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Established Camping

Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park

Potwisha Campground, near Three Rivers, California, is a great spot for those looking to dive into the beauty of Sequoia National Park. With its close proximity to the park, you’ll find yourself surrounded by towering trees and stunning landscapes, making it a perfect base for your outdoor adventures.

This campground offers a laid-back vibe with sites that allow for tent and RV camping. Many visitors have enjoyed the nearby swimming hole, complete with a rope swing, which adds a splash of fun to your stay. The Marble Fork of the Kaweah River is just a stone's throw away, providing a scenic backdrop for relaxation or a quick dip.

Amenities include picnic tables and fire pits, making it easy to gather around for meals and stories. Some campers have mentioned that the sites can be a bit close together, but the friendly atmosphere and the chance to spot wildlife, like deer and even bears, keep the experience lively. As one camper noted, “Saw my first wild bear!”

For those who love hiking, you’ll find trails leading to breathtaking waterfalls right from the campground. While it can get a bit warm in the summer, the shade from the trees and the cool creek nearby help keep things comfortable. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Potwisha Campground offers a solid mix of relaxation and adventure.

Description

National Park Service

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Overview

Potwisha Campground, located along the Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park, offers convenience for visiting the many attractions in the park. The campground is situated along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, just four miles from the park entrance, in the Sierra Foothills. For more information and trip planning please see our website at www.nps.gov/seki .

Recreation

There are numerous opportunities for fishing and hiking near the campground. The Marble Falls trailhead is situated adjacent to the campground and several other trails are a short drive away. Access to the Kaweah River is just a short walk across the street from the campground.

Natural Features

The Foothills consist of the lower elevations of Sequoia National Park, where the grassy valley floor gives way to granite peaks. Oaks, chaparral, and river canyons are plentiful here in an area with more biological diversity than the conifer forests and High Sierra combined. Winters are relatively snow-free and mild; summer is characterized by hot and dry weather. Wildlife is frequently seen in the area, including the American Black Bear, mule deer, and bobcats, as well as numerous bird species.

Nearby Attractions

Potwisha Campground is located within a 45 minute drive from the Giant Forest, home to the largest trees on Earth. Moro Rock, Crescent Meadow and the Congress Trail are also located in the Giant Forest area, as well as numerous other opportunities for exploration in Sequoia National Park. The Crystal Caves are about an hour's drive (18 miles/29 km) from the campground. Reserve tour tickets in advance on Recreation.gov.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (559) 565-3714.

Charges & Cancellations

Payment in full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Additional fees will apply for late cancellations. All cancellations made between midnight on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival are considered late cancellations and will incur a $10.00 cancellation fee and will also forfeit the first nights use fee. Cancellations for a single nights reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply.

Fee Info

ENTRANCE FEES APPLY: 1-7 Day Pass- $35 per vehicle (private, non-commercial). $20 per person (on foot, bicycle, or bus). $30 per motorcycle (not per person). 12 month pass available at Ash Mountain & Big Stump Entrance Stations. Check www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/fees.htm for details. CAMPING FEES: $32 per night for Regular Camping and $16 per night for valid lifetime Access Pass, lifetime Senior Pass, and annual Senior Pass. No other passes receive reduced rates. Failure to notify the campground prior to 12:00 pm noon the day following scheduled arrival may result in your reservation being cancelled.

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Location

Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

Potwisha Campground is easily accessed from Visalia, California, and Highway 99. Follow Highway 198 east from Visalia for 36 miles, until you reach the Ash Mountain Entrance Station. The campground is located 4 miles beyond the entrance station on the left, or north, side of the road. Please visit our website for more specific driving directions, as well as area maps.

Address

47050 Generals Highway
Three rivers, CA 93271

Coordinates

36.5174444 N
118.800375 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump

Drive Time


Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

23 Reviews

Reviewed Oct. 16, 2024

Good access to Sequoia

Stayed in#2 which was largely shaded but sloped as are many sites. Recommend site#20 especially- next to river and large and level. Also site#17 and#22 were level and relatively shady/private. Flush toilets and sinks with potable water but no water taps. Has sewer dump adjacent.#21 and#23 were nice but not as level. Some road noise but not bad, Large rock formation to west means early sunset which keeps temps moderate. 

Food aside: Ate breakfast scramble burritos (Mtn House or Readywise) with supplemental Costco Merlot cheese, chorizo, and Kinders wood fired garlic seasoning. Yum!

Site2
Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Sep. 7, 2024

Just needed for a night

One night is all I spent here. It was much warmer climate than other areas of the park due to lower elevation. There’s a 6 mile hike starting from the campground that leads to some waterfalls. No camp host on duty and many campers breaking rules I.e. campfires fires during a burn ban, loud music throughout the campground, plugging a movie theater set-up using extension cords to the bathroom. Would have appreciated if it was better managed. The camp site itself was decent. Large enough for several tents.

