Free camping near Gardnerville, NV
Within 25 straight-line miles of Gardnerville, NV there are 20 camps: 5 free, 11 fee, 4 unpriced. The closest is Nevada Beach Campground, 12 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Alpine County, 14 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: CA and NV.
Who manages them: 17 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Beach Campground | 12 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Stateline | — |
| Crystal Springs Campground | 13 | Unpriced | West Fork Carson River (river) | 1.4 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Indian Creek Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.0 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Alpine CountyDave slept here | 14 | Free | Merk Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Indian Creek Recreation Area | 14 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.1 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Kit Carson Campground | 14 | Fee | Willow Creek (stream) | 0.3 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Scotts Lake Dispersed Camping | 16 | Free | Maxwell Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Markleeville Campground | 17 | Fee | Markleeville Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Fallen Leaf Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| Luther Pass Overflow Campground | 18 | Free | Grass Lake Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Little Norway | — |
| Hope Valley Campground | 18 | Unpriced | Red Lake Creek (stream) | 3.4 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Bayview Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| Centerville Flat Campground | 21 | Free | East Fork Carson River (river) | 5.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Centerville Flat Campground | 21 | Free | — | 6.6 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Meeks Bay Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Woods Lake Cg | 23 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Caples Lake Cg | 24 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Lovers Leap Cg & Day Use | 24 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to Meyers | — |
| Silver Creek Campground | 24 | Fee | Raymond Meadows Creek (stream) | 7.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Kirkwood Lake Cg | 25 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Kirkwood | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Gardnerville, NV, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.