Glamping in Nevada: luxury RVs and the open range
Las Vegas may not be the first place that springs to mind when considering a camping trip, but a few days in the great outdoors near America’s City of Lights balances out a weekend of late nights and high stakes beautifully
Pick your palace
Thanks to a good range of glamping options in the state, it’s possible to swap brick walls for canvas and still have a five-star break. Or, you might want to consider renting a comfortable campervan, or RV, to explore the rugged desert. Most of these “glampervans” have their own showers and toilets, so you won’t need to worry about shared facilities – just enquire about water, electrical and sewer hook-ups. Some sites even have connections for cable TV. First-timers who aren’t so confident driving an RV can also look for pull-through sites, where you can drive the vehicle straight through the site, rather than having to back-in.
For a truly luxurious trip, try BlissRV’s eco-friendly Mercedes Sprinters, complete with full-length baths, heating and cooling, and HD TVs with surround sound.
Which grounds?
Site location is key, so it’s worth browsing Glamping Hub for a list of parks in the state and an outline of their facilities.
Just a 30-minute drive south west from Las Vegas, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Centre (part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest) offers hiking, camping, climbing, skiing, sightseeing and birdwatching, in a stunning setting where snow-capped mountains are surrounded by desert. Alongside RV sites, there are also several camping areas, where an on-site host keeps the grounds clean and tidy.
For water-based adventures, drive 80 minutes south east of Vegas to the Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina on the pristine Lake Mohave – a 67-mile desert lake bordered by canyons. Hire a luxury houseboat or powerboat to access secluded beaches, or spend an afternoon fishing or burning off energy on a ski boat.
Anyone wanting to combine both scenery and city should head to Arizona Charlie’s Boulder RV park and campgrounds – just a ten-minute drive south of Vegas, it’s got a heated pool and, if you’ve got the bug by then, its own casino.
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Wherever you choose to set up camp in Nevada, the scenery is unfailingly beautiful – but a trip to the dramatic Grand Canyon should be on all campers’ hit list.To stay near this world-famous natural phenomenon, the Grand Canyon Village, Trailer Village and Mather campgrounds are a four-hour easterly drive from Las Vegas and set amid the red sandstone rocks of the Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim. Grand Canyon Village is open year-round, while Mather and Trailer are only open in the summer months (March to mid-November) and booking is essential.
A two-mile walking trail runs along the rim of the canyon (reach the trailhead with a free shuttle bus from the camping grounds), while it’s also possible to take a mule ride down to the Colorado River. And at night, simply relax around a campfire and gaze up at clear star-strewn skies.
And once you’ve had your fill of nature, get back to the city with our guide to Las Vegas town and check out its newest shopping and dining hotspot here.
