South Ruby Campground
Its 35 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Single Site: $17 per night ($8.50 with a senior or access pass), Double Site: $34 per night, and it is open from May to September. South Ruby Campground is a National Forest campground near Spring Creek, Nevada.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
1 / 5The entrance sign for Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near South Ruby Campground. Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Hookups
- None
- Max RV length
- 50 ft
- Access road
- Dirt
- Cell service
- Spotty
- Shade
- Some shade
South Ruby Campground sits inside Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.2 miles outside the boundary of Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge; its hours, camping, hunting and fishing rules, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge: Ruby Lake is visible from the campground and offers birding, fishing, and hiking; the historic ruins of Fort Ruby and the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail at Green Mountain are also nearby.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Single Site: $17 per night ($8.50 with a senior or access pass), Double Site: $34 per night
- Booking window
- Reservable in peak season (mid-May to early-September); off-season first-come, first-served
- Cancellations
- Recreation.gov: $10 fee withheld on cancellation; cancelling the day before or day of arrival also forfeits the first night's fee; no-shows pay $20 and forfeit the first night.
Sources: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; thedyrt.com, accessed 2026-09-26; apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-27
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 35
- RV sites
- 19
- Group sites
- 0
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Hookups
- None
- Max RV length
- 50 ft
- Site driveways
- Back-in
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Potable water
- ✓ Dump station
- ✓ Fire rings
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Toilets, potable water, dump station, fire rings, and pets allowed.
Sources: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; thedyrt.com, accessed 2026-09-26; maps.campendium.com, accessed 2026-09-26
Campsites
35 sites in 2 loops; the longest takes a 50 ft vehicle. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | LOWE | Standard nonelectric | 45 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWE, site 001 |
| 002 | LOWE | Standard nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWE, site 002 |
| 003 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 45 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWE, site 003 |
| 004 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 004 |
| 005 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 005 |
| 006 | LOWE | Standard nonelectric | 45 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 006 |
| 007 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWE, site 007 |
| 008 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop LOWE, site 008 |
| 009 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 009 |
| 010 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 010 |
| 011 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 011 |
| 012 | LOWE | Rv nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop LOWE, site 012 |
| 013 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 013 |
| 014 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 014 |
| 015 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 015 |
| 016 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 016 |
| 017 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 017 |
| 018 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 018 |
| 019 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 019 |
| 020 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 020 |
| 021 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 021 |
| 022 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 022 |
| 023 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 023 |
| 024 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 024 |
| 025 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 025 |
| 026 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 026 |
| 027 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 027 |
| 028 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 028 |
| 029 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 029 |
| 030 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 030 |
| 031 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 35 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 031 |
| 032 | UPPE | Rv nonelectric | 25 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 032 |
| 033 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 033 |
| 034 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 034 |
| 035 | UPPE | Standard nonelectric | 50 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Full | Book loop UPPE, site 035 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-26. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Stay limit
- 14 days in a 30-day period
- Pets
- Allowed
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-26
Access and cell service
- Access road
- Dirt
- Cell service, reported
- Spotty
- Shade
- Some shade
- Elevation
- 6,000 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE and 5G mapped about 0.3 mi away
- T-Mobile
- No coverage mapped
- Verizon
- No coverage mapped
Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, data as of December 31, 2025
Outdoor coverage each carrier reports to the FCC at this campground's map point, and the nearest mapped coverage within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it. These are carrier predictions, not measurements, and can be wrong either way: real service in canyons, under trees, and inside a tent or vehicle is often weaker. 5G speeds are the FCC's 7/1 and 35/3 Mbps tiers. This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.
40.1779, -115.4957 in Elko. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
South Ruby Campground is open from May to September , at 6,000 ft. In winter: water off and toilets open, per the managing agency.
Sources: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-26; maps.campendium.com, accessed 2026-09-26
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at South Ruby Campground?
How much does it cost to camp at South Ruby Campground?
What happens if I cancel or don't show up at South Ruby Campground?
How many campsites does South Ruby Campground have?
Are there accessible (ADA) campsites at South Ruby Campground?
Does South Ruby Campground have RV hookups?
Are there pull-through sites at South Ruby Campground?
Is there drinking water at South Ruby Campground?
Are dogs allowed at South Ruby Campground?
When is South Ruby Campground open?
How long can you stay at South Ruby Campground?
Is there cell service at South Ruby Campground?
Who manages South Ruby Campground?
Around South Ruby Campground
South Ruby Campground sits on Ruby Lake NWR – Collection Ditch, 1.3 miles from the lake's mapped center point. Stocking record and species: Ruby Lake NWR – Collection Ditch fishing on fishypedia.com.
Other lakes within 15 miles: Ruby Lake Unit Twenty-one fishing (1.4 miles) , Ruby Lake fishing (1.7 miles) , and Ruby Lake NWR South Lakes fishing (1.7 miles) , each with its stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Hot springs nearby
The nearest hot spring to South Ruby Campground, in a straight line: Ruby Valley Hot Springs (hot spring, 6.9 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
More campgrounds: camping near Spring Creek and campgrounds in Elko.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-26
- fs.usda.gov (accessRoad, shade, toilets, water, fireRings, petsAllowed, reservationSystem, reservationUrl, season, fee, notableFeature), accessed 2026-09-26
- recreation.gov (sites, hookups, reservationSystem, reservationUrl, season, drivewayType, campsites), accessed 2026-09-26
- thedyrt.com (sites, maxRvLengthFt, cellService, accessRoad, shade, fee), accessed 2026-09-26
- maps.campendium.com (dumpStation, maxRvLengthFt, cellService, accessRoad, shade, elevationFt), accessed 2026-09-26
- fs.usda.gov (stayLimit), accessed 2026-09-26
- commons.wikimedia.org (photos), accessed 2026-09-26
- apps.fs.usda.gov (fee), accessed 2026-09-27
- fs.usda.gov (reservationWindow, season.winterServices), accessed 2026-09-27
- recreation.gov (season.winterServices, reservationWindow, maxRvLengthFt), accessed 2026-09-27
- recreation.gov (cancellationPolicy), accessed 2026-09-27
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
Photo credits
- Photo 1: Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Photo 2: Jrmichae, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 3: Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Photo 4: National Park Service, Public domain
- Photo 5: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0