Site16
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Taylor A., September 7, 2024
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Taylor A., September 7, 2024
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Taylor A., September 7, 2024
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Dec. 12, 2023

Pretty full even in December

Reservations required and we were able to reserve online just before we arrived. The campground was full. Our spot was okay but not very level (so we used our blocks which helped some). The sites are pretty close together. We pulled over to the dump station area/parking lot across the street the next morning so we could stretch out a bit and throw a ball for our dogs. Nobody was there. The creek is very pretty. The camp host was very friendly and helpful. No snow and weather was great.

Site31
Month of VisitDecember
Reviewed Sep. 3, 2021

Easy and Crisp

First spot in the park. Wonderful swimming hole. Easy to access and quaint site. Trails and nearby restaurants.

Site-
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Sep. 3, 2021

Great Swimming Hole

This campground is sort if basic. It is very close to town as its the first campground in the Sequoia Park. The swimming hole is unmatched, complete with rope swing. Very accessible and even bear sightings. Trails and lots of shade.

Sitepotwisha
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2021

Crowded and super noisy

This campsite is very close to the Sequoia foothill visitor center which is nice but it also means it’s at a much lower elevation than the rest of the park. It is HOT in the summer and it’s not super shaded. This campsite is really crowded. There were tons of very large noisy groups so if you are looking for a calm and tranquil evening, do not stay here. It’s more of a party campground if that’s what you are going for. There was loud music, crying kids, and barking dogs. The bathrooms are decent. Bear boxes are provided at each site. Overall I would not stay here again only because the people make it a horrible experience and it is toasty at that low of elevation.

Site7
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Victoria F., August 12, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 13, 2021

Perfect in march

This is a great spot in March April and may 

But gets pretty hot in the summer.

Plenty of scenery and hiking.

Trailhead to waterfall hike starts in the campground.

Sitesite 37
Month of VisitMarch
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  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Robert S., July 13, 2021
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jun. 28, 2021

Close to giant trees and hikes.

Saw my first wild bear! Slowed down to take a photo and a car flying down the road almost hit it but it scampered away unscathed. You can walk across the street to the river. There’s a cool bridge and a rocks to climb on. The site was smallish. Nice bathrooms. Even a pay phone.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Kristina B., June 28, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Kristina B., June 28, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Kristina B., June 28, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 30, 2021

Hard to get reservations

Its qlmost impossible to get a spot here, but we got lucky on a Thursday early in the season. It was amazing! There were deer and marmots that were friendly (but not camp beggers) and trees the perfect distance for hammock sleeping.

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Rosie H., May 30, 2021
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2021

Great 4 days in February

Great place to start exploring Sequoia NP. I brought my own shower/toilet tent for 4 night stay. Hardly anyone there. Wonderful stay.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heidi H., February 19, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heidi H., February 19, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heidi H., February 19, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Feb. 18, 2021

Campsite 13

We camped at site 13 between 2/12 and 2/14. There were restrooms and a large sink that is useful to dump bear attracting water located pretty close.

The campsite itself is fairly large. I would say it lends itself more to tent camping than car or RTT camping. The site is located on a significant slope, this includes the paved parking area and the grass. There are a fire pit, bear box and picnic table located at the site. Be wary, when we went there were numerous large holes that were definitely a trip hazard.

While there were rangers and employees of the park driving around, there were no actual rangers at the kiosk. Additionally, there wasn't a reservation list posted.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mary S., February 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mary S., February 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mary S., February 18, 2021
Reviewed Nov. 15, 2020

Sequoia

Great place to stay before getting to Sequoias. Was a little cold at night but not to bad. Had a deer run by our site in the morning which was a surprise.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Stacy C., November 15, 2020
Reviewed Nov. 5, 2020

Lovely stay

I really enjoyed my stay at this campground.  We had a spacious site, it was quiet, and I loved the hike to the waterfall from the campground.  In fact, the trail was right off our site.  There are some very curious and friendly deer when we were there!

Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Julie D., November 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Julie D., November 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Julie D., November 5, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2020

Can be loud

We were right next to the entrance of a hiking trail (#14) so there was a lot of foot traffic & cars early in the morning and throughout the day. There was a large party of maybe 6-8 people next to us that blasted music way into the night. It wasn’t very considerate, but you never know the neighbors you’ll get. There was a deep sink right next to the bathroom which made it easy to do dishes. Good place to stay but I’d prefer driving the extra hour or so to stay at a dispersed spot off Tenmile for free.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mandy , September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mandy , September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Mandy , September 11, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Dec. 14, 2019

Good for a layover, wouldn't spend a lot of time here

There was nothing really wrong with the campground, and it's fine for a night stay or two but I can't see spending a ton of time here.

