Where to Go Camping Near Las Vegas
Trade Vegas's all-you-can-eat buffets for towering rock spires, ghost towns, and water sports
As exciting as Las Vegas can be, Nevada’s largest city is also a great place to decompress. Vegas is surrounded by natural beauty, from impressive rock formations to expansive shorelines, and there are campgrounds to enjoy it all in every season. Pick the right one, and you can experience Southern Nevada in a way that’s miles away — literally and in spirit — from a night on the Strip.
Overton
There’s a reason why Valley of Fire was declared the first-ever state park in Nevada. Just a short drive northeast of Las Vegas, the 40,000-acre collection of dramatic, towering sandstone rock formations emerges in a cascade of colors that appear like spilled paint across the landscape. Valley of Fire has two campgrounds with a total of 72 sites. Atlatl Rock is larger and popular for RV vehicles, offering showers, flushable toilets, and a dump station. Arch Rock is quieter and better suited for those who prefer to set up a tent and soak in the dark night skies during the spring and fall. The park entrance is $15, plus another $20 for overnight camping. Secure your site with an online reservation.
Amargosa Valley
There’s nothing else quite like Tarantula Ranch, a small vineyard that gives visitors the option to hook up an RV, set up a tent, rent a glamping trailer, or if you’re not quite ready to commit to a night outdoors, book a furnished studio apartment dubbed the Bottling Room. Rates begin at $35 and everyone shares the same facilities, including bathrooms, an outdoor kitchen, and the Wine Hall, a shaded communal space. While you can’t buy the wine (since this isn't a licensed retail shop) and are unlikely to actually spot a tarantula, you’ll love the communal nature of the ranch and proximity to Death Valley National Park and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, home to the extremely rare Devils Hole pupfish. Book your accommodations online.
Panaca
Cathedral Gorge is the most striking state park in Nevada, combining slot canyons and winding rock-lined pathways with hoodoos (towering spires carved over millions of years by volcanic activity). The campground here is extremely clean and user-friendly, with 24 sites set along a paved loop, boasting individual shaded areas, bathrooms, showers, and even a volleyball court. Park, settle in, and you’re just steps from the trails and rock formations. Keep your eyes peeled for an abandoned stone water tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Per-vehicle prices begin at $5 to enter and $15 for overnight camping. Book a reservation online.
Bunkerville
Aravada Springs is one of the most remote camping destinations in Southern Nevada, but also one of the most rewarding. The ranch, about a 90-minute drive through the desert south of Mesquite, draws visitors wanting to enjoy the mountain landscape, where they can stargaze, explore on an ATV, and swim in a crystal-clear, spring-fed pond. The accommodations have something for everyone, from the simplicity of traditional teepees to fully furnished cabins. The horse-drawn wagon rides have their charm, but lovers of the great outdoors will cherish the opportunity to hike remote trails on the edge of the Gold Butte National Monument. Rates start at $69 per night. Book online.
Mt. Charleston
Mt. Charleston, Southern Nevada’s second-tallest peak, is located inside the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, named after more than 100 springs that flow between miles of pine trees and remote hiking trails. The area, however, is best known as a ski destination and the easiest way to experience snow within an hour’s drive of Las Vegas. McWilliams Campground, one of the most popular places to spend the night on Mt. Charleston, boasts a convenient location next to the Lee Canyon Ski and Snowboard Resort, which offers chair lift rides, archery, mountain biking, disc golf, and music festivals during camping season between May and October. Odd-numbered sites require a reservation, while even-numbered sites are first come, first served, with rates beginning at $25 a night. The views along the nearby Bristlecone Trailhead are worth a visit alone.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead was formed by the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s, which not only gave the growing Las Vegas community a much-needed water supply, but also a destination for waterside recreation in the middle of a desert. The largest man-made reservoir in the United States, located near Boulder City 26 miles outside Las Vegas, has seen water levels drop in recent years, but remains a spectacular sight with 550 miles of shoreline to explore. You can launch a boat, rent a Jet Ski, and fish near Hemenway Harbor. The Boulder Beach campground, near the visitor center and main gates, invites both RV and tent campers to experience year-round adventures. You can also book a trip on Lake Mead Cruises, a vintage-style paddleboat that travels near the upstream side of the Hoover Dam, and hike the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trails that follow the same path trains once used to supply equipment to dam workers. A park pass begins at $15 and camping begins at $20. Reserve a site online.
Nelson
Vegas Glamping is just outside Nelson, an old mining community that now includes a privately owned “ghost town” of outdoor relics and tours of the Techatticup Mine, the largest and richest gold mine of the late 1800s. The business offers guests a choice of four tents, including at least one large enough for two full-sized beds, decorated with rustic chic touches and luxury in mind. If you forgot a toothbrush, don’t worry: The Hut, a small on-site shop, can provide sundries and other items. Organized folks can customize the excursion with ATV adventures and kayaking on the Colorado River, but if you just want to snap photos during the day and stargaze at night, that works too. Rates begin at $89. Send a message online to score a reservation.
Mountain Springs
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is just west of Summerlin, offering a colorful palette of sandstone rock formations while inviting ambitious visitors to scale its cliffs and hike among trails of varying difficulty. The official campground sits a few miles away from the visitors center in a desert landscape with more than 50 sites available during the cooler months of the year — generally between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Amenities are relatively sparse — no showers, shade, dump stations, or RV hookups — but you’re just a short drive from civilization. Smaller campsites begin at just $12, and reservations are highly recommended. The best trailheads and photo ops are along a 13-mile scenic loop inside the official park. Sites are available via online reservation.
Laughlin
Laughlin is a small casino town on the Colorado River, offering a value-driven alternative to Las Vegas just 90 miles away. It’s fun to stay at one of the hotels, especially if you want quick access to a slot machine, but the Big Bend of the Colorado is a relaxing beach retreat with year-round camping. As the name suggests, the park consists of two beaches on a wide bend of the Colorado River with moderately soft sand and a launch ramp for boats and personal watercraft. The campground consists of 24 sites available via reservations (which are recommended), plus eight more that are first come, first served. Either way, you get shaded areas, barbecue pits, and access to bathrooms and showers. Entrance fees begin at $10, camping begins at $20.