A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Thomas Canyon

Forest Service campground in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Headquarters, Elko County, Nevada. About 7,200 feet. 23.1 miles from Elko.

Managed by
Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Headquarters
Elevation
About 7,200 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
39 31 standard non-electric, 7 rv non-electric, 1 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
65 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Elko County

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.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • climbing
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Thomas Canyon

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.