Crawdad Cove Dispersed Camping

We stayed her for a couple of weeks at the end of January to some of February and it was absolutely amazing! We easily towed a 30 ft travel trailer with a 2x4 Ram truck into this area and up the hill towards the end of the road! We did not dare to drive further down by the water because the sand is loose. We saw absolutely no parties or people coming in on the weekends being loud. There was some trash when we got to our site. The coyotes would come out at all times of the day and would howl here and there. We work remotely and had excellent service. This was definitely one of our favorite places while we were full time travelers.

Stayed: 5/31/2022
Cost: FREE
Site: ~2.7 miles from Highway 167, overlooking Lake Mead
Vehicle: GMC Terrain
Equipment: Tent
AT&T and T-Mobile: Slow but useable

This was a somewhat challenging dirt road. 4x4 maybe not required, but it can be rocky. Stay right when you come to the fork, left is Boxcar Cove. It’s about 2 miles from this point.

You can camp anywhere along this road, but going the 2 additional miles will give you a lake view. There was an open area to the right, where we pitched the tent. You can also continue down a little more and be on the edge of the overlook. You can also continue right to a smaller open area and even farther down (in elevation) if you dare. We went down quite a bit trying to get to the water, but the dirt got too soft at that point. There is also a decently challenging hill to climb and some maneuvering needed to get to that point. Without being able to be on the water, the overlook is the next best spot to be!

#DareToEverywhere

As others have said it is a 4x4 road with sand and loose gravel in spots close to the lake but there are dozens of sites before the drop down to the lakeside. This weekend saw some rowdy partiers come out at midnight and leave around 3am but overall it’s a great secluded spot with 4G LTE Verizon coverage. My spot was about 100 yards to the water because the water level is very low. Too much trash for a beautiful spot, pack it out people!

The two mile wash board road wasn’t difficult to navigate (I’m in a 4x4 Ford Platinum pulling a 24’ RV); but, it was uncomfortable. If it were to rain, a 2x4 would likely have troubles.
Arriving on a Friday, my dogs and I spent the previous two nights at Government Wash and we’re unable to find a spot close to the water due to the large numbers of people. Scoping this location out Sunday evening, the crowds had left and we were able to get a spot right on the water...literally 20’ from the door of the RV.

PROS: Few people even came to the area and great seclusion. Three bar Verizon reception. Water was refreshing. Beautiful view of the lake. My dogs were in heaven with the water right out of their front door.
CONS: Spent thirty minutes picking up trash upon arrival filling two trash bags...Pack it in; Pack it out!!! As said, if it were to rain, access would’ve been difficult in a 2x4. Don’t expect seclusion or a spot near the water if visiting on a weekend/holiday. Had to watch my dogs not to pilfer surrounding trash even after I picked ALL of it up in our immediate area.

Pros: Beautiful lake views, plenty of sites, great AT&T service, and it’s free!

Cons: 2 mile access road is not the best for motor homes so be advised if that applies to you. There were 2 spots where I felt myself sliding on the gravel and I was doing 10 mph. Also, there is a ton of trash. Lots of broken glass and metal which is not very dog friendly

Access to get here is in good shape. I was there just for a daytime scouting trip to see what it would look like to tent camp or bring my 45ft Fifth Wheel. There are maybe 2 spots to bring the 5th wheel and about 15 spots you can tent camp before you start getting about 30ft-50ft near your closest neighbor.

I was disappointed to see a lot of trash out there. I picked up and left with 3 - 15gal size bags of trash mostly beer bottles (broken glass). Beware of nails! tons of nails that look like people are still burning pallets that are not allowed.

I got out there Saturday 2019-10-05 around 12pm and all the prime camping spots were taken up by campers or folks just fishing with a pop-up tent. Temp was 87 degrees F., no wind, plenty of sunshine. Temp of water was a surprising 72degrees (tested with temp gun).

Warning! If you plan to take your vehicle closet to the water make sure you have 4wheel drive or risk getting stuck in the soft sand. otherwise park it about 100 yards from the water and walk.

Actual date of stay was October 2018. These areas are free if you have a National Parks pass, otherwise you will have to pay the entrance fee, or drive in after hours. Crawdad cove is one of many areas you can drive down and find camping. We took a 35’ fifth wheel down and in no problem, but almost got stuck in sand going up and out- had to keep up speed.

This area was very nice to stay in with gorgeous views and 3 bars Verizon LTE. There was some airplane noise, but that was really the only downside. There was plenty of open space for solar and lots of wildlife around.

Dump and water fill station available at Callville Campground.

I was a little unsure after reading some other reviews about this location, but we have found it to be an absolutely lovely spot. We camped right on the lake front at the end of the road. Probably not possible for a larger rig as the road is quite Sandy and steep, but perfect for us. The weather was idealic everyday. Mid 80's during the day and high 50's at night. We saw people daily come down to fish and a few campers, but everyone was quiet and respectful, although some did not pack their trash out which is always sad to see. There are a couple dumpsters on the road coming in, so really no excuse. We enjoyed lots of wildlife while staying here! So many ducks, some herons, storks, hawks and roadrunners. We have also seen and heard coyotes almost every day, but they have kept their distance and seemed wary of us. I would recommend locking up garage overnight however. Verizon and ATT both have great signal. 4 bars at an average of 35 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.