Nevada Telephone Cove, Lake Mohave, Nevada | Camping
Free camping on the beach…now that should raise an eyebrow! The Nevada Telephone Cove camping area lies on the shore of Lake Mohave north of Laughlin, Nevada in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
It’s tough to find water in the desert, and even tougher to find RV camping near it. Sit back and enjoy the sound of birds, the lulling of gentle waves hitting the beach, and the refreshing breeze that rustles the cottonwood leaves. This truly is an oasis in the desert.
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Where in The World?
Camping Elevation: 745 feet
GPS Coordinates: N 35 13.992’ W 114 35.637’
Directions to Camping Area: From the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada head west on Highway 163 (Laughlin Hwy) for 4.4 miles. Turn right (northeast) on Nevada Telephone Cove Road and drive 4.3 miles to Lake Mohave and the Nevada Telephone Cove camping area. This is a large cove and I suppose 15 or more RVs could easily camp here…though it may feel a bit crowded with that many RVs.
More Camping: There is no other camping allowed along Nevada Telephone Cove Road – but I did hear from an NPS ranger that there were a few places to camp down Road 14 (Stonehouse Road) south of here, as long as you’ve got a small 4WD RV, as this is a primitive road and you will encounter soft sand.
Nevada Telephone Cove Camping Area Map
Nevada Telephone Cove RV Camping Journal
November 7, 2012
Even if it’s not the prettiest beach – it has more gravel than sand, and turns to mud near the water (due to low lake levels) – it’s still a wonderful place to camp.
It’s easy to avoid the mud by walking around the cove to the rocky shoreline. Here you can access the water without getting ankle deep in mud. At the time I visited, lake levels were way down and that’s why it’s so muddy near the shore.
Facilities and Rules: A sign at the entrance to the cove states the camping limit is 7 days. No trash service is available so you must take your garbage with you. There are trash bag dispensers, making it easy for campers to haul out their trash. This camping area has non-flush restrooms that are maintained daily.
No boat ramp was visible, but from the signs it appears one did exist. Driving to the shore is not possible due to the mud. Only boats light enough to carry can be launched here.
Recreation: Exploring the coastline is fun, and so is exploring the canyons along the coast. Swimming is also fun, though you do have to wade through a bit of mud to reach deeper water. The temperature of the water felt a bit cold at first, but it’s nice when air temps are in the 80s and above.
The nearby canyons (Grapevine Canyon, and the one north of this cove) are fun to explore. There are several waterfalls (dry unless there’s a rain) that are fascinating and require a bit of climbing (class 3 perhaps).
Weather: It’s early November. I was camped up above along the road and overlooking the city of Laughlin, but was told no camping was allowed here by the NPS ranger. It was a few degrees cooler up there. It’s been warm at the cove. Highs have been in the mid to upper 80s, possibly 90 on the last two days. It’s not as cool at night here either, probably a low around 60. The last couple days have been quite windy, but today it was much calmer with only a slight breeze. This is my 6th day here and I haven’t seen a cloud yet.
Wildlife: The water is quite clear and I’ve seen several large fish (probably carp). There are lots of waterfowl: great blue herons, great egrets, many American coots, and gulls. I’ve also seen gambel’s quail, great-tailed grackles, bats, small lizards, raccoon tracks along the shore, squirrels, and rabbits. East of Bullhead City I spotted a herd of bighorn sheep among the mountains.
Insects: Some flies and a few mosquitoes, but no problems.
Peacefulness: The weekend was fairly busy with around 8 or so different groups camping. There were just 2 other groups camping yesterday, then just one other RV most of today. This afternoon 3 more groups showed up. It’s a well known camping area, though it’s a bit out of the way down a washboard (but well maintained) gravel road. I’ve been seeing 3-5 vehicles a day come to the cove.
Shade: There’s a handful of cottonwood trees spaced out along the shore which provide some shade for camping.
RV Solar: Plenty of sun. I have no problem getting a full charge with my solar panel.
Cell Signal: I have a very good Verizon cell phone signal, usually 3 bars. Verizon mobile broadband internet is fairly fast, it’s Global Access and watching videos isn’t really possible, but pages load pretty fast.
RV Campsite Rating: 10 out of 10. What can I say? It’s free RV camping on a beach in the southwest. Here’s your oasis in the desert!
