Map showing campground location near Hawthorne, Nevada

Camper submitted image from Tamarack Beach

Tamarack Beach

Bureau of Land Management maintains Tamarack Beach as free overnight parking along Walker Lake, where campers can spread out across multiple flat spots near the water. The access road drops steeply from Highway 95 with numerous potholes, and the highway turnoff proves easy to miss according to multiple visitors.

Campers park at various distances from the lake, with those in larger RVs typically staying closer to the entrance area for easier maneuvering. The site closest to the water offers direct lake access, though several reviewers note the shoreline has a sulfur smell and soft, sinking sediment. Highway noise carries down from the road above, but most campers report it doesn't significantly impact sleep. Renee T. found it a "perfect location to spread out or spend the night" with "no road noise even though you can see the trucks above."

A vault toilet serves the area, though its availability varies seasonally. No water, trash service, or other amenities are provided. Cell coverage works well for many carriers, with Verizon showing three bars LTE and 5G service reported by recent visitors. Fighter jets occasionally pass overhead from nearby military installations.

The area sees moderate use, particularly from travelers seeking convenient overnight stops and dog walkers from the highway. Summer brings intense heat, wind, and insects including mosquitoes and black widows in vegetation. Daisee Mae S. notes "no water, no trash" but appreciated hearing coyotes across the lake during midday hours.

Campers can find additional overnight options at Twenty Mile Beach Dispersed Camping just north along the lake, or explore campgrounds around Hawthorne for sites with more amenities. The location works best as a convenient highway stop rather than a destination stay.

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Location

Overnight Parking

Tamarack Beach is located in Nevada

Coordinates

38.73880998 N
118.76599555 W

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Overnight parking includes places that allow free one-night stays. Always confirm with local managers at commercial establishments. Please respect any posted overnight regulations.

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General Info

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Drive Time

1 hr 39 min from Carson City, NV
1 hr 45 min from Reno, NV
4 hrs 17 min from Merced, CA
4 hrs 20 min from Modesto, CA

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5 Stars

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4.0

out of 5

14 Reviews

Guests commonly noted the convenient lakeside location with level camping spots and good cell coverage. Several visitors reported highway noise and inconsistent restroom availability. Most found it suitable for short stays despite basic amenities.

Renee T.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 4, 2025

Wide open lakefront views

Looks like abandoned campground. The lake is sick and not the great recreation area it once was. Perfect location to spread out or spend the night. No road noise even though you can see the trucks above. 5G made it a dream spot for us after no cell on our journey.

Sitedispersed below the old campground spots and pit toilet

Month of VisitMay

(6) View All

Bub R.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 28, 2024

Posted “No Camping”

A “No Camping Beyond This Point” sign is posted just off the highway.

Month of VisitJune

Brandon C.

Scout

Reviewed May. 30, 2023

Nice Location

Free spot to camp. Restrooms were locked and trash piled up by the doors. Be careful on some of the beach roads as some paths are very loose gravel/sand that you sink into pretty deep. Almost got hung up even with 4x4 and sand crawl mode.

SiteNice flat area with a fire pit just already built.

Month of VisitMay

Daisee Mae S.

Legend

Reviewed Nov. 6, 2022

Beautiful Views

The turn to the camp is easy to miss and not very well organized. The traffic on this highway is crazy. We had people passing us while we had our blinker on to make the left hand turn, so obviously the road is hard to see. The road itself is a pretty steep grade and full of potholes.

There is a bathroom that looks as though someone stocks it with TP.

No water, No trash.

The weather has been grand. Almost 70 in early November.

The lake is beautiful but if you walk down to it, it’s smells of sulfur and your feet start to sink in what appears to be some sort of quicksand.

We heard coyotes during high noon across the lake. It was absolutely stunning.

From the area where you park the highway is loud but it’s not super busy. Some of the spots to park at are mostly flat but the more you drive toward the lake the more ruts and potholes. We opted for the turn around spot. It is wide enough for two campers and a car or truck.

A few fighter jets flew overhead while we were here and were gone before i could catch a video.

A lot of people stop by and walk their dogs and a handful of people have stayed a night or two.

I would have given it 5 stars if the lake was east to access and didn’t smell like a sulfur farm.

SiteN/A

Month of VisitNovember

(12) View All

Chris N.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 13, 2022

Great waterfront stopoff!

I’m usually looking for east access free camping when I’m traveling and this is it! Might be a bit close to the Highway for some but it comes with a spectacular view and no one is here! Plenty of level spots to just roll in and pop up.

Month of VisitAugust

Gustav H.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 11, 2022

Highway noise but nice view

Mid week in August. Only ones camping in what appears to be a campground of years gone by. We like the views. A bit highway noise but not bad. Verizon has three bars LTE. Worked for a zoom meeting. There is a pit toilet.

Sitethird “site” on right after pit toilet because it was not sloped

Month of VisitAugust

Marty D.

Traveler

Reviewed Dec. 6, 2021

Walker Lake

The road coming on down to the lake is a little rough but you can get down with the motor home without any problem there's a lot of nice flat spots there's Vault toilets and a beautiful view

Month of VisitDecember

Jasonne Y.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 22, 2021

Nice spot for a day or two

Plenty of room, camp right next to the lake. Great spot for a day or two. Not far off the hwy so you can hear vehicles but it's not to bad.

Month of VisitOctober

Randell C.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2021

Very open, with good water views

Pretty easy to find, access and seems to be well maintained for a free lakeside camp spot.

Siteopen

Month of VisitSeptember

Social H.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2021

Pretty view

We parked closer to the top because we are 40ft 5th wheel.

There were 2 other campers- one right on the lake.

Nice and quiet. Main road was there in background- but didn't bother me sleeping- and I'm a light sleeper.

It's a bit rocky but no problem.

Weather was nice - though chilly at night.

SiteTop of the beach

Month of VisitJune

Garrison S.

Scout

Reviewed Jan. 27, 2021

Nothing special

Easy for a one night stop if you’ve been driving a while. You can park right by the lake and it seems to be a pretty dead spot so there’s plenty of options. The lakes pretty dull in my opinion.

Sara S.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 5, 2020

Convenient is about it

Probably lot nicer in the winter. September was still 100+ degrees with nasty wind. Pros: super convenient off the HWY, nobody else here, pet friendly, right on the lake, flat spots, free Cons: noisy road traffic, no amenities (pit toilet was closed), hot and windy, oh and super buggy including mosquitos, fire ants, and a ton of black widows in the grassy bushes.

(4) View All

Kailey C.

Guide

Reviewed May. 21, 2020

Right on the beach

Services: trash, pit toilets

Right on the beach, quite a few RVs and camper vans spread out along the lake. Little rocky and bumpy in places but nothing a 2WD couldn't handle.

Carter Y.

Guide

Reviewed May. 3, 2019

Nice Free lakeside camp!

Dry camping right next to town. Good cell coverage and you can drive right up to the water. Looks like it may have been an established fee campground at some point.