Lye Creek Campground — Hotel in Winnemucca

This is not for the casual camper. The road is long (24 mi from hwy 95, 18 mi from Paradise Valley) and it is first gear 10-15 mpg all the way. It is a dual track, soft center, raised crown with many embedded and loose rocks. Very narrow road with steep banks on either side. There are no washboards or sand but several low spots have mud ruts which means there will be potentially deep muddy tracks for short distances if it gets wet. I rode a fully loaded BMW 1200GS dual sport motorcycle up there and it was quite a challenge. Must air down your tires! If you drive a camper ensure everything is tied down or you will break a lot of dishes! I do not recommend a trailer as a few of the switchbacks are climbing, tight, steep 180s. Pullouts for passing are few and far between. Google Maps has the roads so you can navigate to the site and watch the distance as you progress.

There was not even a hint of any cell service, as might be expected. This is very high and remote. But here isolation is kinda what you are looking for!

The campsite elevation is 7300 feet so depending on the season expect cold mornings. On June 23 I woke up to 41 degrees. The pit toilets have some tp but better bring your own. There are several water faucets with good pressure but there was a sign that said “non-potable water.” I boiled some water for a few minutes and had no issues. Bring your own water or plan to boil or purify it. Also whether on a motorcycle or camper the site has a slope so getting level will be a challenge. If you are tenting putting tent stakes in will be difficult or impossible in the hard, stony ground. Expect mosquitoes and thousands of moths that get into every nook and cranny. Don’t leave anything out overnight or it will be covered in moths. Campfire rings are large but mostly filled with old ashes. Good solid picnic tables but bring your own wood as the local area seems to be pretty well picked over for deadfall.

As another review said there are two ways in - from the east and west sides. Plan to go in one way and out the other. The views from the top are...

Basic campground nestle by aspens. I stayed in Site 12 which I thought was the best. Not a lot of flat spaces for tents and some sites don't offer much and there is no running water at this campground. The drive up is very scenic. I drove in from Paradise Valley and came out the north side. You can easily detour off Hwy 95 and turn this into a loop drive with camping at Lye Creek near the summit of the loop. I was the only camper there...

This campground is well maintained with plenty of spaces and a clean running creek at or very near each campsite. The fifth star was withheld since the mosquitoes were so thick. I'd go again, but not...