This place is so odd. The attraction is a dry water fall (not a lake bed) that formed when the last ice age was ending and a river formed from melting ice but the river was jostled by volcanic and earthquake activity when caused the river to become a water fall. It has since dried up like most of this part of the country and most of the remaining ice age water is trapped below, coming up as ‘fossil water’ in springs. The fossil falls rocks are basalt mostly but have been pummeled by water and have smoothed and eroded. There’s also said to be obsidian flakes on the area.
Anyway, this campground is simple/primitive but has excellent cell service, low prices, and an interesting attraction.
Nearly all these campsites butt up against the Badlands-esque rock formations with mini slot canyons to explore right at your campsite. My son absolutely loved this place. I loved it. We had a great time!
It costs $25 per night and has zero amenities but the landscape makes up for it. Joshua trees and amazing rock formations, Jack rabbits and desert squirrels… it’s just great.
1 bar AT&T if you’re lucky. No water, no electricity, but there’s a dump station near the visitor center. No electric car charging. Lots of tents and small rigs, nothing big. Campground uses narrow one-way dirt road. There are about 50 campsites with a picnic table, fire ring, rocky tent pad and fairly level gravel parking spot. At least 2 spots are ADA with concrete parking spots and nearby restroom.
Now during COVID time it’s self registration, not sure about other times. We stayed one night and never saw a ranger. The campground was about half full and didn’t fill up while we were there.
This place is giant! There are tons of RV spots as well as a tent area and some cabins. We stayed here to visit Great Basin National Park because the weather was going to be too cold to camp in the park safely without hookups for us. We also used this KOA as our midway point to dump and refill our water between campsites without water. It had what we expected of a KOA - friendly staff, full hookups, easy level pull through sites, a playground, store, etc. The surprises for us: no pool (not that we wanted one), adorable neighbor goats, and two dog parks areas (one with grass). Our dog loved the dirt dog park. It was great giving him a chance to run around off leash for a bit on our trip since everywhere we went he had to be on-leash. The goats were a fun surprise, too, since we love watching goats.
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The sites are nice and flat with full hookups and a great view. The staff was very friendly and it was easy to get a spot and checkin last minute. The only thing is the cost is a bit high. If the weather is nice and you don't need hookups for a/c etc then try to camp right next door at the campground. The campground has trees and more of a chill vibe. Both are nice though and the view is the same. There's gonna be some noise at both locations, lots of light, and people very close to you. But everyone seemed nice and friendly. Note: dogs are not allowed at the beach.
We couldn't get a spot inside Valley of Fire State Park so we decided to boondock on the BLM land outside the park. We knew there were plenty of spots but a lot were out in the open where everyone can see you. We wanted a bit of privacy and wanted to feel like we were out in nature not just parked in an empty desert. We decided to go searching for a better option and went down a dirt road, crossing our fingers. Lo and behold we found what we feel is a primo campsite! It's just outside the park of a dirt road. The coordinates are 36.413656-114.616805 and there's actually 2-3 spots back there. The first one is the easiest for bigger rigs or regular cars. The other two are up steep, sandy hills that are more suitable for a Jeep or ATV. There are rock fire pits(but be careful about fire restrictions) to designate the camping areas. It's private with hills all around. You can faintly hear the road and if you need better cell reception hike up one of the hills. It's a fantastic private spot that felt remote and special. The ONLY negative we encountered was trash. We did a sweep and picked up a lot of broken glass bottles, some aluminum cans, a bunch of bullet casings, and other trash. And nearby there's an old washer or dryer that someone dumped and used for target practice. We didn't clean that up because obviously, that's just too big. Anyway, the spot is so close to Valley of Fire you can just head on into the park for hiking and day use or head back out to the freeway for more supplies. For us, this spot was absolutely perfect and we had zero troubles, but I can imagine if it rains or shortly after it's been raining that this particular spot might be terrible. DO NOT CAMP HERE IF RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST.
