The Marble Fork Kaweah River flows directly through this 214-site campground, creating natural white noise that masks neighboring conversations while providing easy water access. Campers describe falling asleep to the sound of flowing water, with many riverside sites offering direct access to shallow pools where visitors can cool off during warm afternoons. The elevation keeps summer temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s, making it notably cooler than lower-elevation alternatives in the region.

Sites cluster into distinct areas, with Upper Lodgepole featuring more tent-friendly spots along the river and Lower Lodgepole accommodating larger RVs and groups. Many campers report that riverside sites book quickly, though the sound of water helps create privacy even when neighbors are close. [Susan V.](https://thedyrt.com/camping/california/lodgepole-campground-sequoia-and-kings-canyon-national-park/reviews/105510) notes that "the river helps to drown out the other campground noise." Dense tree coverage provides shade at most sites, with bear boxes standard at each location.

The campground serves as a hub for park exploration, with shuttle stops providing access to popular destinations like General Sherman Tree and Moro Rock. Tokopah Falls Trail begins directly from the campground, while several other hiking routes start nearby. An on-site market sells firewood, ice, and basic supplies, though the visitor center operates seasonally. Rangers patrol regularly and emphasize proper food storage, as bears frequent the area.

Reservations fill months in advance, particularly for summer dates, though cancellations do appear. Cell service remains unavailable throughout the campground, with limited wifi available at the nearby lodge. Winter closure typically runs from late fall through spring, depending on snow conditions. Water spigots and flush toilets are distributed throughout, though shower facilities may close seasonally.

For campers preferring smaller crowds, [Buckeye Flat Campground — Sequoia National Park](https://thedyrt.com/camping/california-buckeye-flat) offers a more intimate setting downstream.

## Overview

 Lodgepole Campground is located in the breathtaking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in central California's rugged Sierra Nevada range. Lodgepole is perched on the banks of the scenic and lengthy Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, at an elevation of 6,700 ft. The inspiring Giant Forest Grove and the mighty General Sherman Tree - the world's largest tree in volume - are just two miles from the campground.
## Recreation

 Forty miles of trails, including the paved Big Trees Trail, invite visitors to immerse themselves in the majesty of the ancient grove. Several additional popular hiking and wilderness trailheads are close by, including the trail to Moro Rock, a granite dome with spectacular views of the Great Western Divide and western half of the park. Tokopah Falls Trail is an easy walk along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, leading to an impressive 1200 ft. waterfall. Fly-fishing is also a popular activity on the Marble Fork. 
## Facilities

 Lodgepole Campground is very popular with tent and RV campers alike. It has paved roads, flush toilets, and drinking water. Picnic tables, fire rings, and bear food storage boxes are provided at each site. Lodgepole Village is a quick, 1/4-mile away, offering, a Visitor Center, market and gift shop and coin-operated showers and laundry facilities. 
## Natural Features

 Lodgepole pine, Red fir, and shrubs forest the campground, while towering groves of giant sequoias and craggy granite peaks dot the landscape. The Marble Fork of the Kaweah River is fed by snowmelt and flows seasonally through the site. This region is characterized by warm days and cool nights in the summer and deep snow and cold days in the winter. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (559) 565-4404. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The General Sherman Tree, General Grant Tree, Moro Rock and Tunnel Log are nearby, as is the informative Giant Forest Museum and the Lodgepole Visitor Center.\_Colorful Crescent Meadow offers views of vivid summer wildflowers and access to Tharp's Log, a cabin in a fallen sequoia.\_\_Tours into Crystal Cave, one of hundreds of marble caves in the park, give visitors an interesting view of rock formations, fossils, rare minerals, and unique wildlife. Tickets are required, but are not sold at the cave entrance. Reserve in advance at: [Crystal Cave - Sequoia Parks Conservancy][1]Crystal Cave is about a 45 minute drive (13 miles/21 km) from the campground.\_\_Vehicles longer than 22 feet long are prohibited on the narrow, winding Crystal Cave Road.
## 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.If your campsite remains vacant for 24 hours after your arrival date it will be cancelled and made available on rec.gov.You will be charged for the first night's campsite fee and a $20 cancellation fee, all other fees after that will be refunded. Recreation.gov policies apply to all reservations, cancellations, refunds and date changes. Call (559) 565-4404 if you will be arriving 24 hours after your arrival date so your site won't be cancelled. 

