Squirrel Springs Campsites — Great Basin National Park

Stayed here after hiking Great Basin NP and was this a welcome spot. It was highly recommended by the ranger at the visitor center. We were the only ones in the three sites next down the way (which was walkable) to a pit toilet and bear proof trash. The site was well managed with a fire pit and concrete picnic table. It was right off snake creek which was fun to explore.

Squirrel Springs is the largest campsite area along Snake Creek Road with 4 campsites. It is the fourth campsite area along Great Basin National Park's Snake Creek Road. Campground is clearly marked and is on the south side of the road. Campground sits between the road and Snake Creek and sits among small and medium sized trees which provide some shade. Campground consist of four campsites that are well spread a part from each other. Parking for the campsites begins just past the vault toilet. Camping sites each have a picnic tables and a metal fire ring. Trash bin and recycling bin are located at the vault toilet. This is a dry campground, so come prepared.

Be warned, the information on the parks website is a bit misleading. Road is not for RV's or trailers. Just after you enter the park on Snake Creek Road a sign clearly indicated no RV's or trailers past the roads first pull out. Road is a narrow single lane road for almost all of its length. Camp site is just off a very dusty road, but road travel is slow with little traffic. Hiking trail heads are located at the end of the road. Vault toilet was very clean. No fee to use this site.

Stayed: 5/30/2022

Cost: FREE

Site: Squirrel Springs Campsites (First past bathroom)

Vehicle: GMC Terrain

Equipment: Tent

AT&T and T-Mobile: Slow but useable

The Squirrel Springs Campsites are about 9 miles from Highway 487 along a narrow dirt road. We past 2 or 3 already taken spots and a group site before reaching these sites. There are two sites next to each other and a pit toilet. We stayed at the one nearest the bathroom.

This was a pretty nice site with a picnic table and fire ring with grill grate. This was a pretty good site to crash for free, although the dirt road was tedious. Beware this is also at a higher elevation than the Lehman Caves area. We woke up to a couple inches of snow.

#DareToEverywhere

Separate section of Great Basin NP includes free primitive campsites along snake creek, but you will eat dust in abundance if you camp in the first few miles….best to go as far as possible. Sites are directly on road but sites are upscale & clean.

No water but clean vault toilets in these group sites suitable for individual campers.

Fire rings & some tables provided.

No cell, no internet, no nothing, no gas for miles.

This is your back up plan if the park is otherwise full or you want to hike Johnson Lake Trail. Advice: get sequence of campsite names from Rangers before heading into dispersed area. Maps do not source names of the sites along the way but they are marked on road. (Monkey Rock is first site, then Pinnacle and Squirrel, but forgot to take names of remaining sites.)

I stayed in the last group of campsites along the Snake Creek Forest Rd (a couple of miles before the end of the dirt road); I think it was called Eagle Rock but I'm not sure. It's a great spot to hike up to Johnson Lake. It's a very peaceful site next to the creek with only 2 other campsites. There's a compost bathroom, that was clean and with toilet paper. And it's free! Each campsite had a fire ring and picnic table.