South Fork State Recreation Area
Jet Ski Beach & Coyote Cove, - Spring Creek, NV
In Nevada, a bit south of I-80 and the town of Elko, lies Spring Creek, NV and the South Fork State Recreation Area. Within it are 3 camping areas. I stayed at 2 and used the water filling station and shower at the 3rd. Jet Ski Beach and Coyote Cove were 2 camping areas right on the lakeside. They are on the western shore of the lake.
The sites are available for booking thru the State of Nevada Recreation website but, even with an annual pass you must pay ‘fees’ to use website reservation system. This is a definite downside, however if you go there and find an open spot you can contact the rangers and book thru them with no charges. There are good spacing between sites and a friend with a van & trailer combo had space to share one site between us.
It was really nice having a sturdy table, covered pavilion and BBQ station. There also was a fire pit. It was too windy to use it safely. As you are right at the lakeside it was often windy in the afternoon. One day it was windy enough for white-capped chop on the water. Small craft warnings that would have been in place on an ocean - did not deter the many rafts, paddle boarders, jet skiers, kayakers or other watercraft ‘sailors’.
The area is stunningly beautiful. Across the lake are hills and mountains where the changing light can create amazing contrasts. The light on the water can be mesmerizing in the dappled sunlight. Cloud formations change and merge into BIG fluffy cottony textured shaped with possibly ominous gray bottoms.
The perspective is deceptive. Those little trees above are really full size 40+ foot trees. There is a tiny building visible and there is the main road at the base of the rocky hillside, way on the left is a full-size semi truck going down the road. That makes the mountain huge and much higher in elevation than the 5000+ feet of Elko. It is a bit further to town than I like but the main roads are not too bad for the narrow, shoulder-less roads that are common in this part of Nevada. How high? Well, high enough to still have visible snow on the 4th of July.
Here too, you can see the relative size of the buildings and vehicles to the size of the hills and mountains. The campsite at Jet Ski Beach was somewhat noisier due to the presence of motorized watercraft. There is a 100 yard ‘no-wake zone along the beach and off the docking/ramp area which helps. Sounds do carry quite a bit further across the water and the giggles, laughter, and screams of delight were definitely audible. Many of the campers had large rigs that came with generators. The quiet hours were adhered to by all.
Wildlife is abundant. Shore birds and ubiquitous sparrows are abundant. Killdeer, yellow-headed blackbirds, ravens and crows commonly moved across the area between the campsite and the lakeshore. Uncommon bird visitors included terns, geese, nighthawks, and a pair of pelicans. On the grassy side were quail, rabbits, and perhaps relatives of ferrets.
The sparrow parents had a nest under the eaves of the metal roofed pavilion. You could hear the babies but, not see them clearly from the ground. Like the many other noises, you readily became accommodated to them. Also like many birds, they were quiet after dark. All in all, this was a great place to stay. Water fill and showers were at the East Coast Campground, which is where you want to stay if you need hookups. I am always happy to find ‘boondocking’ with good sun for my solar panels.