[1]: https://sequoiaparksconservancy.org/crystal-cave/

Lodgepole Campground — Sequoia National Park

Looking for the best campgrounds near Hartland, CA? Hartland is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Hartland and user-submitted reviews.

Hartland

The Best Camping Near Hartland, California

We really enjoyed this campsite (despite some loud neighbors). The sites really do vary based on where they're at in the grounds, so make sure to look at the map carefully. We picked one in back and were very happy. We loved the easy access to the free public shuttles around the park, as well as the relatively near market/store for supplies ranging from outdoor/backcountry equipment to s'mores supplies, ice and beer. I would have liked to stay longer (on a less crowded, non-holiday weekend) and camp there while enjoying many of the beautiful day hikes in the area, taking full advantage of that shuttle system!

Great base in crowded Sequoia/Kings Canyon Park

Lodgepole campground is a large one with over 200 sites but does a great job of making the most out of each individual site.  The best sites are the ones nearest to the river and most have large trees to provide shade during the hot summer days.  The site is closed during the summer

Lodgepole Along the River

Wonderful place to camp for first-timers or families with babies. Full amenities, general store, showers, washing machine's and Ranger station  with activities for kids throughout the week. Several  trailheads and points of interest are not far from Lodgepole also, there is a Free shuttle that runs between most of them during the week and weekend.

Glamping for sure!

A campground that I vividly remember as a kid, I returned to visit after 12 years.

Centralized in Sequoia National Park, the campground finds itself near a large visitor center, a general market, and has running water and flush toilets throughout. I find that these elements combined attract a lot of "new" campers who aren't quiet in tune with proper etiquette. 

Lots of noise in all this hustle-and-bustle, may not make it your ideal retreat. People crossing through sites to get to the bathrooms without saying hello, and loud music up until curfew.

Big plus, lots of hikes are nearby - I recommend wilderness press Sequoia and Kings Canyon Hiking and Backpacking Trails

Gorgeous Campground - Bustling area

Amazing views all around the campgrounds. If you want to get of away  from the city this is the place to be...Love it.


 Lodgepole Campground itself is located in the beautiful Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the central California region next to the amazing  Sierra Nevada. Lodgepole is near the Kaweah River.

 The Giant Sequoia Forest it's a thing of beauty and the famous General Sherman Tree - the world's largest tree is an incredible experience to see up close.

Sequoia 

Lodgepole Campground at Kings Canyon / Sequoia is a GREAT park to do some great family camping.  It is clean, well laid-out and very well maintained.  I had sponsored the Sequoia National Parks for many years because of how well they maintain the parks, campgrounds, facilities and how their interpretive programs are.  Hiking through the Crystal Caverns is amazing. Must do it. It is QUITE A WALK down to the caves so give yourself plenty of time to do the walk down BEFORE you go on the tour. This way if you have little ones with little legs, they get a rest and can enjoy the tour. 

The lodgepole campground is very close to The Village marketplace and makes it nice for "easy camping"- grabbing items that you may have forgotten or to pick up a nice treat.  They also have showering facilities at The Village Marketplace as well.  It makes it nice if you plan to tent camp for any period of time.  

I have tent camped here over 20+ times in a 10 year span.  I do not know if they have opened up the stables again however they used to have horseback riding trips that were fun to do.  

A nice little river/stream runs though the campground and it makes it nice to have "mini adventures" without having to leave camp at all. 

Great Family Camping

I stayed here during Thanksgiving weekend(last weekend before it closed for the season). It was my first snow camping experience,and it will definitely be a campground I return to again! A large majority of sites sit beside the Kaweah river, so its lovely to fall asleep at night listening to the river flowing. When I went the only sites available at the time were the walk in campsites,which were all spacious and had their own campfire rings and bear boxes. I wouls love to come back in the summertime to revisit the grounds,but if you are looking for a winter wonderland camping experience then look no further!

