My 300th review!!!…read more Water in the middle of the desert? No, wait, a wetland habitat in the middle of the desert? This must be a mirage! Nope, if you've found your way out to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, that's definitely water you're seeing, along with all sorts of shorebirds, herons, egrets, ducks, owls, hawks and other wildlife coming in for a bit of respite from the harsh environment around it. With most of these types of areas, my first question is always about the quality of the roads used to get around. The roads are all gravel once inside the refuge, but I can tell you that at Stillwater, in dry conditions, a car is perfectly fine. There are no dips or divots in the road a car can't handle, and definitely no clearance issues. Even when the roads are wet, there really isn't an issue. As a national refuge, this is a federally managed wetland project designed to provide habitat and attract and sustain wetland species in Northern Nevada. For birdwatchers, this place can be paradise, with several species calling the area home. The refuge has a great walking trails that take you into some unique habitat, and give you opportunities to see the diversity of wildlife in the area. I've seen all sorts of birds, as well as deer, coyotes, and more. If you have a non-motorized boat, paddling through some of the larger ponds can be a great way to spend an afternoon. They even have overnight campgrounds that are suitable for tents or RVs. I've been coming to Stillwater for the past few years, and with the drought conditions throughout the state, this place has definitely suffered. To put it in perspective, last year there were 3 large areas holding water, and in 2014 they're down to one. I'm hopeful we have a great winter that brings a lot of precipitation that will help replenish our water supply. We all know we need it!

We went in November of 2006…read more We saw ducks, blue heron and other waterfowl. We even saw a few birds of prey. If you are into desert landscapes, and wetlands this is a great mix. I prefer lots of trees myself, of which there were very few. However it was VERY beautiful and we did enjoy it. There was also a wildlife viewing platform that allowed you to look out on the marshes. The bathrooms were impeccable for the "porta-potty/outhouse" type that most parks have. Talk about clean! wow! It wasn't to terribly hot in November when we went but PLEASE bring water with you, you'll want it. A jacket too if it's in the Winter months.

We were looking for a place to camp on New Year's Eve and happened upon this location. The main…read morecampground is closed for winter, but the day use area was available. Ranger was very nice and helpful. Area has enclosed restroom facilities available near campsites. We found a great spot near the water and ended up being the only campers there. The hot springs facility was closed until the weekend, but looked great. We had a peaceful start to the new year and can't wait to go back to this location to hike and fish in the summer.

Cute place to hike with a beautiful view of nature and waterfall. Once you're done head over to the…read morehot spring pools for a nice soak.

Wonderful RV Park! Nice level concrete pads, and they save the best spots with a little grass and…read morea tree for traveling RV guests. Incredibly clean. Free WiFi. Really nice secure clubhouse with laundry, 8 sparkling clean toilet/shower rooms, game table with games and books and air conditioned. There's a shaded porch outside the clubhouse with chairs and a barbecue. 2 fenced dog parks. Very reasonably priced and the staff are pleasant, professional and helpful. Will definitely be back if we travel this way again.

Well, can't say that they are customer service oriented... I've left email and phone messages and…read morenever received any responses. When you do get them on the phone, it seems like that you are invading their space. One time I was inquiring about a place to store my RV - never getting any info on size, rate, availability, etc. after 8 days of nothing, I drove over there and was told, sorry we rented our last storage spot out yesterday... The RV park is beautiful and well maintained. Mostly catering to long-term construction workers. I was fortunate to find another place that was very less money, professional, spacious, available immediately, and actually has covered spots available.

The campground is 5stars, the best. Not too thrilled with the hosts this year, new group this year…read more I did not have any personal issues with them, but they were the grumpiest I've experienced their. I have been going to this campground for over 50 yrs, of course there weren't hosts back then, but they could be a bit more friendly. Last year,especially, they were great. Would also like to add, the hosts are not running it well. Come up to station after coming back from Kiva. There was 5 trailers deep, they had a cone in the bypass lane. Y??? Every one had to wait. Again, unnecessary

First time staying at this campground and we loved it! Most of the campground is pretty shaded…read morewhich was so nice. We didn't need to put up any shade structures at our site. Everyone was very friendly. The campsite is very level and perfect for riding bikes. The bathrooms have real toilets and showers and we're pretty clean. We loved our stay! The only weird thing is that we purchased a parking pass for the parking lot to be closer to the lake since we had kayaks to bring in. The lady that sold us the pass told us that she sells unlimited passes, despite there only being about 20 spots. We asked if that meant that even though we purchase a spot, does that mean there's a possibility of not getting a spot? And she said yes! I don't understand this method of selling parking passes. They should find a better way otherwise they are just taking peoples money for no reason... we bought a pass at 7:30 am and went up to the lot at 9am and we got one of the last spots. That's a big bummer for anyone else buying a pass.

