Thomas Canyon

P.O. Box 246
WELLS, NV 89835

Notice

Repair work on the one-lane section of Lamoille Canyon Road in the Ruby Mountains will begin Mon., Aug. 24. For the first three weeks, the road and all recreation sites will remain open, but travelers can expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

Starting Sept. 14, Lamoille Canyon Road will be closed to all vehicle traffic above Lions Camp Lamoille for approximately one month. Crews will be reconstructing the roadbed and retaining wall, installing a new culvert, and repaving that section of road. Visitors will still be able to walk the canyon, and all trails will remain open through construction. The Thomas Canyon campground and Terraces recreation site will also be closed for the season after Sept. 14. Powerhouse day use area will not be closed but may be affected by traffic. Work should be finished by the end of October.

Aug 20, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026

Overview

Thomas Canyon Campground is located in the scenic Lamoille Canyon, in northeast Nevada, 30 miles from Elko. Visitors enjoy fishing Lamoille Creek and exploring many local hiking trails.

Recreation

Lamoille Creek is a popular stream among fly-fishermen. The creek contains brook and wild rainbow trout.

Lamoille Canyon offers numerous hiking and horseback riding trails that lead to alpine lakes and vistas. Thomas Canyon Trail begins at the campground, leading past several waterfalls, through an alpine meadow into a glacial cirque.

The canyon road is popular for scenic driving and road biking. Many rock climbing routes can be found on the canyon walls.

Facilities

The campground offers single and double campsites, each equipped with a picnic table, campfire ring, and grill. Some sites also have tent pads. Vault toilets, drinking water, and trash collection are provided.

During the first-come, first-served season (typically late-September through late-October-dependent on current conditions), there is no campground host on-site and water facilites (e.g., drinking water) are not available as they are turned off for the fall and winter seasons. Please call the local district office for most up to date information.

Natural Features

The campground sits at the mouth of Thomas Canyon, a part of larger Lamoille Canyon, at an elevation of 7,200 feet. Both canyons are within the beautiful Ruby Mountains, a desert island brimming with wildlife, sparkling lakes and streams, wildflower-filled meadows and jagged peaks.

Groves of aspen and cottonwood trees provide partial shade in the campground and beautiful fall color. Lamoille Creek runs through the site. All campsites afford breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and canyon walls.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (775) 738-5171.

Camp site features

Across 39 camp sites:

Picnic table: 1 of 39 sites
Pets allowed: all 39 sites
ADA accessible: 1 of 39 sites
Longest rig: 65 ft
Largest party: 16 people

Directions

Take I-80 to any Elko exit and head south to Idaho Street. Turn south on 12th Street (from the east) or on 5th Street (from the west), to State Route 227. Travel 25 miles on SR 227 to Forest Road 660 (Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway). Travel 8 miles on FR 660 to the campground.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

190 reviews

5 stars

136

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Cheryl C

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed 14 days ago

Bathrooms were clean and well stocked with toilet paper. ( pit toilets). No We hiked the canyon trail to the end and back. Stunning scenery! Not easy on a very hot day, but worth it. Go early in the morning! Campsite 6 was fine for our 21 ft trailer with views of the canyon walls until the trees get taller.

Liberty S

Loop:B

Site:

Reviewed 18 days ago

This campsite is genuinely the most beautiful I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. I am not kidding. My campsite was surrounded 360° by rugged, gorgeous mountains. A creek wasn’t too far away from my campsite, which was nice to cool off after a long day of hiking in the heat. I stayed in late July, it was about 80 to 90° average. If you have a chance to stay here, do it.

Matt S

Loop:C

Site:

Reviewed 20 days ago

Beautiful camping spot. Would recommend

Yesenia H

Loop:C

Site:

Reviewed 21 days ago

Nice view but great for larger group 2 parking spots but extra parking 3 feet away

Yesenia H

Loop:C

Site:

Reviewed 21 days ago

Small space but more tucked back by the river

Tod R

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed 23 days ago

The whole campground appears to be well kept. In general, it was a very chilled environment, not very noisy and everyone seemed very respectful of other.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve Watch

Popularity: Quiet

Busiest in August, when about 35% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 11 years of reservations.

Camp Sites

Nearby Campgrounds

Terraces Campground Picnic Area

2.3 miles away

1 camp site

Camping