Category: Campgrounds

Campgrounds are serene havens nestled in natural landscapes, offering a rustic retreat for outdoor enthusiasts and travelers alike. Surrounded by towering trees, babbling brooks, or expansive meadows, campgrounds provide a tranquil setting to pitch tents or park RVs, fostering a connection with nature. Trails for hiking or biking often wind through these sites, leading adventurers to hidden vistas or peaceful lakeshores. Campfire circles crackle with warmth in the evenings, where stories are shared under starlit skies. Facilities may range from basic amenities like fire pits and picnic tables to more modern conveniences such as restrooms with showers and designated cooking areas. Whether for a weekend escape or an extended wilderness adventure, campgrounds offer a refreshing escape from urban life, inviting visitors to unwind and recharge in the great outdoors.

Eureka Dunes Dry Camp

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Destination4x4

Eureka Dunes Campground is near a small localize sand dunes formation with Death Valley National Monument. Eureka Dunes Dry Camp is located next to the Eureka Sand Dunes in the Eureka Valley.

The valley is is an enclosed basin locationed at about 3000 feet above sea leval. The sand dunes in this remote valley in the north western portion of Death Valley are the tallest dunes in California. Some of the dunes measured are almost 700 feet tall above the valley floor. The dunes themselves are contained in a relatively small 3 square miles.

At first glance, these islands of sand within Eureka Valley appear inhospitable to life. This however is not the case. These dunes receive the most rainfall of any within Death Valley due to their location within the park.

Due to the extreme isolation there are five known types of endemic beetles which make their home in the sand. Three plant species, Eureka Dunegrass ( Swallenia alexandrae ), Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose ( Oenothera avita eurekensis ) and Shining Milkvetch ( Astragalus lentiginosus micans ) and known to only exist in this three mile by one mile island of sand.

With roughly four sites and only a vaulted toilet, Eureka Dunes campground offers solitude for the back country traveler.

Campground Summary

Campground Name	Eureka Dunes Dry Camp
Location	Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude	37.111773, -117.680898
Elevation	2890
Number of Sites	4
Amenities	Restrooms, tables

Eureka Dunes Campground Map

References

NPS.gov

Thorndike Campground

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Destination4x4

Thorndike campground is located at 7,400 feet in the Panamint Mountains in Death Valley National Park. The campground is accessible to high clearance vehicles only and no longer than 25 feet in length.. Depending on road conditions, 4-wheel drive may be necessary the reach the campground. The road becomes much steeper and rough once you pass the Wildrose Campground.

Thorndike Campground in Death Valley National Park — Death Valley National Park

The campground is located within a Pinyon Pine and Juniper Forest. The campground is 1000 feet lower in elevation that Mahogany Flat campground and 4000 feet higher than Wildrose Campground. Due to its high elevation, this campground does close in the winter months.

This is the closest campground to the Death Valley Charcoal kilns. Thorndike has 6 sites, tables, fireplaces, and pit toilets. Thorndike is free of change campground, however, it does operate on a first come first serve basis.

Fires are allowed at NPS fire pits only. No firewood collecting is permitted; bring your own wood. Fires are prohibited June 15-September 15 and periods of high fire danger.

Campground Summary

Name	Thorndike Campground
Location	Panamint Mountains, Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.236893, -117.071446
Elevation	7400 feet
Site	6
Amenities	Tables, Fireplaces, and vault toilets.

Thorndike Campground Map

References

NPS.gov

Nellis Cove

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Destination4x4

Nellis Cove Road short east trail from Lake Mead Powerline Road to Nellis Cove on the shore of Lake Mohave, Nevada. The route is fairly flat and easy, a suitable for almost any vehicles. However, you may wish to have some tires which are good in the sand. For those interested, overnight camping is allowed up to 15 days.

Lake Mojave is a wonderful destination to visit during the summer months. The waters of the Lake are cool in temperature and offers a great chance to swim, relax and cool down from the scorching sun of the Mojave. I can speak first hand, that a cold beer in the shade while soaking your feet in the cool water is a wonderful thing.

The beaches of Lake Mohave vary in size depending on the water output of the Hoover and Davis Dams. They beach is built up from sand and decomposing rocks, so beach shoes would be recommended. Nellis Cove camping is large enough to allow 4 – 5 campsites. This is a dry camp site in a desert, so although there is a lake, please be sure to bring plenty of water.

Campground Summary

Name	Nellis Coe
Location	Lake Mohave, Clark County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	35.403584, -114.659445
Elevation	655 feet
Sites	4 – 5
Amenities	Vault Toilets

Nellis Cove Trail Map

References

NPS.gov Lake Mohave

Sandy Wash

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Destination4x4

Sandy Wash is a short trail which leads from the Mead Davis Power Line road down to the shore of Lake Mojave, Nevada. We opted to drive Empire Wash off the 95 and turn left of Mead Davis Power Line Road and the right down Sandy Wash.

Sandy Wash offered a nice remote beach to enjoy on Lake Mojave

The small beach at the end of the trail offers a wonderful location, to picnic, camp, or jump into Lake Mojave to cool off with a swim. The beach is surrounded with Tamarisk bushes and willows to offer some privacy and the true feeling of being in a remove spot. The rocky beach is located in a small cove, and there is a small arch just at the water line. On the day we did the trail, the air was rather hot, but a monsoon blew in while we swam and enjoyed and very cold beer.

Driving onto the beach at Sandy Wash, Lake Mojave

The road for the most part is very easy by 4×4 standards and should be passable by most vehicles. This is true with the exception of the last 100 feet of the trail which contains a water crossing about 30 inches deep and 100 feet long.

The two approaches to the trail head are from Mead Davis Power line road, or the much more scenic Empire wash.

Sandy Wash Trail Map

Pine Nut Road

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Destination4x4

Pine Nut Road is a 6-mile long, bumpy dirt road on the east side of the Sheep Range that runs north from the Mormon Well Road to a traditional primitive camping area. This camping area offers several campsites with one which overlooks the valley below and would be a nice place to cool down on a hot summer trail ride.

Pine Nut is just inside the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland zone, which means the campsites are shaded by Single-leaf Pinyon and Utah Juniper.

The road usually requires only a high-clearance vehicle, but it can get troublesome crossing the first large wash; call the refuge headquarters for current conditions.

A nice place to camp at the end of the trail.

The primitive campsite offers no services and although the area is under Junpiter Trees, firewood should be brought to the site for campfires. There are a few fire pits outlined with rock and offer nice small clearing to keep the fire hazard down. The campsites are separated from each other with Jupiter trees.

Campground Summary

Eureka Dunes Campground Map

References

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Campground Summary

Thorndike Campground Map

References

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Campground Summary

Nellis Cove Trail Map

References

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Sandy Wash Trail Map

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