Beautiful river views campground

This was a great place to spend the Columbus day holiday at. The campground is well maintained, pretty and close enough to a restroom and the the C store that if we needed anything is was close at hand. The campsite is close to some great trails nearby as well.  

My only complaint is that when there are noisy neighbors there arena enough trees or shrubs to baffle the sound so it can become quite noisy depending on who is adjacent to you. Overall, still a great campground. 

Very nice campground

We've stayed at this campground twice now ... both during the summer months.  This campground is HUGE!!  Perfect place to go if you love to hike ... there is access to trailheads directly from campground.  There are public showers (money required) ... a huge gift store and eatery.  definitely luxury camping here 

This campground has it all

Lodgepole is a very popular camp ground in the Sequoias. There is a river that runs through the camp ground that is easily accessed and made for a lot of fun during our visit. The lodge offers many accommodations including food, laundry, visitors center, and shuttle access. The camp sites we stayed in were only for tents and included fire pit with grate (needed to be dug out a bit) and picnic table. Bear box on each site and additional shared boxes in walking distance for additional storage. Water and bathrooms within short walking distance. This is a busy campground and I find that it's hard not to get to know your neighbor. We were very fortunate to have other kids our daughters age by us however I can see how this could be inconvenient for some. Rangers patrol sites often and lots of wildlife in area. We enjoyed our stay and felt that it offered great access to both parks and enjoyed the trails that led directly from the campgrounds.

Popular outpost for exploring Sequoia and Kings Canyon 

We went to the Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and stayed for 3 nights at Site: 130\. Check-in Time is 12:00 PM and Check-out Time was also 12:00 PM.

This was a great site especially if you have kids with you. We had a 4 and 6 year old with us and the bathroom was super close to the site. The site was also close to the creek and little pools formed to dip your feet in... water was cold at the end of August! Loved the fire pit and the table and our camping neighbors were super friendly.

The site was also walking distance to the shuttles that takes you to the various areas of the majestic and beautiful national park: Morro Rock, General Sherman Tree, Museum center, etc. We even saw bears while we were in the shuttle.

The kids loved seeing deers, chipmunks and the bears from inside the shuttle. There was a bear's bathing pool that I wanted to check out but we didn't get to... NEXT TIME FOR SURE 😊

Sequoia Upper Lodge 

Great visit. If you read online you don't need reservations that is not true. If you can't get one, keep checking.

Ooooh Oooooh the summer nights

Spent 4 nights camping and hiking in Sequoia National Park. The site was great and offered good facilities.

Beautiful Campsite by a stream and waterfall,  Difficult to get reservatons

This campround is awesome! Great central location in the park

Love lodgepole

A group of friends and I stayed at this campground on a Saturday night on the weekend of May 5, 2018\. We got to the campsite around 2:00pm and were lucky to find a spot across the bridge next to the roaring creek. It was a beautiful open spot and the bathroom wasn’t too far away. There were bear proof food lockers for your food and drinking water nearby. We bought some firewood from the marketplace, which was next to the campground. The Lodgepole visitor center was closed for construction.

Fell Asleep to the Sound of the Creek

It's close enough to all the sites in sequoia but still at least 30 mins to the popular hiking trails. Our timing was bad when we stayed because they were doing a lot of dry brush clearing and thinning out the vegetation so we were greeted with the sounds of about a dozen chainsaws within a half mile radius of our campground. the good news was we didnt' have to buy any firewood as there were piles of them all around. There's potable water near each campsite and vault toilets that were maintained adequately.

Diamond in the rough

If you enjoy camping next to a river, this is a great spot for you. The campground is clean, comfy and provides enough scenery in the area to make staying here completely worth it.

River Runs Through

This place is amazing! I wish we could stayed more days. Restrooms were clean and with toilet paper  always. Is near the river, trailhead and the market. BTW we saw  deers around the market. I you go to Sequoia NP you have to camp here. you won't regret it.

