Fort Churchill State Park

The campground is small and rustic. It is next to a tiny river and well shaded by huge cottonwood trees. It was very quiet when we were here. Every second site was taped off to provide distancing. We were grateful.We are 33 1/2 plus bikes and a toad and we fit in one of the pull through. Nifty 2 tone ground squirrels were all over the place and quail flew up when we walked. The place is loaded with hiking paths and is connected to an historical ranch and Homestead also included. The Fort has recently been worked on to preserve it and if kept in a state of arrested decay. There is a small museum.

We have stayed in this campground a couple of times, as my boys really enjoy camping here. We have gone in the off-season so we really haven’t had many people around. Lots of trees and shade which also provide some protection from the wind. The Carson River is close by. On one trip we even did a little fishing. Water is available in the campground and there is a pit toilet. Easy access and good roads. My kids really enjoy the museum and the ruins. This place is beautiful in the fall.

The park is great, the setting in the trees near the river are great, the spaces are great, some had water but the bugs were bad. The Cemetery was sobering, the mother buried 4 of her 6 kids under the age of 3?? I think? (the sign is a bit more accurate). Granted I live bug free except a few weeks in the late summer and there was an hour or so after sunset that was better but the non biting bugs were rough, in your mouth, cocktails, and dinner. The state worker stated face nets and long sleeves are the only chance. Once out of the river valley it was much better.

The only other issue was as the trailers showed up they were running their neighbor haters from walmart in the 3 nearest campsites. At 9pm I asked one "camper" how late he was going to run it and he stated they were watching DVD's. His wife had him shut it down right after. Another fired up at 0700 but off after 10 min, I'm guessing coffee, I can respect that but our percolator works great too. All three running when we left at 0900.

Anyhow, RVing in Merica! I guess if you have good batteries and a bit of solar it doesn't help in parks. If not for the Bugs we would go back but am willing to try other spots.

A lovely little campground along the Carson River in the midst of beautiful cottonwood trees. The camp sites are set lower than the surrounding topography so it has good wind protection. This would be a pleasant, shady place to camp during the hot Nevada summers; also I imagine it would be nice in fall when the cottonwoods turn bright yellow. History buffs will enjoy this campground— being the site of an old fort, the historic aspect of the park is interesting. I was there on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend and although I needed to get back on the road Saturday morning and couldn’t linger, I noticed that they had set up a re-enactment camp on the grounds of the museum, with folks in period military uniforms, cannons, etc. Birders will also enjoy this campground— I loved my one evening and morning there listening to the birds singing in the trees. A heads up— when you first enter the park a sign says you have to stop at the self-pay booth before going further to pay the $5 entrance fee. But if you intend to camp just drive straight to the campground and pay your $15 (no hook ups) camp fee there which includes the park entrance fee. Another note— I got better cell reception (Verizon 4G) by just climbing up a little bluff to the higher ground.

We decided to stop here for one night while driving across Nevada along highway 50, although it is about 8 miles off the road. The park is here to protect the ruins of Fort Churchill.

We arrived late in the afternoon and were the only ones there. Surprisingly nobody came in after us so it was a very quiet night by ourselves. Many of the sites are long pull-throughs, shady and near the river where you can access trails to the ruins of the fort.

There is a dump station and drinking water but just outhouses and no showers. It was a pleasant place for an overnight stop.