Cave Lake State Park

We stayed at the Lakeview Campground, which is above Cave Lake. Nightly fee ($0) was due to our Nevada State Annual Senior Permit. There is no fee for overnight camping or entrance to the State Park. Since there were no utilities, there was no additional hookup fee. It was a very nice little state park, with limited (first come first serve) camping sites. The interior road of the campground was a little tight, but it we were able to make it with our 29' travel trailer and 20' pickup. This was dry camping (no water, electricity or sewer hookups) and my ratings reflect that I knew this before camping here. Paved roads until you turn into the camping loop, when it became gravel. Restrooms were clean and were flush toilets. Showers were clean as well. We had thunder and lightning over two nights so it was a welcome relief from the heat (although) it did get a little muddy around the site.
Even though we had generators going, it was really very quiet. There is a lake, which some folks caught some fish. Overall, a very nice state park. Oh, none of the sites really have a view of the lake. Surrounded by trees. LOL.
Positives:
+ A great little state park
+ Very peaceful, quiet and surrounded by trees
+ Enjoyed the thunder and lightning show
Negatives:
- No site utilities, but we knew this before we came
- No Verizon cell service at the Lakeview campground
- Some noise from the OHVs when they left and returned to the campground
- Should have brought the remote start generator (pull starting in the rain!)

First, note that there are two campgrounds within Cave Lake State Park:
1) Lakeview Campground is located adjacent to the lake, although not much of a view of the lake. Although I didn't stay in this campground, I drove through and found the spots to be small, the driveway tight for larger vehicles and the sites were only moderately level.
2) Elk Flat Campground is the first campground you encounter upon entering the park from Ely, NV. This is where I stayed and the campground I am reviewing.

So...Elk Flat Campground...
The sites are $20 per night for out of state visitors, which includes both the camping and park entry fee. You can pay an additional $5 per night for a boating permit. The road leading to and within the campground is gravel, as are all the sites, so some dust can be expected. Large motorhomes had no problem negotiating the roads and occupied several sites. The majority of sites are quite level and well-maintained. The park staff regularly rake the gravel and ensure no trash is left behind. There is good separation between the sites and the natural vegetation increases the privacy. The Park Rangers periodically drive through the campground and I appreciate their vigilance.

These sites are primitive, in that there is no electric, water, sewer at individual sites. There is a large shower & bathroom building, which was kept very clean during my stay. The showers are free and there's hot water, too! Regarding potable water, there are several spigots conveniently positioned around the single loop of the Elk Flat Campground.

Cave Lake State Park feels like a desert oasis and stands apart from the surrounding desert in picturesque rocky hills. The campground is approximately 15 minutes from Ely, NV - gas, groceries, restaurants, etc. Enjoy the park or take a drive to Great Basin National Park, which is maybe an hour away.

The only drawback was the absence of a Verizon signal. Personally, I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the park without the interruption of the outside world. If you really need it, just drive out to the main highway where the signal is strong.

Next time, I'll plan to stay longer! A definite winner in my book!

The entrance to the camping loop was tight for our 40' Newmar and there were only a few spots we felt that would accommodate our rig. Went out on the Success Loop drive and saw some deer and snow in the higher elevation (mid May). The town of Ely was under road construction and had a lot of traffic going through and was 14 mile away.
The elevation was effecting us a little @7400' +

Cave Lake is a charming, well maintained state park - for vehicles under 35’. The lake was closed for boating late 8/20 for dam work. Our site 28 had wonderful shade areas to escape the heat. #24 was the only pull-through site we saw. Facilities were quite clean and included 2 showers. A map showed three hiking trails in vicinity. This stop was an overnight for us en route west (paved 7mi off hwy 50). No cell at our site, but didn’t check closer to showers or lake.

It’s always difficult when traveling during the summer months in Nevada to find a place that offers some shade. Well this campground did just that. We checked out the two other campgrounds close to the lake. They were tightly squeezed together. We had complete privacy and trees up on Elk Flats. We did try to take a dip in the lake and let our dog swim. Disaster! The mud sucked you in before you could even get to the water. Yucky! The best part of staying here was the hiking trails. We did a lovely 5 mile walk before leaving the next morning. Great way to start a long drive. The Step Toe Trail was great. We saw deer and big horn sheep. The view of Flat Rock Mtn from our campsite was beautiful.

Cave is our go to spot multiple times a year. We have stayed on just about every site at lake view and many at elk flats. There is a reason we keep coming back, it’s the best of everything for us. Lots of fishing and swimming options near by, beautiful campground that is well kept and the weather! (However we have camped in the snow more than once) No hookups so dry camping but it more than makes up for it!

Oooo and if you want to camp and don’t have a tent they have a yurt that can be reserved!!!

It’s all entertainment at cave lake state park.