Best Campround I've ever been!!

This campground was very scenic. It didn't seem like a normal campground and it was easy to forget that there were other people camping there. The campspots are perfect fit for a tent. We were camped right along a river spot. My husband and I went hiking in the campground away from the campsites and into the woods and actually saw a bear. The campsite feels right in the middle of the national park of Sequoia. You can hike in the camp away from sites and the top sites to see in Sequoia are also very close. It took 13 mikes to get the to campsite at the entrance of the national park but it was a beautiful scenic drive. Also this campsite offers and is nescessary to store food in bear proof compartments that are on every site. You can see many large Sequoia trees in the campsite. Also it was very shaded and cool after a hot day in August. Very worth visiting.

Beauitful and Scenic camping in the woods 

Rv camped in winter. Not all loops open but there weren’t a lot of people there so it was ok. Lots of long rv spaces. Nearby exploring is plentiful

Remember pets on leashes on trails.

Possibly the only campground open in winter

Although the sites are very close together, we found this campground to be very nice. The sites are small, flat, and the ground is too hard to stake into. Each site had a bear box which you MUST use as we saw several bears there… especially in the early morning. The store was a convenient walk and had the essentials. The scenery was beautiful; we loved walking around camp and taking it all in. It was cool at night because of the high elevation.

Gorgeous

This campground is almost TOO nice. There is everything you need and more. They have a full size grocery store, cafe, cafeteria, and gift shop. I loved this spot, but I would opt for a less crowded campsite if I had the choice. There’s so many people that you don’t necessarily get the solitude you might be looking for. However, if you’re looking to see General Sherman and the giant sequoias, it’s a great spot.

The campsite itself is beautiful and well kept. 

Classic campground minutes away from the giant sequoias 

If you’re looking to camp in California, Sequoia National Park should be one of your top destinations. They have cabin and tent camping. I have stayed in both. There are trails galore and GIGANTIC trees bigger than your car. This beautiful setting is worth visiting year round and I recommend camping during the less touristy times in early Spring and Fall. You are near lakes, waterfalls, and an array of bodies of water. I recommend coming up the back end up the park for an easier ascent rather than via the 198. The 198 takes you up a steep, but beautiful, hair pin turn ridden road. If you get car sick easily, take the route through Fresno.

Hug a giant tree!

Stayed in the lower area...wide open sites, no staff to be seen, and campground was the loudest I'd ever been to...people up all night long partying. Never again. Upper loop sites looked a little nicer.

Awful...never again

Epic classic Campground

My last visit to Lodgepole was in 2017 and I noticed the campsites were much closer together than the previous visit. Apparently a large snowmelt changed the course of the river and many sites were washed away causing the park to squeeze them in other areas. That’s was unfortunate but still a wonderful site. So nice to be able to jump in the river after a long day of camping! Also there is nothing better than falling asleep to the sound of a river. Great store onsite and lots of hikes right from the campground. Most campers are very respectful of quit hours but as we all have had to deal with there is always one loud site but they shut up when asked to keep it down. It’s inportant to ressurch the sites to get one that will fit your needs! Some are very small and only fit a little tent. But I really like this campground and recommend it. Will be returning in July and will update then. Happy Camping! 🐻⛺️

Great river side camping.

We stayed here a couple years ago. Had a wonderful time. There are several short hikes very close by as well as walking distance to the sequoia shuttle that can take you almost anywhere in the park for free. Plus the river goes through the middle of the campground so swimming is available. It’s a short walk to showers, market and a visitors center. Must make reservations 6 months in advance. 

