Two BLM Campgrounds: Water Canyon & Mill Creek, Nevada

Nevada Beach Campground, Lake Tahoe
    After learning that the McDermitt, NV, Library either does not have WiFi or turns it off when the library is closed, I motored on to Winnemucca, a good-sied town on I-80. And once I found the Winnemucca Library did not have WiFi (which is supposedly in the works) I used use the Free Campground locater which is often near the end of most blog posts to locate a free BLM Campground 4 miles south of the town up Water Canyon.

 

    As I drove up the canyon I felt I might have trouble finding a level spot, but, as you can see to the right, I finally parked in a very level spot.

 

 

    Here's a late-evening shot to the north of Winnemucca, which sits in the Humboldt River Valley, to the Santa Rosa Mtns. Most of those following the California Trail continued on past the Humboldt Sink before attempting to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range at either Donner or Carson Passes. [Others earlier and later may have crossed the "Range of Light" either further south or further north of the Reno/Carson City area.]

 

 

    My favorite moon, a Trine, over Water Canyon and my rig; most of the trees along the small creek are cottonwoods.

 

 

 

    The next morning, 30 June, I took this photo of looking down the canyon once the cottonwoods had thinned out. It actually shows part of the industrial portion of Winnemucca, which is spread out both to the right and left of the warehouses in this photo.

 

    When I got to Battle Mountain, I was again surprised at the lack of WiFi in its library. And because they didn't invite me to have some wine at some sort of soiree after the library/visitor center closed at 4 p.m., I went to the local McDonalds and looked up another free BLM Campground about 20 miles south and 4 miles east of town.

 

 

    My rig again at Mill Creek, which will accomodate larger rigs than at Water Canyon; that is, the 3 RV sites can handle rigs up to 30'. Further downstream there are 10+ tent sites.

 

 

 

    When I checked out the bulletin board I thought at first that I was seeing a 1932 Presidential poster, but instead it was information on the Civilian Conservation Corps -- among other things.
    In the 19+ months I've been on the road and visited many state and Federal facilities. Mill Creek, CCC Camp DG-18, had the best explanation I've see yet of the CCC and life therein. [N.B. When the lumber camps near Fort Bragg, CA, where closed after my late father graduated from high school in 1934, he joined the CCC.]

 

 

    The Mill Creek CCC was somewhat short-lived: 1 July 1935 to 1 April 1937, though its abandonment wasn't until 2 May. Apparently a lack of more cattle-grazing land led to the camp's closure.
    But, while I've read of some other CCC Camps, particularly at National Parks, I learned that enrollees were encouraged to go to work for private companies if they could secure a job -- in which case they were realeased to the private sector.

 

 

    My sister-in-law asked me to describe some of the wildlife I've seen. In this case I was able to slowly open the screen door to my camper & take 3 photos. In this first is a cottontail rabbit on the right and what I think is a pygmy cottontail on the left. I know the latter species exists because I saw it on a plaque at one of the National Parks I've visited.

    Not sure what the plant is which the cottontail is nibbling, but it's similar to burr clover.
    As for other wildlife I've seen, there have been numerous quail, doves, and robins, but only one roadrunner. When it moves it puts its head down as do robins; and it's a big bird, perhaps bigger than a mourning dove and about the same size as the ring-necked doves which seem to be pushing the former out of their previous habitats.

    Note the reflection from the left eye of the pygmy cottontail.
    As for game animals, I saw a herd of antelopes last year while driving US6 from Ely to Tonopah, and I saw a male and female not far from where I boondocked in Utah after driving from Moab up the Colorado to near Cisco. None of the deer I've seen have had racks larger than that of spike bucks.
    Finally, saw mustangs (aka feral or wild horses) last year in driving across Central Nevada and yesterday while driving up the truck road to Virginia City, NV.
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Links:

• Free Campsites web pages on Water Canyon
• BLM Camping in Nevada

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Sa 7 Jul Actual Route: Dayton State Park - Virginia City - Carson City Walmart

Su 8 Jul Actual Route: Carson City Walmart - C.C. McDonalds - Genoa - Minden - Nevada Beach CG, Zephyr Cove

M 9 Jul Actual Route: Nevada Beach CG - So L Tahoe - Incline Village, NV - Kings Beach, CA - Incline Village - Mt Rose CG

T 10 Jul Actual Route: Mt Rose CG - South Valley Lib (Reno) - Mt Rose CG

W 11 Jul Actual Route: Mt Rose CG - South Valley Lib (Reno) - Mt Rose CG

Th 12 Jul Route: Mt Rose CG - South Valley Lib (Reno) - Mt Rose CG - Kings Beach, CA - Martis Crk USFS CG

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.