Big Creek Campground NV Road Conditions and Site Report

[DonTom]

Today, I took the unpaved road on my motorcycle to the Big Creek Campground which is here.

Use the tools on the lower right side of the above linked map (from my Spot Messenger) to get to the "+" to scale in enough to see the two RVs that were once there.

It's only 12 miles from here, but the road gets very rough at near the 8,600' summit. Don't even think about making this trip in an RV of any type, but a car with decent ground clearance should make it, but a 4WD would be best. You can get to Big Creek from the opposite direction (from Austin, NV) where the road will be MUCH better.

I like this campground I am staying at now (Kingston Campground) much better than there. One big problem with the sites at Big Creek is all the sites have have cow s. in them, unlike here at Kingston.

There were no RVs there, just one car with a guy using a picnic table to clean a bunch of his handguns. Since I too am into guns, we BSed about guns for a while. He is from Lakeview, OR, a place I have been to many times.

Here are some photos I took there at the Big Creek Campground:

There are many curves that are hilly and close to 180° in the opposite direction:

There are a couple of johns there just like here:

There is a creek by most of the campsites there too:

There are two very sharp and hilly turns near the 8,600' summit:

The only person there besides me, who was the guy cleaning his handguns:

One of the larger RV slots:

Looking down to the same road from near the summit:

Lots of tables, but be careful where you step:

-Don-

 

[DonTom]

Here are a few more photos (ten photo limit above):

A smaller site:

The view on the way there:

-Don-

 

[DonTom]

Between there and here, I had to go across many creeks that run cross the road. I got wet at a few places.

There is weak cell service there at Big Creek Camp, one or two bars would show on my Verizon unlike here at Kingston where there is no trace of any cell service, Here at Kingston not even RCS texting works which means not even a call to 9-1-1 will work from here (either can use any cell system it can find, if there is any) on cell..

On my motorcycle ride yesterday, in case of trouble, I bought my StarLink Mini with me. It will work a small portable jump starter (no need to connect to the bike 12VDC which is another option) that I also put in a saddle bag. I also had my Spot Messenger and InReach, so I was ready for any type of problem as I knew I would be out in the middle of nowhere where I would be unlikely to see anybody else in a day or longer, I also brought my cold weather gear in case I had to spend the night stuck somewhere, I had water and food too, of course. Only 12 miles each way (24 miles total round trip), but really in the middle of nowhere. The ride took me more than an hour each way and was very tiring on a bike at the 8,600' twisty summit. It gets hard to breathe up there steering a bike around rocks and such. A small car would be a lot easier, and much less tiring. But won't be any faster. A car will also have to go very slow at many places on the way.

So I averaged less than 12 MPH on this ride.

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[DonTom]

I was planning on coming here in my junky Class C. But my Class A, usually in Auburn, required a smog check so I had to head for Reno in it anyway so here I am at Big Creek Campground in my Class A.

Somebody cleaned up this place. All the cow pucky is gone, not even a trace of it anywhere here.

Getting here is easy except for the last five miles. It is ten miles of unpaved road that I can easily drive this Class at above 50 MPH on that unpaved road for the first five miles, smoother than many paved roads.

But the last five miles is an other unpaved road that looks decent but so bumpy that it was difficult to go ten MPH. If the road started out like that, I would have chickened-out. But it is difficult to chicken- out when there is only a few miles left.

This RV sure got shaken up in that last five miles.

I was the only person when I got here, and then a Jeep showed up. I BSed with him for a short while. He had a reservation at a motel in Austin, NV (15 miles north of here) but they had to cancel it on him without notice. The town of Austin, NV (dead center of NV on Hwy 50) is filled up with a lot of fire fighters. A big fire on the next ridge, but we should be safe here. The fire is west of here, I drove by it, but the wind from here is also going west. I smell no trace of the fire from here.

There is a bar of Verizon here, which is a bar more than I could get at Kingston Camp 12 miles up the road where the road gets even gets worse. But my Verizon was too slow and flaky to use, so I set up my Starlink.

It is just below 7K feet elevation here, but days can still get hot, It's a warm night. I plan on staying here for a few days nights or so. Then to Great Basin Park or wherever. If I had my junky Class C, I would have gone to Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, which is near here, but they have a 25' limit. I am five feet over in the class A. Four feet and 11 inches over to be exact.

At least Austin is in range of a round trip on my smallest electric motorcycle from here, unlike Kingston. Besides, I can charge it up in Austin.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

I am now the only person here.

BTW, the guy who came here yesterday took the farthest spot from here near the entrance, I am at the very end. But he left early this morning.