Wonderful campground

This campground is definitely worth all 5 stars! The location is unbeatable, and the views are to die for. We stayed at site 144, which is right along the river! The river was high and boasting, which made great white noise for sleeping, as well as drowning out the sounds of other nearby campers - it gave us lots of privacy! While the campsites are sort of close to one another, we couldn't hear a thing they were saying, and we could have our music on without worrying about it disturbing our neighbors. Lots of places to hang a hammock if you are into lounging. There are a few hikes straight out of the campground if you don't want to travel far to get your adventure on, yet there is also a Shuttle stop right at the campground, which means you don't have to fight the crowds for a parking spot and can leave your car right at your campsite. Sequoia Nat'l park is pretty large, so having the market and visitor center within walking distance is also an added bonus. I recommend booking in advance, but if you aren't luucky enough to get a spot right away, keep watching the website! We actually kept daily tabs on in and were able to find a spot only a few months before, simply by watching for cancellations. Weather is great - only in the high 70's/low 80's for our July trip, and not too chilly at night - mid 50's to high 40's. The vast number of trees also provide shade at every camp site! This is much more comfortable than some of the other campgrounds that are lower in elevation in the area, which have much higher temperatures and amounts of sun exposure. I hope you get the chance to stay at Lodgepole! Strongly recommend the Alta Peak Trail high for experienced hikers, and the Commerce Trail for an easy high around lots of Sequoias (with less traffic than the General Sherman tree area). Happy exploring! :)

scenic and close to hiking trails, the visitor center, and market

This is a great campground. Right in the heart of the forest. There is a market and showers at the entrance to the campground. They even have a dump site for trailers and rv’s. Just a few miles down the road are the giant trees, Moro rock and crystal cave. The river runs right thru the campground too. Awesome and fun!!

Awesome

Perfectly situated near all the best trailheads. No privacy at this campground. Lots of loud families. Walking distance to the store with firewood and ice. Creek runs through it and lots of big trees nearby. 

Not private but wonderful central location 

Had a great time 3 nights of amazing campfires 


Great camp site 

Stayed in Site 78 in the upper part of Lodgepole, which was perfect. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no one was in the site next to us. (That one, site 74, seemed really cramped. Someone had moved the picnic table to the tent pad, but there wasn't really much space to move it anywhere else. If someone had been in that site, we'd have had neighbors pretty close to us.) On the other side of this site is a hillside, so the neighbors on that side are further up. The river helps to drown out the other campground noise, but we lucked out with all good neighbors, even on the weekend.

Site 78 is NOT listed as a "walk in" site, but you do have to walk your stuff down a little hill to get to the site, which has a lovely, flat tent pad. (Only issue was on one part of the pad, Lodgepole chipmunks had made holes. We were able to put our 4-person tent so it wasn't over those holes. I'd be concerned about the chipmunks chewing through the tent if you put it over their two holes.)

Nice fire pit, with views of the river and of the bridge through the campground. We could watch people coming and going on the Tokopah Falls Trail across the river. Our picnic table was SLIGHTLY slanted, but not a big deal. Our site was just across from the bathrooms. (Bring a light for that. Bathrooms have no lights here, but there are flushing toilets and sinks.) It's uphill to the bathrooms, but not too bad. The water spigot was right by our site, too. And we were within easy walking distance of both the Tokopah Falls trailhead and the shuttle bus stop at the campground to other parts of the park. (In June of 2021, the shuttles were running regularly along routes 1 and 4, with 2 and 3 not running because of the pandemic.)

The showers were listed as "closed for the season," which also appeared to be pandemic related. This was a bit disappointing because we were hoping to shower at some point during our 4-night stay. So beware of that, if you really want a shower. The Lodgepole visitor's center was also closed because of the pandemic, but the market was open, where you could buy souvenirs, typical items in a camp market (wood, marshmallows, drinks, ice cream, etc…)

Rangers were friendly. (Look for Ranger Alex and say hello!) Put your food and scented items in bear boxes. We were told that a bear had been in the campground in the previous week. We also saw one up the Tokopah Falls trail, in the meadow upstream from the campground. There is a kitchen sink at the bathrooms. The trash and recycle bins were across from the bathrooms. There were also extra bear boxes here and there, in case your stuff doesn't fit in one box.

You're welcome to scavenge for kindling and small pieces of wood here or else just buy wood from the market. (It was about $11 per box.)

