visiting family and wanted to get one more camping trip in before winter hit. The camp ground was extremely clean and taken care of. The bathrooms were clean and they have a heater! So taking off all layers wasnt so terrible. The view of the moon was beautiful. when we went it was very windy so we didnt explore to much but just from looking around our site we knew we would want to come back. A location so close to Vegas has such beautiful mountain areas.i definitely didnt feel close to Vegas at all

Recently re-opened (Summer 2015), with all new blacktop driveways, concrete picnic/patio areas, very nice fire pits, handicap accessible, newly updated bathrooms (when open), tall old pine trees, and lots of fresh air! Summer 2016 had some challenges with fire restrictions and water shortages, with eventual closure for most of July & Aug. So before you go, check www.reserveamerica.com for alerts & current news. Less than 1 hour from Las Vegas, and a GREAT way to beat the heat!

The campsite is very clean and pretty. We were tent camping and cooking in the provided firepit or on out coleman stovetop. The extra stand for the stove was great and freed up table space for dining and cards. The level tent spots are great. Wild horses came by our tent at night and kept us awake for a short time. Cool to see though. The bristlecone loop trail nearby was an easy to moderate 6 mile trek. I wish there was a shower since we got very sweaty from or hikes. They do have nice clean restrooms and plenty of water to fill up my portable shower.

Very nice spot for tent camping. Each space has a large concrete picnic table and bar b q grill along with a nice fire pit and metal table for your camping stove. There is a 10:00 pm quite time so if you are looking for a place to party this is not it, but if you are looking for a place to relax surrounded by ponderosa pines then you have found the place. There is no hook ups for RVs but in the summer the night tempartures are in the low 60s so no need for air conditioning.