The gorgeous view at Lake Mead/NPS
When it comes to outstanding scenery and RV campgrounds, it's hard to beat the views from the RV Village at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada.
Editors and consultants of the Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory selected the nation's top eight scenic RV parks from a database of 8,000 private parks, looking for parks with landscaping that rivaled the stellar landscapes of surrounding areas.
'Many RV parks serve as jumping off points to scenic excursion. At Lake Mead Village on the shores of sprawling Lake Mead in southern Nevada, guests can go on sightseeing tours or hike nearby trails to take in some of the spectacular surrounding scenery,' said Ann Emerson, vice president and publisher, Good Sam RV Travel Guide.
Just minutes from Las Vegas, Lake Mead RV Village offers 115 back-in, pull-through and lake-view sites with power, water, sewer, cable TV, picnic tables and fire rings. The RV park also offers 24-hour laundry facilities, restrooms and a dump station. Most sites also have Wi-Fi.
"For our visitors, the beauty and outdoor recreation options surrounding Lake Mead RV Village are no secret," said Rod Taylor, regional vice president, Forever Resorts, which operates the RV park. "We're grateful for this recognition and ' to all who like boating, fishing and hiking against a backdrop of majestic desert scenery ' we look forward to seeing you here soon."
Along with a Bocce ball court, horseshoe pits and picnic areas, Lake Mead RV Village is walking distance to Boulder Beach and the River Mountains Loop Trail. Launch ramps and the Hoover Dam are also nearby.
Lake Mead RV Village has two meeting rooms for group activities with indoor seating and a deck with views of the lake. The on-site store sells firewood, groceries and RV supplies.
The other top scenic RV parks named by Good Sam include Eagle's Rest RV Park & Cabins in Valdez, Alaska; Indian Waters RV Resort & Cottages in Indio, California; Oak Creek RV Resort in El Cajon, California; Santa Nella RV Park in Santa Nella, California; Deer Creek Valley RV Park LLC in Topeka, Kansas; USA RV Park in Gallup, New Mexico; and Fort Tatham RV Park in Sylva, North Carolina.
Comments
Lee - quite a few of the campgrounds at Lake Mead used to be in a similar vein in terms of "scenery," but I haven't seen them in over 40 years. The one at Echo Bay is another potential good alternative to Valley of Fire SP.
I pulled into the campground at Callville Bay last spring and was completely blown away by the place. I'll be trying to camp there next time instead of at Valley of Fire State Park. Every campsite is surrounded on three sides by bushes that contain large and colorful flowers of some kind. I've never seen an NPS campground anything like it anywhere.
Why can't I post a photo of the campground today?
While I rarely use them, I am grateful for the existence of private rv parks, especially the ones around National Parks. It leaves a lot more sites in the parks themselves for me.
As for an alternative to Valley of Fire or the Private Lake Mead campgrounds, try the Lake Mead NRA "boondock" spots. You won't get cable or other modern amenties but you will get, for free with a NP pass, a beautiful uncrowded view of the lake and plenty of space in which to roam.
Where are such boondock spots located?
Government Wash is closest to Las Vegas and not far from Callville Bay. You can continue up 167/Northshore Road and find many sites if you don't mind dirt roads. Stewart's Point is just 5 or so miles from Valley of Fire SP. St. Thomas Point will get you most of the way to the remains of St. Thomas, the town drowned by the filling of Lake Mead. Snowbird Mesa is a little further north but very popular (read crowded) at times. Many are found using Google Earth but websites like freecampsites.net is a great help.