$30 / night

Camper submitted image from Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground - 2

Buildings

Camper submitted image from Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground - 3

Nature

Camper submitted image from Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground - 4

Facilities

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Roads

Established Camping

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground

4 Reviews

Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

<p>California State Parks wants to thank our park visitors for helping us keep our parks and environment clean. In 2018, State Parks installed new RV dump station collection systems at ten state park units as part of a pilot program to help us protect the environment and are added amenities for our visitors. </p> <p>Following the success of the initial pilot program in 2018, an additional eleven park units have been added to the program.  The service is available for campers, day-use or transient visitors for $10-$20 per use, depending on the location. Please note that visitors with current reservations arriving on or after April 13, 2021, who are interested in using the RV dump stations may be required to pay the use fee. The price per campsite for these state parks does not include the use of a dump station.  View the following link:  <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1029">Camping Information</a></p>

About

State Park

John L. Whitehead Jr. Campground

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Location

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground is located in California

Directions

From I-5 take 99 North; 30-miles past Bakersfield, Exit at Pond Road and keep going west aprox. 7 miles to State Highway 43. From there, go right (on Highway 43)for about 8-miles to Palmer Avenue. Make a left over the railroad tracks then turn right to enter the park. Directions (From Northern California) From State Highway 99 take the Alpaugh exit in Earlimart; turn right on County Road J22 (Sierra Way) go approx. 7 miles to State Highway 43. From there, go left 2 miles to Palmer Avenue. Make a right over the railroad tracks then turn right to enter the park.

Address

Star Route 1, Box 148
Earlimart, CA 93219

Coordinates

35.8660505614 N
119.39251772 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Available
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Reservable
Showers
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE

$30

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

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Erik J.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 27, 2023

Remote, quiet and great history

While the sounds of highways and trains abound, the historical significance of this amazing site isn't lost to the sands of time. A pleasant, barely off the beaten path campground, this is worth a stop over before entering the hustle and bustle of southern California urban life.

Walk around the town and listen to the history of this very significant town that was once the site of the largest hotel between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

We are the only people here

Site9

Month of VisitOctober

(16) View All

Meg R.

Guide

Reviewed Dec. 5, 2020

A quaint stopover

I spent two nights at the campground and would gladly stop by again if I find myself in that corner of the valley. I visited in the last days of November, and imagine there is more activity in other seasons.

I enjoyed riding my bike around the historic town. The infestation of ground squirrels was horrifying for someone who works in agriculture, but they do provide some entertainment to watch, along with the blazing orange sunset.

The staff and host were welcoming and facilitating were clean. There are flush toilets, free hot showers, water spigots, and a $10 dump station. It’s no frills, but had everything I needed for my stay.

(8) View All

Brian C.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2018

Historic First African American Town in California

Historic and cool.

Month of VisitJuly

(20) View All

Corinna B.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 1, 2018

Weird. Awesome. Historic. Awesome.

The "Town"

In 1908, former slave Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other African Americans founded the town of Allensworth in the San Joaquin Valley of California. According to wikipedia, it is "the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans." At its height, the town included 200 people and a library, post office, barbershop, store, hotel, schoolhouse, church, and numerous other homes and farming buildings.

Water for the town, however, began to try up as other farms "upstream" increased demand and by the time of the Great Depression, public services such as the post office began to shut down and many residents had to move away to find work. Despite hard times, the "town that refused to die" still had a population of 90 in 1972, though within a few years that had dropped to almost zero.

Due to the town's historical significance and a public campaign to save the town, in 1976 Allensworth became a state historic park. Nowadays, many of the buildings have been restored and are available for public tours along with the addition of a visitor center and 15 campsites.

The Campground

The campground is set off at the back of the historic town and was completely deserted when we arrived on a warm summer day in June, including empty spots where camp hosts would have been. Self registration is easy though (just $20) and the town itself had rangers and volunteers in the visitor center for any questions. Bathrooms with flush toilets, free showers, water fountains and an area to wash dishes were ridiculously clean. The camp sites had concrete pads for RVs, picnic tables with covers, and a couple of water faucets, though no electricity or water hookups except for in the camp host spots. The area is hot and dry in the summer with few trees, so the shade covers over the picnic tables are helpful. There’s also an RV dump for an additional $10.

The Weird and The Awesome

I absolutely loved this campground and learning about the town history. It’s quirky, interesting, and such an odd thing to find in the middle of nowhere-California between Fresno and Bakersfield. It also felt completely deserted, like a ghost town, despite rangers and the occasional tour bus coming through. The big open spaces, dust, and sparse amount of trees adds to its otherworldly-ness. If you find yourself anywhere near here, definitely worth a stop. Or if not, their website includes much more information about the history including a virtual tour and is worth a look: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=583

Month of VisitJuly

(21) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground has water hookups and sewer hookups.

What is the max vehicle length at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground?

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground allows vehicles up to 35 feet.

Are fires allowed at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is available, and T-Mobile is unknown.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground, try setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground?

There are 16 campsites at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts