RVers will find it easy to strike it rich in the Silver State. Long-term gambling success may be an iffy proposition, but snowbirds seeking historical, scenic and sporting richness will feel rich in Nevada — without setting foot in a casino.
As they head south, travelers will be reminded of the state’s metal-obsessed past. Virginia City and the state capital of Carson City are veritable jackpots of Old West and mining history. Tonopah, just south of the immense Toiyabe National Forest, is home to Nevada’s first major silver strike. And RVers can test their mettle on “The Loneliest Road in America,” U.S. Highway 50, or on U.S. Highway 95, “The Extraterrestrial Highway.”
Most of the population and the snowbird attractions congregate in the south, as if they’ve slid down the incline to the state’s point. Mount Charleston’s 11,919-foot summit overlooks the crimson explosions of Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock Canyon, so natural and unpopulated that travelers will wonder at their proximity to the people-magnet of Las Vegas.
People, of course, are drawn to Las Vegas for a reason. Money is the easy answer, but excitement may be the more accurate. Certainly, if you want to try your luck at a game of chance, there is no place better. But snowbirds who would sooner swallow a live lizard than place a bet can be endlessly entertained in this neon metropolis. Fire and water, ice and flesh, music and magic combine to create intoxicating showrooms and lounges. And the dozens of championship golf courses are a sure thing.
If the boom-and-bust bustle is not for you, however, settle near the welcoming waters of Lake Mead. Boating and fishing along this captured stretch of the Colorado River, or on its flowing ribbon south of Hoover Dam, can make you feel like you’ve beaten long odds. And in the RV stronghold of Laughlin, you just may. Call (800) NEVADA-8.
Boulder City
Canyon Trail RV Park
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, pet restrictions, no tents. Restrooms and showers; dump station; public phone; laundry; limited RV supplies. Sites: 156 total, full hookups (30/50 amps), gravel; 86 pull-through (30×50); back-in (30×50); big-rig sites; mostly side-by-side hookups. Handicap access; satellite TV. Recreation: Shuffleboard; horseshoes; recreation hall. Contact: 1200 Industrial Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89005; (702) 293-1200. A Good Sam Park.
Las Vegas
Hitchin’ Post RV Park
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, pet restrictions, no tents. Restrooms and showers; security; public phone; laundry; RV supplies. Sites: 196 total; 100 available, full hookups (30/50 amps), gravel, some shaded; pull-through (30×70); big-rig sites. Central modem hookup; cable TV. Recreation: Pool. Contact: 3640 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, Nevada 89115; (888) 433-8402. A Good Sam Park.
Holiday Travel Park
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, no pets, no tents. Restrooms and showers; security; public phone; laundry. Sites: 403 total; 100 available, full hookups (30/50 amps), paved; 25 pull-through (30×50); back-in (21×43); big-rig sites. Central modem hookup. Recreation: Heated pool; spa; horseshoes; recreation hall; game room. Contact: 3890 South Nellis, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121; (702) 451-8005; [email protected]
Las Vegas KOA
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, pet restrictions. Restrooms and showers; dump station; security; public phone; laundry; groceries; limited RV supplies; LP-gas. Sites: 300 total; 150 available, hookups (30/50 amps), gravel; 150 pull-through (28×40); some side-by-side hookups; 60 tent sites. Central modem hookup. Recreation: Heated pool; spa; horseshoes; recreation hall; gameroom; playground. Contact: 3333 Blue Diamond Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89139; (800) 562-7782; www.koa.com.
Sam’s Town RV Park
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, pet restrictions, no tents. Restrooms and showers; public phone; laundry. Sites: 207 total, full hookups (30/50 amps), gravel; 14 ull-through (25×64); back-in (21×40), mostly side-by-side hookups. Handicap access; modem hookup at site; satellite TV. Recreation: Heated pool; spa; recreation hall. Contact: 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89122; (800) 634-6371; www.samstown.com. A Good Sam Park.
LAUGHLIN
Avi Resort/Casino & RV Park
Facilities: Good gravel interior roads, pet restrictions, no tents. Restrooms and showers; dump station; public phone; laundry; limited groceries; limited RV supplies; food service. Sites: 258 total; full hookups (30/50 amps), gravel; 182 pull-through (22×50); back-in (22×40); big-rig sites; mostly side-by-side hookups. Handicap access; central modem hookup; cable TV. Recreation: Colorado River: freshwater fishing, swimming, boat ramp. Pool; spa. Contact: 10000 Aha Macav Parkway, Laughlin, Nevada 89029; (800) 284-2946; www.avicasino.com. A Good Sam Park.
PAHRUMP
Terrible’s Lakeside Casino & RV Park
Facilities: Good paved interior roads, pet restrictions. Restrooms and showers; security; public phone; laundry; groceries; limited RV supplies; LP-gas; firewood; food service. Sites: 159 total, full hookups (30/50 amps), paved, patios; 16 pull-through (22×75); back-in (22×55); big-rig sites. Handicap access; modem hookup in office; satellite TV. Recreation: Terrible’s Lake: Freshwater fishing and tackle, boat rental, heated pool, spa. Contact: 5870 S. Homestead Road, Pahrump, Nevada 89048; (888) 558-5253; www.terribleherbst.com.
For more campgrounds in Nevada, visit www.tldirectory.com.
