Thomas Canyon Campground

Only open May 15th through the end of September

This campsite was absolutely fabulous and breathtaking. I was not expecting so much beauty in NE Nevada. I would love to come back and stay here longer than one night. The hikes, the surrounding nature, and everything about it was just perfect.

We stayed here on our way out to Tahoe, literally one of the most beautiful and peaceful campgrounds we have every stayed at, and we've been all over the country.

This is an absolutely beautiful spot to camp... when it's summertime! I made the mistake of trying to camp here in late September. The lower two loops, B and C, which are the nicest, were closed. All the water was turned off and there was no camp host. Vault toilets and trash pickup so it was clean. The A loop, open later, has 16 sites and is next to the road, so you hear hunters' trucks passing by on and off throughout the day. I have a 16' trailer so it was no problem for me, but I wouldnt try a rig here longer than 25 feet or so. Only a few spots to fit these. However, the trail up the canyon coming out of the campground is stunningly beautiful. There are waterfalls with pools and lakes up high in the canyon. Probably icy swimming but I wasn't going to try it in September. This campground would be an ideal getaway along I80 if you are en route to Yellowstone in the summer. No bears, just mountain goats! Only $4 with America the Beautiful Pass at this time of year! I got no cell service but texts came through with my Booster on AT&T.

Thomas Canyon CG is gorgeous!!! We were lucky to find a spot, as there was only 1 left to accommodate our small trailer. I would reserve if you could, we arrived on a Wednesday and was already full. However, 38A is right on the creek and our toddler had a blast playing and throwing rocks in the creek. The crickets and the sounds from the creek make for great sleeping!!

There is really only 1 complaint that I have. The FS website as well as the registration board for the CG states that you get a discount with the America the Beautiful Interagency Pass. However, the CG host stated he had never seen one of those before and then proceeded to tell us he was not sure how we even got a pass because we are under 65!?, well we pay $80 every year for this pass!!! Well, this was our 3rd CG on this road trip and the only one that did not honor our pass. I am not a complainer, but if it states right on the registration board that the pass is honored, then it should be honored!!!

This was one of our all-time favorites but the canyons next to and below the campground were reduced to ashes in 2018. The campground itself has just minor damage. We last stayed there in August and noticed it was drier than usual. We're going to go up and help with rehab when they post the dates. Of course, these photos were taken before the fire and my ratings are based on my last visit. The Island Lake Trail and the Ruby Crest Trail at the top of the canyon were untouched. Lamoille Canyon is closed indefinitely but public access is available from the Harrison Pass end of the RCT and there is camping at Ruby Lake near there.

Beautiful campground in the Ruby Mountains close to Elko. We stayed one night in a tent and found the campground very quiet with campsites well separated. It would be best to have reservations since there were only 2 open sites available on a weeknight in early June. The campground host was helpful and friendly and nearby campers were quiet. The bathrooms were clean however there was no running water in the campground when we stayed.

Just stayed one night as we traveled cross country, but would have loved to stay more! Spots were shady and secluded; the campground was pretty full but we still felt like we had some space for ourselves (good for pandemic times). The canyon is beautiful, we enjoyed the stream running through camp and the nice hike from the grounds that went up near the waterfall. The camp hosts were friendly and accessible. Would totally stay here again, though would try for a site closer to the stream or trail head.

Great spot, beautiful as reported by others. I'll just add: Asphalt pitches! And, although the toilets are vault, they are immaculately clean--they even smell good. I arrived on a Monday and there were lots of spots although it did get busy around 5:00. If it is full, continue up the valley, there are a couple of pull off spots and a huge parking lot at the end of the road.

Note, there is another campground, "Terraces" but it is tent only and, if you are towing, you will not be able to turn around if you turn up the entrance.

Excellent hiking, creek running low. No fishing. And, of course, no cell service (despite Verizon having it on their coverage map, it does not reach the valley.)

Well worth the detour off of I-80, and the forest service road there is newly paved. this campground is nestled right into a canyon, at the confluence of two creeks. Could not be more peaceful. You want to get a site on C loop if you’re interested in being in the creek. Nice little hike right across from site 31 also. Fresh spring water flows from the hydrants, the host is welcoming, clean bathrooms… really nice semi-private sites. Really couldn’t ask for more. I’m thrilled with this discovery and can’t wait to come back for a longer stay.