Overall, we enjoyed our stay. We loved some of the other sites along the river, as well, also in Upper Lodgepole. Lower Lodgepole was more open, with what looked to be more party types and larger groups, plus more RV's. Across the bridge was another area, which seemed to be a mix of RV's and tents, but my group agreed we'd stick with Upper Lodgepole as tenters.  
  
Also, as noted on various websites, there's no cell phone service here. If you need to pop in to check a quick work email, there's slow wifi at the lodge about a 10 minute drive up the road. You can grab a wifi signal in the lobby there or grab a bite at their grill, but it's not fast wifi. Good enough for quick email answers though.

Lovely Site With a Great Tent Pad Along the River

Old growth forest; spacious, private sites with lots of understory. Our camp hosts, Jason and Michelle, were amazing. Friendly, knowledgeable ... just the best. They work hard to keep the place pristine and it shows. We will be back.

Outstanding

Stayed here for a 1 night visit June 30th. I stayed in spot 162 and it was not the best site, but still good. Close to the river and bathrooms but in the middle of the loop so you felt like you were in a fishbowl a bit. All the sites were clean and well maintained with BIG bear boxes. A couple trailheads start from the campground so it can be super convenient. Overall a fun visit and would definitely stay here again

Great visit

Great place by a river/creek, hiking everywhere nearby. 

Perfect place for exploring Sequoia National Park 

I have now been to  this campground 3 years in a row, and can still say it's my favorite I've ever been to. 

Great location, drive up, many trailheads right out of the campground, river runs right through it, big spots, inexpensive to reserve, the list can go on. Would give it 6/5 stars if I could

Amazing

I like lodgepole campground for the summer because elevation is high enough it does not get too warm and Hume lake is a short drive to some great trout fishing.

Nice and cool in the summer

Nice spot, easy to get on the bus to explore the park and there’s a camp store. Heads up though- showers are closed (as of July 2021). Flush toilets and drinking water. 

Sequoia exploration

This is a large campground so I did have concerns with the potential lack of privacy and being too close to other parties. But I was pleasantly surprised to find my (walk to) campsite was very large and private enough, with river front access. 
Plenty of space to place food and other things in to the bear boxes, as I read bears frequent this campground. Bathrooms were nearby and well kept. 
Over all, I had a very pleasant experience at this campground. 

Beautiful & private scenery + grocery convenience 

Peaceful and for the most part quiet. Can get bust at times. Restrooms are flushed and they are cleaned daily. Lots to do with multiple trails to hike on right from the campground. 

Peaceful

The sites are close together and some are directly across from a very busy market. The ranger said that unlike Yosemite, Sequoia is packed with daytrippers. That proved correct! The marble creek river is gorgeous and people come, park and spend the day cooling off. Spot 198 is the  best for RV’s in my opinion, but it only accommodates up to 22ft. If you can fit, it’s amazing. It’s the closest spot to the river and there is no one around you. 5 mins to the big trees. 
Some notes. Water spigots are only available near the bathrooms. The showers are only at the main visitors center along with the market and laundry. It’s a 10 min walk or short drive. The dump station is very nice and free to use. 
The elevation also means it’s 10-15 degrees cooler than other campgrounds. Generator hours are thankfully enforced

Great location 

Beautiful nature 

It’s a stunning area of the park with the Topokah falls trail right inside the campground. The market makes for great convenience and souvenirs. Some of the sites are a bit close together and it does get very crowded. But the location and close proximity to lots of attractions nearby make it worth it. Showers were out of order on my visit.

Right in the Heart of Sequoia NP

Lodgepole Campground is an excellent choice for campers looking to experience the best of Sequoia National Park, offering a great balance of convenience and natural beauty. With spacious sites, easy access to hiking trails like Tokopah Falls, and nearby amenities like a market, it’s a hassle-free way to enjoy the outdoors. The cool summer temperatures and proximity to the Marble Fork Kaweah River make it a refreshing escape, though proper bear precautions are a must. If you're planning a trip, it’s also worth exploring other travel and camping resources like [https://www.sportzfyhub.com/](https://www.sportzfyhub.com/) for more tips and recommendations.

Photos of Lodgepole Campground — Sequoia National Park

Real photos from real campers