West / Northwest Nevada Backcountry

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on any good backcountry camping areas in northwest Nevada? I live in the bay area and almost every year my wife, daughters and I take a trip down to Death Valley for some desert exploration. Over the years the drive down there is such a pain that I was thinking of staying a bit closer to home and exploring western / northwestern Nevada. I'd be rolling in through Lake Tahoe so maybe no more then an hour out of there. We don't stay in campgrounds but looking for some backcountry desert areas for primitive camping, exploring maybe old mining area. For anyone that knows the area can anyone suggest anything worthwhile?

 

Some insane percentage of Nevada is Federal BLM land. Get your hands on some BLM maps and go.

The Black Rock Desert area, when it's not full of stinking Burning Man jackholes, is a really neat area. There are all sorts of ghost towns and whatnot between the west side of Pyramid lake, Highway 8A and I-80, a so-so road network (unpaved) connecting them, and lots of open space. All of that is more than an hour outside of Tahoe, and I've never really explored east or south of I-80.


If you're willing to drive 2 hours, you have tons of options. If you're not, you really need to look at a map and do some ghost town/ghost mine research and see what looks interesting. Also the NV DOT publishes a "road atlas". It's a spiral-bound collection of 7.5' quads on 8.5x11" paper - great for navigating out there and it only costs a few bucks.

 

Good info, thanks for the start.

 

Yeah agreed so if you're coming don't be one of them.

 

Looking to get away from people not be around them.

 

The Nevada Map Atlas. My copy is dog-eared, covered in pencil marks, coffee stains and fine desert dust. Even if you map electronically, it's an outstanding backup to have with you at all times. And you can't really beat the price of $12.

http://www.nevadadot.com/uploadedFiles/NDOT/Traveler_Info/Maps/Map Catalog and Order Form 2012.pdf

(It's the order form, shows other map products NV DOT sells).

 

Anyone else??????????????