With vault toilets, covered picnic tables, and sites accommodating big rigs, this Bureau of Land Management campground sits along Walker Lake's eastern shore. Access requires navigating a dirt road that forks near public trash bins, with the route to lakeside sites described by campers as bumpy and potentially challenging for low-clearance vehicles.
The campground features three distinct levels, each offering different experiences. Upper sites provide views across the lake and catch consistent breezes, while lower areas closer to the water tend to be more sheltered but also more prone to mosquitoes during warmer months. Road noise from the nearby highway reaches all areas, though it's less noticeable at the lower sites. The terrain consists primarily of gravel and coarse sand, requiring a heavy hammer for tent stakes according to recent visitors.
Walker Lake itself draws mixed reactions from campers. While sunrise and sunset views receive consistent praise, the water quality concerns some visitors due to visible algae and odor issues. Fishing reports are typically poor, though families still attempt it. Char P. notes the campground "was only about 20% full" even during Memorial Day weekend, suggesting it rarely reaches capacity.
Sites include fire pits and the $6 nightly fee makes this an affordable lakeside option for those exploring places to camp around Hawthorne.
Description
The 30,000-acre, 12 mile long by 5 mile wide lake has a shoreline that varies from steep and rocky on the west side to sandy beaches on its east side. Walker Lake and the Sportsman's Beach Recreation Site is located in Mineral County, Nevada. This lake is a rare perennial lake of the Great Basin and is important for a variety of resident and migratory wildlife species. Approximately 38,000 acres in size, Walker Lake is the most prominent geographical feature in the region and the primary focal point for recreation in the area. Walker Lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities including swimming, picnicking, boating, bird watching, water-skiing and camping. Sportsman's Beach provides thirty one individual camp sites plus two undeveloped camping areas that accommodate RV and tent campers. Facilities include vault toilets, covered picnic tables, grills, pull through and back-in camp sites, paved access and a public boat ramp area. There is no potable water available at Sportman's Beach. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District-Stillwater Field Office, manages a Recreation Fee Program at Sportsman's Beach Recreation Site. Authorized by Congress, this program has been effective in collecting fees to help maintain facilities and enhance visitor services. We reinvest all fee money collected to improve and expand facilities at the site where it is collected. We plan to improve the facilities at Sportsman's Beach and to make facilities accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. User fees at Sportsman's Beach are collected for overnight use of the area under the following schedule: Developed Camp Site: $6/night/vehicle $36/week/vehicle $2/night/vehicle Primitive Camp Area: $4/night/vehicle $22/week/vehicle America the Beautiful Senior and Access Passes are honored. Walker Lake is an oasis for migratory birds including the common loon, snow geese, and white pelicans, several species of grebe, brants, and harlequin ducks. Snowy plovers feed along the shoreline and American avocets and black-necked stilts wade the shallows. Desert Bighorn sheep are often seen on the cliffs along the west side of the lake during the summer months and the occasional pronghorn antelope or wild horse can be spotted browsing along the eastern shore. Due to the declining water levels and the increase in salinity, fishing for Lahontan Cutthroat trout is no longer available. Sportsman's Beach provides 34 developed campsites with cabanas, picnic tables and vault toilets. Tamarack Beach and Twenty Mile Beach provide opportunities for dispersed camping for RV or tents along the shoreline.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsCampground is actually located on the 'West' shore of Walker Lake, not the 'east' as in the original description. is located in Nevada near Hawthorne
Directions
15 miles north of Hawthorne on US 95
Coordinates
38.69135536711463 N
118.76801604928643 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors
T-Mobile5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 4 usersLast on 5/8/26- Verizon5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 51 usersLast on 5/8/26
AT&TLTESome CoverageVerified by 4 usersLast on 5/8/26
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors- T-Mobile5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 4 usersLast on 5/8/26
- Verizon5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 51 usersLast on 5/8/26
- AT&TLTESome CoverageVerified by 4 usersLast on 5/8/26
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
- Group
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Drive Time
- 1 hr 42 min from Carson City, NV
- 1 hr 49 min from Reno, NV
- 4 hrs 21 min from Merced, CA
- 5 hrs 11 min from Fresno, CA
