When Government Wash, in Nevada, closed nearly a year and a half ago, many RVers felt like they were watching another good place slip away. The gates went up, access disappeared, and a favorite no-frills camping spot at Lake Mead National Recreation Area seemed destined to join the growing list of places that used to welcome RVs.
Now Government Wash is back. And while no one enjoyed the wait, the reopening suggests something worth paying attention to: This wasn’t a closure that led to permanent loss. It was a reset—and one that may actually work in RVers’ favor if the changes hold.
Why it closed—and why that matters now
According to the National Park Service, Government Wash had reached a breaking point. Long-term encampments, unmanaged vehicle traffic, and years of accumulated trash had taken a toll on shoreline areas and made access harder for everyone else. The result was an 18-month shutdown that frustrated casual campers but gave managers time to step in before the area was written off entirely.
That context matters. Places that slide into unmanaged use don’t usually reopen at all. Government Wash did.
What RVers will notice right away
The most obvious change is structure. Instead of a wide-open free-for-all, Government Wash now has clearly defined campsites and access routes. For RVers, that translates into fewer rigs crowding shoreline access, less chance of blocked exits, and a clearer sense of where camping is actually allowed.
The cleanup removed tons of debris and old encampments, and access roads were improved to make travel safer and more predictable—especially for tow vehicles and motorhomes. It’s still primitive camping, but it’s no longer chaotic.
What RVers should know before heading back to Government Wash
Government Wash remains dry camping, but it’s no longer “pull anywhere and hope for the best.”
Campsites are now defined rather than informal, which should reduce crowding and the awkward sprawl that once put rigs nose-to-nose along the shoreline. RVers should expect fewer improvisational setups and more emphasis on staying within marked areas.
There are still no hookups and no services, and space remains limited for oversized rigs. Self-contained RVs are the best fit here, and arriving with daylight—and a plan—will make the experience smoother.
Overnight stays are now limited, a change aimed squarely at preventing long-term encampments from taking root again. For short stays, that likely won’t feel restrictive. For RVers who once used Government Wash as an extended base camp, it’s a reminder that this area now favors turnover over tenure.
The upside is straightforward: cleaner shoreline access, fewer abandoned vehicles, and a much better chance that Government Wash stays open instead of becoming another “formerly allowed” camping area.
Why this reopening is different
Government Wash didn’t reopen because attention faded or enforcement relaxed. It reopened because the area was restored to a condition park managers believe is sustainable.
For RVers who worry—often with good reason—that public camping access keeps shrinking, that distinction matters. In this case, the closure appears to have bought time instead of sealing fate.
Government Wash didn’t reopen because it was forgotten. It reopened because it was worth fixing. For RVers, that’s the real takeaway. Places like this don’t disappear all at once—they fade when they’re loved too hard or managed too late. This time, Government Wash got a second chance. What happens next will decide whether it keeps it.
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RVT1248b
I was not aware of Government Wash but then we have been in the Hoover Dam area very infrequently. But I do wonder if it’s first come for you get dibs; is there sign-up; is there a campground host? All of this makes a difference.
Hi, Gary. I see on several websites, including the Lake Mead Recreational Area FB page, that it is first come, first served. Also, there is a 14-day consecutive limit for camping. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you for sharing the news, Russ and Tina! Hopefully many will now enjoy this area. Have a great day and safe travels!
It’s a shame what a few bad apples can do to a nice place, ruins it for everyone, I leave my campsite cleaner than when I got there, the places I stayed at were clean but I go over them again before I leave just to be sure, I was taught growing up to clean up after myself, apparently some people weren’t !
Thanks to the dedicated government employees and/or contractors who made these changes possible.
We have camped at 8 Mile Road for years and years. The trash was awful. We typically would bring garbage bags with us and pick up trash whenever we camped there. Usually we’d fill up about 5-6 33 gallon bags and dispose of it properly. When they shut it down, we were devastated. We loved camping there. It was our weekedn getaway.
Now that it is reopened, we plan to take a drive out there this weekend and scope out what was done and get an idea of where we will be able to camp. This time, I hope people keep it clean!
I’m betting people won’t. Look at any grocery store, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. parking lot. Shopping carts are left in parking spaces, propped up on medians, left just outside entrance doors, at the far end of the parking lot; anywhere except in the cart return spaces. Lazy people! Government Wash is just another example of disrespectful/lazy people!
I agree, but the way they did it really limits where people can go, so it should be easier to maintain. Plus people like us who value privacy and solitude won’t go anymore, so some people won’t camp there anymore.
I hate to be a negative ninny, but unless rangers actually patrol the area, it will get trashed again. I predict the “I’m going to buy a van and live on the land for free” folks will set up residence unless there is some type of enforcement.
I was there yesterday. Thanks for the heads up. It was already full with 5 in line to get in asap. Roads are much smoother and it looks good without all the trash. No longer has road access to the water like before. Still can’t launch my kayak from the truck. Maybe in the future they will do a 4wheel road to the water, or the lake level will rise.
Thanks for the update, Dan.👍 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I posted 8 days ago about it. We took a drive out there to get an idea of where we would pull our fifth wheel if we went back out to 8 Mile Road.
IT IS STILL CLOSED! 8 Mile Road is still blocked off. There is no way to get to where we used to camp. We were bummed, but at the same time I’m glad they cleaned it all up.
Gov’t Wash is open, but they blocked off a lot of roads. It is much cleaner than it was and we continued to pick up some trash while we were there last weekend during the high winds. We never went to Gov’t Wash to camp out, it was too crowded for us, but they definitely cleaned up the shoreline.
Some people will still love going there. We won’t be.