What this place looks like:

My Spot at the very end:

-Don- Big Creek Campground, NV

 

[EdJunior]

Wow, that is a desolate looking place. If you are looking for peace and quiet, something tells me you found it!

 

[DonTom]

Wow, that is a desolate looking place. If you are looking for peace and quiet, something tells me you found it!

I left for an hour to go on a hike. I just got back a few minutes ago. When I got back, there were three more vehicles here. All are car/tent campers, I am the only RV. All the others are a 4WD.

So this place can go from empty to near full fast on the same day.

I saw one guy towing a camper pass this place and I wondered what he was doing as just a quarter mile up the road is this sign:

Sure enough, he turned around and went back, passing this place--again!!

I wonder what he was looking for. Perhaps the Kingston Campground that is 12 miles up that road? If so, I have no idea why he would pass this place. Perhaps he is still going there, but the other way from the east side like I did a few months ago.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

Was really only two others. One came in here just to change a flat tire and he left already.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

Between here and the Kingston Campground, the Kingston camp is a better place, IMO.

Kingston is 12 miles up the very rough road (or can go around to the east side and come in from the town of Kingston).

The main difference is there at Kingston Camp, you can park in the trees and be right next to the creek in every site, unlike this place here (Big Creek) where you have to walk to the shade trees and nearby creek. If that creek is Big Creek, it is no larger than the creek at Kingston.

But this place is closer to Austin, just 13 miles away, 8 miles are fast and easy, five are on a very rough, bouncy road that looks a lot smother than it really is for a rig like this one.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

On the side of the road near here, there are many of these plants with white flowers.

Anybody here know what they are?

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[Jackiemac]

Poppy. Might be bear poppy.

 

[DonTom]

Poppy. Might be bear poppy.

Looks correct, except I am in Lander County, NV:

"Based on the provided search context, there is no mention of Bear Poppies (such as the Las Vegas Bearpoppy or Dwarf Bear-poppy) being present in Lander County, Nevada.

The search results indicate that Arctomecon californica (also known as the Las Vegas Bearpoppy or California Bearpoppy) is endemic to the Lake Mead region of southeastern Clark County, Nevada, as well as areas near Lake Mead, the Gold Butte region, and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.

Additionally, the Dwarf Bear-poppy (Arctomecon humilis) is noted to be found only in Washington County, Utah, specifically near St. George. Neither source identifies Lander County as part of their distribution range. "

 

[Jackiemac]

So what is it?

 

[DonTom]

So what is it?

I think you're most likely correct anyway, that is is some type of poppy.

But I have no idea, as I know almost nothing about plants., unlike snakes & lizards, which I got interested in at the age of 8 or so when I caught a garter snake on San Bruno Mountain.

BTW, San Bruno Mtn (just south of San Francisco) has 14 very rare plants as well as several very rare butterflies.

I lived on the base of SB Mtn twice, 1949 to 1957 and after 1975 until 2016. Within 15 miles of it between. those years.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

When I went to get water from the creek today, a Wandering Garter Snake popped out of the water near me to say hello.

99 percent of the snake was under water, just his head came up to see what I was doing (or to see if I was something it could eat!)

I got a photo of its head, but it is hard to see, Look at the top of the bottom log:

By the size of the head, I would guess the snake is around three feet long.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

Today, I rode the 14 miles into Austin, NV. The first 5.5 miles of road that was extremely bumpy in this class A, was nice and easy on my motorcycle. After that 5.5 miles, is the very smooth part of the unpaved road, In six more miles, it is all nice pavement to Austin for the last 2.5 miles.

On the way, I get a good look at the fire (New Pass Fire). It is now 30,000 acres of fire, 25% contained, but it looks like it is more than ten miles from here on only on the very top of the next ridge over. I don't think I am in any danger here (all alone here again), but I will continue to watch for it with updates on the web as well as looking with my own eyes.

No wind at all here today, so I expect them to make progress on the fire for at least this day.

-Don- Big Creek Camp, NV

 

[DonTom]

Today, for my late afteroon hike, I went down Big Creek Road for several miles to see how the New Pass fire is doing:

 

[DonTom]

I have not seen anybody out here for a couple of days--and it is a Saturday night:

 

[DonTom]

I saw this dead fish in the Big Creek today. Is this a Rainbow Trout?

And this was right next to where I get my water. What most likely killed it? Way too large for that Wandering Garter Snake that was just a few feet away from this dead fish I discovered today.

-Don- Big Creek Camp. NV

 

[Jackiemac]

Google says brown trout.

Might have been a bird that dropped it.