I managed to grab site 9 and I guess I just got lucky.  The campground was packed and people were rolling in fast.

Lots of BIG campers and a fair number of tent campers.

Even with a packed campground the site I had was quiet.  Must have been because it was up on a hill.

Sites have picnic tables, fire rings and bear boxes.

Running water, flush toilets and water to refill your bottles or what have you.

There is a river that is easy enough to walk to.  I didn't have time to fish but it did look pretty promising.  There is a site you basically have to walk through to get to the river.  Nice large site.

The deer are all over and not easily spooked.

Sitesite 9
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heather P., December 14, 2019
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heather P., December 14, 2019
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Heather P., December 14, 2019
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Sep. 1, 2018

Tight, close quarters sites

Medium sized campground that has smaller, tight sites. Located directly off the main access road to Sequoia National Park, making it very loud and popular. RV’s and big campers with lights and generators. Fine if your passing through or can’t find other accommodations, but I wouldn’t spend significant time there. There is a swimming hole with ancient petroglyphs and acorn grinding holes right across the street.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Bryan R., September 1, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 30, 2018

Not so Fido friendly & Noisey

We just left after staying 3 Nights here. It was in the high 90s and extremely uncomfortable. We had campsite 1 which didn’t have much shade. When walking around I would recommend 5,7,9 if you are going. At this time (July) they are doing construction 12 after entering the park( which they told us when we entered) they allow cars to pass on the hour. No dogs allowed in the creeks or trails. The flies got the best of me but thats just nature.

The campground itself is basic. Bathrooms somewhat dirty, spots have a lot of sun, ground squirrels EVERYWHERE and basically have no fear. No showers so we sponged bathed and it was perfect. I’m not sure what was going on at night but at the dump station across the street loud trucks would come and it sounded like train cars being locked together/hitting each other.

we didn’t get to see the waterfall since we had our dog( our bad) it’s a pretty drive up to the sequoia forest.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Genevieve L., June 30, 2018
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Genevieve L., June 30, 2018
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Genevieve L., June 30, 2018
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jun. 28, 2018

First Campground in Park

As soon as you enter Sequoia from the SW side you’ll see Potwisha on your left. The biggest thing to remember is that the tempshere will be 20 degrees warmer than at Lodgepole, so if you’re underdressed or under-supplied, get into Potwisha. The Ranger came around and checked in everybody, said hi, invited us to the amphitheater area for a stargazing class. She had binoculars and everything you needed to learn about the heavens!

Good place to stay! Love this park!

Site2
Month of VisitApril
Reviewed Jun. 12, 2018

Nice spot with a beautiful drive to the Giant Forest!

Sequoia National Park is easily my favorite place in tbe US, with wonderful options for camping all around. After some last min changes, we had to resort to this campsite as we were running out of light.

Decent prices for being inside a National Park, though nowhere to buy firewood unless you leave the park! clean bathrooms and a nice variety of different campsites with nice paved places to park!

Reviewed Jun. 7, 2018

Great and popular site

We arrived just after dark and a neighbor provided us some of his extra wood. The site was near capacity but was an easy stopover on our trip from Yosemite.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Joe K., June 7, 2018
Reviewed Apr. 12, 2017

General Sherman Trip

I stayed here at the Potwisha camp area for three days on a trip to view the area. The campgrounds were clean, close to the entrance, and quite full. The fee for overnight stay was normal and everything needed was close to each individual location. The staff here were spirited and helpful throughout my stay; I would definitely come back anytime!

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Justin P., April 12, 2017
Reviewed Sep. 23, 2016

Great campground

It was a great campground but I have been ruined by free campgrounds so when I do have to pay I am disappointed if there aren't showers. Also it was a little far away from the main section of the park (where we wanted to be) but it was the only campground available.

That being said, the campground was pretty sweet. We backed out truck in and slept in the bed, but there are plenty of rv and tent sites around. We stayed at site 12 for two nights and on our last morning we woke up to see a bobcat snoozing in the sun. We also lucked out and came across a mama bear and two cubs near Moro Rock which was incredible!!!

Next time I would try to reserve a campground up higher, but I wouldn't think twice about staying here again if they were full.

Reviewed Aug. 14, 2016

I never stopped smiling here.

Honestly, this was all just incredible. The campground itself was awesome. Far away from neighbors to feel privacy and great hikes in every direction that go up in the mountains. A lot of mule deer very close by as well. Beautiful rivers and waterfalls to be seen and the wildlife is so vibrant.

  • Review photo of Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park by Randall M., August 14, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

    Camping at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park can cost between $22.00 and $32.00 depending on the site.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

    Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park allows vehicles up to 49 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

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

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

    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 Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park?

    There are 40 campsites at Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts