Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — Ward Mountain Campground

Ward Mountain Campground sits in the Schell Creek Range west of Ely at roughly 7,000 feet, tucked into a stand of pinyon-juniper and mountain mahogany that gives real shade in the Nevada summer heat. It’s a small, no-frills Forest Service site — vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, no hookups — and it fills up slower than you’d expect given its proximity to US-50. It’s a legit staging spot for overlanders running the basin-and-range country between Ely and Eureka, and the elevation keeps nights cool even in July.

Access is off US-6/50 west of Ely via a short improved dirt road. High-clearance 2WD handles it fine in dry conditions. Water is typically not available on-site, so tank up in Ely before you roll in. Cell signal is marginal to nonexistent. Best season runs late spring through early fall — the site sits high enough to catch early snow in October.

Shaded high desert basecamp above Ely.