Government Wash Dispersed Camping

We arrived before the Easter weekend. It did seem busy, but we took it for a holiday weekend. We made it out quite a ways, without 4WD. But when you go down further, you will need 4X4. Salt or gypsum ground very deep in areas and not level what do ever. You will encounter washboard roads down below. You are a good Mike from the water. There are places around the lake, and even Las Vegas lake, is near by. Their runoff makes a great little stream to cool off in.

32 foot class A with dolly tow.

Relatively easy access but watch out for large potholes in the main parking area. Most of the unpaved roads were hard packed and we were able to traverse them without difficulty.

45 minutes from Los Vegas and the hoover dam, 20 minutes from Henderson.

No water in large parking lot, however there are options for water or dump nearby.

Great hiking trails that are dog friendly.

Boondocking areas had lots of broken glass and I found several rust nails, so watch out.

Very secluded spots with pull off options along the road as you drive. There are a few different paths, but at a certain point our Class A couldn't make it any further. However, we were still very close to the lake. I saw several others go further with more off-road ability. The road was pretty bumpy, but take it slow and you'll be ok. No major potholes or hairpin turns. There are dumpsters on the way in/out and vault toilet bathrooms at the end of the dirt road when it turns to pavement. You can access Lake Mead from most sites with a short walk. Hoover Dam is nearby as well as Arizona hot springs so be sure to check those out while you're in the area.

$25 pass required per vehicle so not totally free, if you aren't towing your vehicle they will make you pay for two.

We came in on a Sunday night of a Monday holiday weekend (mistake on our part). It was very full of people. We had to do a lot of driving around in our 44 foot fifth wheel to find an open space. We tried a few places, but many were very unlevel for our size trailer. We ended up getting this skinny pullout spot, that was just wide enough for the trailer, but you walked out into a brim of dirt. It was also surprisingly noisy with cars passing by. We planned to stay a week but ended up leaving the following day and stayed at one of the campgrounds (much nicer choice) even though we generally prefer to boondock. YMMV, but it was out least favorite spot thus far. Gave it 3 stars, though experience was worse than that for us, but I could see the appeal.

The camping area itself is free, however, there is a permit required to enter. For $25 you can stay up to 7 days (other options are available as well). It's worth it. The road in is paved until the very end where it is a bit rocky, but easily doable in 2WD. It's a popular spot, but everyone here has been quiet and respectful of others. A ranger drives through daily. Plenty of dumpsters for your trash, plus restrooms available. Only 20 - 25 minutes from Henderson which has every place you could need to go for food and supplies. And Vegas is only another 10 minutes or so out. Cell service fluctuated a bit, but was good overall. I found myself switching between Verizon and AT&T periodically as they ebbed and flowed.
Verizon good.
AT&T good.