A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Timber Creek Campground

Forest Service campground in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Headquarters, White Pine County, Nevada. 8,735 feet. 16 miles from Ely.

Managed by
Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Headquarters
Elevation
8,735 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
8 5 group standard area non-electric, 3 standard non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Timber Creek Campground is located in Duck Creek Basin, high on the Schell Creek Range, in eastern Nevada. It sits at an elevation of 8,500 feet, approximately 25 miles from the small city of Ely. Visitors to the area enjoy hiking, horseback riding, fishing and off-road vehicle riding, among other activities.

Recreation

Timber Creek is a perennial stream with rainbow and brook trout fishing. The High Schells Wilderness can be accessed from a trailhead located a half-mile up the road from the campground.

The 30-mile Success Loop Scenic Drive is located in the Duck Creek Basin with views of the surrounding high desert and mountain terrain.

Access to the Ranger OHV Trail is located below the campground and offers recreational opportunities for OHVs, horseback, mountain bikes and hiking.

Facilities

The campground has five group campsites, which serve varying sizes of groups between 25-100 people. Some sites require a short walk from the parking area, on a bridge over Timber Creek, to access the site pad.

All sites have picnic and serving tables, a campfire ring and a grill. Vault toilets and drinking water is provided. This is a "pack it in, pack it out" site, with no trash collection service.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a dense forest of Engelmann spruce, aspen and white fir trees, which offers partial shade and beautiful fall color. Timber Creek flows past the campground. High Schells Wilderness sits immediately ajacent to the campground and has multiple peaks greater than 11,000 ft. in elevation.

Nearby Attractions

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park is a few miles southeast of Ely, providing an opportunity to see interesting historic stone ovens and hike an interpretive trail. The Northern Nevada Railway in Ely has a museum and offers train rides.

Cave Lake State Park is a few miles south of Duck Creek Basin along the Success Loop Road.

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

What people do here

  • backpacking
  • biking
  • birding
  • camping
  • cross country skiing
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horse camping
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • mountain biking
  • mountain climbing
  • off highway vehicle trails
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • scenic drive
  • snowshoeing
  • star gazing
  • wilderness
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Timber Creek Campground

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.