USDA Forest Service · Nevada
Bird Creek Campground
USDA Forest Service · Nevada, United States
- Sites
- 10
- Hookups
- 9 with water, 6 no hookups
- Season
- May 1 to October 30
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 7,448 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- BIRD CREEK (NFSR 59426) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Headquarters
- Nearest town
- ELY
- Address
- 825 AVENUE E, ELY, NV, 89301
- Phone
- 775-289-3031
- Activities
- Biking, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Mountain Biking, Off Road Vehicle Trails, Wildlife Viewing
7 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Bird Creek Recreation Area is located in the Duck Creek Basin, high on the Schell Creek Range. It sits at an elevation of 8,200 feet, approximately 25 miles from the small city of Ely. Hiking, mountain biking and off-road vehicle riding are popular activities enjoyed by visitors to the area.
Recreation
The Ranger Trail can be accessed from this campground. The Ranger Trail is a designated OHV trail that also accommodates hiking and mountain biking use as well. The 30-mile Success Loop Scenic Drive is also in the area, with views of high desert and mountain terrain.
Facilities
The campground has 10 sites. Site A is a day-use group stie, site 5 is a mult-family site, sites 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are single sites, sites 8 and 9 are double sites requiring a short walk from the parking area, on one to two bridges over Bird Creek. All sites have picnic and serving tables, campfire rings and grills.
Vault toilets and drinking water are provided seasonally. This is a "pack it in, pack it out" facility.
Natural Features
Bird Creek flows perennially through the campground. A mixed forest of juniper, pinyon pine and alder trees covers the area, but provides only limited shade.
Contact Info
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (775) 289-3031.
Nearby Attractions
Cave Lake State Park and Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park are a few miles from Ely. Interesting historic stone ovens and an interpretive trail are available there. The Northern Nevada Railway in Ely has a museum and offers train rides.
Charges & Cancellations
All change and cancellation requests should be done through Recreation.gov.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 14° | -5° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 31° | 17° | -11° | 46° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 39° | 24° | -1° | 71° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 49° | 30° | 16° | 67° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 61° | 42° | 28° | 76° | 5 of 11 |
| June | 77° | 53° | 33° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 85° | 64° | 46° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 81° | 61° | 47° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 73° | 53° | 36° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 61° | 38° | 22° | 71° | 7 of 10 |
| November | 48° | 31° | -6° | 62° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 33° | 19° | -10° | 55° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- East Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 12 sites
- Timber Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 9 sites
- Kalamazoo Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
- Cleve Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 18 mi
- Cave Lake State Park · Nevada State Parks · 20 mi
All public campgrounds in Nevada · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.