We had not been here in years and honestly, this was not my first choice for camping, but instead…read moreof heading to a campground and hoping to score a site, we decided instead to come to Pyramid Lake for a 2-night/3-day stay. Our previous camping experience many years ago was not the best, but we did come during the 4th of July weekend, so it was crowded, loud and all around not a good experience. This time however, it was wonderful!! We set-up camp where we wanted and had the area practically to ourselves, serious boondocking. The weather was also perfect, hot during the day and cool during the night. We also got to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. My only gripe would be the mosquitos and even they weren't terrible. Although we didn't leave our campsite this time, we have previously visited many other parts of the lake as well as the Marina. The lake is huge and although not all of it is accessible, there are still many beaches and areas to visit and explore. I also like to stop at the Marina for ice cream. Another must stop is the Museum and Visitor Center, well worth the stop to learn more about the mysterious and rich history of the lake and the Paiute Tribe.

Pyramid Lake has been on my list for many years to visit. We finally had the opportunity last…read moreSeptember. Winding down a very hot summer in the desert, my husband and I set out on an epic road trip. This was one of our first stops. We stayed overnight in Reno and after breakfast set out to find and see the lake. It is about a 45 minute drive from Reno to the lake. Arriving at the lake we got out and stretched our legs and had an epic view of the lake and the reservation. The lake is definitely the prettiest lake I have seen in the desert. The color is a sparkling blue with the mountains surrounding it. Various red hues dot the landscape along with brown smudges here and there. The lake is a remnant of the ancient Lake Lahontan which covered approximately 8,450 square miles. The Ice Age shows various caves and rock shelters along the shoreline which indicates that Numu (Paiute) people had been living here thousands of years. John C. Fremont came upon the lake on 1/10/1844 and named the lake for the Pyramid shaped island off of the east shore. The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation was created in 1859. The lake currently covers 125,000 acres. The Eastern shore which is home to the Pyramid Formation, Stone Mother and Anaho Island are closed to all visitors. It is only accessible to the members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. There are stunning views of all of these formations from the western shore. On Anaho Island, there is the largest natural breeding ground for the American White Pelicans. They are protected by both the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They say the spring is the best time to see many American White Pelicans, double crested Cormorants, California Gulls, and Great Blue Herons. Driving along the lake, we came upon the Pyramid Lake Museum and Visitors Center. We learned even more about the area while touring through the center. Great exhibits! There is no admission fee to visit Pyramid Lake but permits are required for camping, fishing, or using watercraft. I am not into fishing, but the reviews here indicate that there is some terrific fishing available. The trophy fish is the Lohanton Cutthroat Trout and they are a huge draw to fisherman from all over. We made the mistake of going down to the beach and a tribe member approached us to advise us we needed to purchase a valid tribal permit to swim. We were unaware and quickly gathered our things and headed out. We really just wanted to put our feet in the water, but I understand rules are rules. This area is filled with so much history of the Numu (Paiute) people. There are many tales of lore and lots of mystery. You can feel the history here as you move about. So glad we had the opportunity to check it out.

Conveniently located on US50. Paved sites and driveways…read more Facilities functional. Otherwise marginal at best. Gravel and weeds instead of grass. Better hope you don't need the restrooms!

The customer service is garbage. None of the employees cared to learn any of the residents names…read more Was there over 2 years and any issues we reported to the "manager" we were told to "figure it out" They did not maintain the grounds there are goat head weeds everywhere. The employees would terrorize park animals. I wouldnt recommend any part of this property. Its not cleaned or maintained at all.

Rated a 4 primarily given price. Not very quiet at times but very clean. The bathrooms, showers,…read moreand site are very clean with nice cement pads with grass and a very nice table. There are 41 spots available and very large pull through. The only negative, we were in site number 4, which faced the office and the outside lights were left on all night which was disturbing while trying to sleep.

Burner friendly. Good park; clean showers, nice WiFi. Can be crowded but very nice people…read more Recommended.

We stopped here while driving down the loneliest highway, because why not? As you drive up, it is…read moreinteresting to see the huge sand dunes in the middle of a landscape where you just would not expect them. When we pulled in to enter there are signs saying that you have to pay for a weekly pass which is $40 or an annual pass which is $90 but there is no option for day use. Serendipitously, we happened through on a Tuesday which for some reason is free. Although that didn't make much sense to me, I needed to use the restrooms so we headed in. As other reviews have mentioned the roads are terrible and it's not just the bumpy pothole mess that you come to get used to in this area of the country, it's steep drop-offs from semi-paved gravel roads to dirt roads That will definitely damage your car if you are not paying attention and driving very slowly. We pulled in as far as we could and there were lots of people with trucks and trailers that had ATVs and dirt bikes. There was also a lot of garbage everywhere and when I tried to use the restroom it was flooded and full of flies. We checked out the dunes and left. I can see how the people who are really into off-roading might find it worth it to come here especially if they come a lot and they have an annual pass but for passersby or people who are just in the area, it's definitely not worth the $40.

If you're looking to take your atv out this is the place. Camp and ride all without having to…read moreleave. Dry camping. No hookups. They are restrooms and dumpsters available