Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
Reviewed Mar. 22, 2022

Windy, desolate, noisy

03/22/2022 Rode in on motorcycles and checked in at check-in station. Looked for open sites and settled on site 11, which was built upon a mound. Had to park the bikes at the bottom and carry gear to the top of the mound, which provided a partial view from the top. One of the tent pads was hidden between some bushes which was good for some partial wind coverage. After setting up camp we went for a 3-4 mile walk around the lake, didn’t see much wildlife besides a few birds. Didn’t get to use the firepit due to high winds so bed time came pretty early after dinner. The vault bathrooms were clean, not smelly at all. Unfortunately there is constant road noise from the main road being about 75 feet away from the camp sites, and numerous cars hit the rumble strips causing even more noise. Right before bed time there were two large explosions that sounded like a bomb went off right across the lake, but I think it was from the aircraft bombing range nearby. There are no trash cans on site so prepare to pack out all trash. A few mice came out shortly after sundown so keep all food away from things you don’t want chewed through, like backpacks and tents. No other animals were seen during our stay. Camp sites were clean, neighbors were quiet, but the stay was quite boring and windy. Verizon service was good, no 5G but had full bars of 4G. Able to stream videos and check email/social media if needed. There is a gas station 5 miles away that is open from 5am-9pm.
This campsite is a good spot to stay if you just need a free place to stay for the night and can sleep through road noise.

SiteSite 11
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Upper Campground - Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge by Erik R., March 22, 2022