Wild Horse State Recreation Area

Wild Horse State Recreation Area is a 140-acre site on the northeast shore of Wild Horse Reservoir. The Recreation Area offers boating, fishing, hunting (not on the Recreation Area but on the surrounding lands), picnicking and camping. The park is open year-round, but this is northeastern Nevada and Wild Horse Reservoir often serves up Nevada's lowest winter temperatures (which sometimes reach -40°).

Wild Horse Reservoir was constructed for irrigation purposes on the Duck Island Indian Reservation. When full, the lake has a surface area of 2,830 acres and holds up to 73,500 acre-feet of water. This area was once the Owyhee Meadows, a treeless high, cold desert that was roamed by herds of wild mustangs. The growth of local ranching has restricted the movements of the wild mustang herds but they can still be found west of Wild Horse on the Owyhee Desert. The mountains around here rise to 8,000' and the peaks are usually snow-capped for the better part of the year.

The campground has 33 sites, some of which can accommodate large RV's. Each site has a camp pad, fire grill and picnic table but there are no utility hookups. Restrooms are available year-round but showers, central water faucets and the dump station are only open in the summer. Stays are limited to 14 days in any 30 day period. The picnic area offers picnic tables and fire pits with nice views of the reservoir.

To get to Wild Horse State Recreation Area, take State Route 225 north from Elko, go 67 miles.

Entry fees: $7 per vehicle per day for non-Nevada residents, $5 per vehicle per day for Nevada residents. Camping: $14 per site per night for non-Nevada residents, $12 per site per night for Nevada residents. Boat launch: $10 per boat for non-Nevada residents, $8 per boat for Nevada residents. Boat/Camp Combo: $17 per day/night combo for non-Nevada residents, $15 per day/night combo for Nevada residents.