We stopped here for lunch to check it out as a potential spot for the future. So we didn't actually camp here but we looked around, took pictures, and made a plan for our return. First thing is that since this place is free and beautiful it fills up quickly. We arrived around 11:30 am and there were spots available but they were all taken by the time we left after our lunch. However, there is another free boondocking spot across the highway near the refuge entrance, so if you arrive too late to get a spot you could camp at the boondocking spot for one night and then try to get a campsite at the refuge the next day. It was October when we were there and the weather was cool and the leaves turning. Just gorgeous scenery and the campsites are literally right next to the lake. Lots and lots of water fowl. There are nice trails around the area too but be careful at the lower parts of the refuge because hunting is allowed there. The refuge consists of two lakes and a marsh. Parts of the lakes are muddy, which is probably how the place gets it's name. There are sites big enough for RVs and sites where only tents are allowed. None have hookups but they do have picnic tables. The road noise might bother some people. And the entire park is dirt roads, not paved. Parts of the road are narrow, so caution must be taken when passing other vehicles.
There are TWO CAMPGROUNDS in Echo Canyon State Park. There is the upper campground with FULL hookups for RVs and there is the lower campground meant more for tent camping. They appear about the same elevation, perhaps upper is higher. The lower campground is across Echo Dam Road from the boat launch entrance to the reservoir. The upper campground is at the end of a dirt road that runs along the west side of the reservoir. You can see the upper campground(aka RV campground) from Echo Dam Road- it has few tall trees and likely enough RVs to stand out. The lower campground is more hidden in the mountain with the trees. We stayed in the RV campground and used the electric hookups. There were water and sewer as well but we didn't use thus can't verify quality. Everything looked clean and well kept and the water had TWO spouts, which is very nice. Each spot had covered picnic tables and a fire ring. There was a small pile of firewood you could purchase on the honor system from the information stand at the entrance. The park, like all the Nevada State Parks with camping, is first come first serve. And you pay at the kiosk drop box. A ranger comes by and checks on the campers about once a day. It costs$15 per night without hookups and$25 with hookups. If you get the state park all access pass then camping is free, you just pay$10 for hookups if you use them. We ended up here because we went to Cathedral Gorge state park but it was full. This park had plenty of spaces and was just about 20 miles away. We chose Echo Canyon rather than staying in the Cathedral Gorge overflow area because we needed hookups due to the cold weather. Unlike other reviewers, our experience was bug-free! Also, visibility was far! We saw hundreds of deer across the meadows. The winds at night were very strong and loud but didn't do any damage. The morning sun was strong and warmed things up quickly. Overall, we thought this place was a great value because of the full hookups.
There are natural springs and the flora is gorgeous!!! The short overlook trail is absolutely stunning. Our trip was in Fall so the colors were amazing. We camped for only one night but had a good visit and plan to return since this is a very nice place. This is a small first come, first serve campground with electric hookups, restrooms, and more. Each site has a picnic table, BBQ, and fire pit. The picnic table has shade and there are trees around the campground. There are showers but I didn't use them to verify they work well or are warm. There are water spouts, for use but not to hookup. There is a dump station at the park entrance but no sewer hookups. We got the last spot in the campground, it fills up quickly and people came after us who had to leave to find another place. Lesson: arrive early in the day probably between 10am-1pm will get you a spot. The campground is at the park entrance and is 0.8 miles from the main park area where the playground, wading pool, grassy areas, and most trail heads are. That main area is also where you will find maps and the stamp to use on your Nevada state parks passport. When we came the wading pool was empty. But I guess during summer it's a nice refreshing place for children to play. There are two spots to play horse shoes and one for volleyball. The playground equipment is old but usable. Cellular service is better up at the main park area than at the campground but the campground does offer wifi for a fee. Just outside the state park is a grazing area with cows and just past that is the railroad- you may hear the train from your campsite. We liked that but I'm sure some people wouldn't. Animals in the area we saw: turkey, rabbits, kangaroo rats, frogs, and various butterflies. The camping price is$15 per night without hookups,$25 with hookups OR if you get the state park all access pass then camping is free and you just pay$10 for the hookups if you use them. Read up on the Nevada State Park website for more details.
Great escape from Vegas heat! Nice small campground with great views. Elect hookups for 30 or 50amp. No water or sewer hookups. Some noise from the road but not terrible. Deer every morning and evening come through the campground. Lots of shade from trees, nearby trails to hike, plenty of picnic areas. Showers were not open when we visited. There's no dump site on the mountain, just FYI.