A while back, we decided we wanted to experience Las Vegas, Nevada as a family. In our research, we found there were not a lot of good opportunities to boondock around the city. However, when we discovered our “Every Kid Outdoors” pass got us into not just national parks, but also into national recreation areas. This really opened up doors for us. The door that we were most excited about was the Lake Mead Recreation Area and the Government Wash dispersed camping area.
A Great Experience; Closed Now
We greatly enjoyed our experience staying at Government Wash. However, this was a campground that had experienced a lot of abuse from the public for many years. From people staying long past the 14-day limit to off-road vehicle drivers building unauthorized roads, illegal activity, and abandoned rigs. Because of all of this, Government Wash was closed to all overland vehicle traffic just a month after we visited.
This should be a wake-up call to everyone who uses public lands. We need to do our part to take care of these lands, as they are our lands. It doesn’t take a lot of bad behavior before officials in charge of managing these locations decide they’re no longer worth the effort. As more and more people decide to travel full-time, it becomes even more important for us to make the conscious decision to be good stewards of our public lands. To clean up after ourselves and do our best to leave the spaces nicer than when we arrived. We need to respect the stay limits, even if there doesn’t appear to be enforcement. Most importantly, we need to respect others who come to these places. Public lands aren’t any individual’s land; they belong to us all.
Activities at Government Wash
Being part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, there are lots of activities available to campers. From the obvious boating and water play to amazing hikes and outreach programs, there is a little bit for everyone.
One hike that we did was a 7-mile out-and-back hike to the Hoover Dam along the historic railway trail! This hike is peppered and salted with informational signs about the construction of the Hoover Dam. The best part of this hike is how it takes hikers through 3 tunnels that were carved out of the cliff sides to facilitate the trains. These tunnels now act as habitats for migrating bats.
One great event that we were lucky enough to be there for was National Junior Ranger Day. If you’re not familiar with the Junior Ranger program, it’s an outreach and education program hosted by the National Park system. The program typically consists of a workbook that children can complete to get awarded a Junior Ranger Badge and be sworn in as an Official Junior Ranger of the park, recreation area, or monument they’re visiting! It’s a great, low-effort way for parents to get their kids more invested in the trip.
During the National Junior Ranger Day, Lake Mead’s visitor center was filled with professionals from all walks of life! Professors of astronomy from the local university, weather experts from NOAH, and emergency responders from every branch! In addition to learning a lot about the local ecosystems, we also got to earn some Junion Rangor badges that aren’t readily available in the parks.
Amenities at Government Wash
In general, Government Wash is an amazing boondocking opportunity. While it is a boondocking spot, there are several RV campgrounds in the Lake Mead Recreation area where one can dump their wastewater and refill their fresh. Boulder Beach is the one we used, however, the other locations may also have facilities. Government Wash also had easy-to-access dumpsters and some portable toilets near the closed boat ramp.
Being barely 15 minutes outside of Las Vegas, any type of grocery, laundromat, or parts facility is easy to find. In fact, the Strip is only about 30 minutes away, so all of Las Vegas is within reach of campers at Government Wash.
With luck, this campground will open again, and a better-educated public will be able to use it again. It will take hard work from the whole RVing community, from full-timers to weekenders. We can, will, and should do better.