16 Forest Service, 15 National Park Service and 8 BLM. 26 can be booked ahead
Sleeping on the roof in basin and range country
Desert nights swing hard. The Fish and Wildlife Service says temperatures on the Desert refuge can drop 50 degrees in 24 hours, and the Park Service says it can snow at high elevations in Great Basin National Park at any time of year. Ask a dealer about insulation and condensation as well as summer ventilation.
Pick the site with water in mind. The Fish and Wildlife Service says a flash flood can arrive from a storm miles away, and tells visitors not to camp in washes or canyons. In a thunderstorm the BLM’s advice is to take cover inside the vehicle with the windows rolled up, which means climbing down.
A roof tent gets you off the ground and sets up in minutes. It also puts weight on the highest point of the vehicle, and the rack underneath matters as much as the tent. A dealer who installs will check your roof's load ratings before anything else.
What they sell and install
01Hard-shell and soft-shell roof tents
02Awnings, annexes and insulation
03Racks and crossbars rated for the load
04Installation and removal
05Parts: covers, zippers, struts and poles
How to choose a roof tent
Open it, climb into it and close it before you buy it.
01Know your two roof numbers: the dynamic rating for driving and the static load for camping with people inside. They are different, and the rack has its own.
02Hard shells open fastest and cut through wind. Soft shells give more space for the weight and the money.
03Check the mattress, the ladder angle at your vehicle's height, and whether it closes with bedding inside.
04Ask about parts and repairs before you need them.
05Measure your garage door.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
The roof decides what is possible.
01Vehicle, and what is on the roof or bed now
02How many people sleep in it
03The weather you camp in
04Garage height, if it lives indoors
05A budget range for the tent and the rack together
Questions people ask
Will a roof tent fit my vehicle?
Almost any vehicle can carry one with the right rack, but check the roof's dynamic load rating in the owner's manual and the rack's rating. The lower number is your limit while driving.
Hard shell or soft shell?
Hard shells are quicker, quieter in wind and better in rain and snow. Soft shells sleep more people for less money and weight, and take longer to pack. If you move camp every day, speed matters more than you expect.
Does a roof tent hurt fuel economy?
Yes, some, and you will hear it on the highway. Lower-profile tents and a fairing help. It is a trade most people accept for the sleep.
How high is Nevada?
From Mesquite at 1,607 feet to Boundary Peak at 13,140.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
AustinOn US 50 in the middle of the state. Forest Service office for the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District.6,644 ft
ElyWhere US 50, US 6 and US 93 meet. BLM district office and Forest Service ranger district. The Park Service puts it 68 miles from Baker.6,436 ft
PiocheOn US 93. The Mount Wilson byway ends here, where State Route 322 returns to the highway.6,076 ft
TonopahWhere US 6 meets US 95. BLM field office and a Forest Service office. The Lunar Crater byway leaves US 6 to the east, at about mile marker 79.6,045 ft
WellsWhere I-80 meets US 93. Forest Service office. The California Trail byway starts 26 miles north on US 93.5,633 ft
BakerFive miles from Great Basin National Park, at the foot of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The Park Service lists fuel here year-round.5,311 ft
ElkoOn I-80. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Forest Service puts Thomas Canyon Campground, in Lamoille Canyon, 30 miles away.5,067 ft
Carson CityState capital. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. NDOT’s Tahoe chain rules apply on US 50 between here and Glenbrook.4,680 ft
RenoOn I-80. Home of the BLM’s Nevada State Office. The road to the Black Rock leaves I-80 to the east, at Wadsworth.4,505 ft
CalienteOn US 93, east of Basin and Range National Monument. The BLM’s Caliente Field Office looks after the monument and the Mount Wilson byway.4,399 ft
WinnemuccaWhere I-80 meets US 95. The BLM’s Winnemucca District and Black Rock Field Office and a Forest Service office. The Fish and Wildlife Service routes visitors from here to Sheldon refuge by way of Denio.4,295 ft
LovelockOn I-80. Start of the BLM’s 20-mile Lovelock Cave Back Country Byway.3,980 ft
GerlachPortal to the Black Rock Desert, 75 miles north of Wadsworth on State Highway 447. The BLM lists fuel, food and motels here, and the nearest tow truck to the conservation area.3,943 ft
AlamoOn US 93. North end of Alamo Road from the Desert refuge, and the nearest tow service to Basin and Range National Monument.3,462 ft
Las VegasWhere I-15 meets US 93 and US 95. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Desert refuge’s Corn Creek entrance is north on US 95.1,996 ft
MesquiteOn I-15 in the far southeast. The Gold Butte byway starts off nearby Exit 112.1,607 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Boundary PeakThe highest point in Nevada, in Esmeralda County13,140 ft
Wheeler PeakGreat Basin National Park. The scenic drive ends below its face13,063 ft
Charleston PeakTop of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, outside Las Vegas11,918 ft
Ruby DomeRuby Mountains, above Lamoille Canyon11,387 ft
Hayford PeakThe highest point in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge9,924 ft
Wheeler Peak CampgroundWheeler Peak Scenic Drive: Baker and State Highway 488 to the Wheeler Peak trailheads, in Great Basin National Park9,886 ft
Road’s End TrailheadLamoille Canyon Road: State Route 227 to Road’s End Trailhead, in the Ruby Mountains8,800 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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