Looking for an adventure where you can explore Camp Nelson and then fall asleep in your tent? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Camp Nelson. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Limestone Campground sits in an area dotted with oak and gray pine along the Upper Kern River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, at an elevation of 3,500 feet.
Whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Upper Kern River are popular activities. To learn more about the Upper Kern River, including safety and permitting requirements and a listing of local outfitters, visit the Sequoia National Forests overview of the area.
The Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the forest's lower slopes. The forest comprises about 1.1 million acres, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls. At various points along the river, gray pines, scrub oaks, grass and dry climate shrubs cling to steep canyon walls, while cottonwoods and willows line the water's edge.
For facility specific information, please call (760) 376-1269.
The campground provides a good base for day trips to the Sequoia National Park Trail of 100 Giants. The Giant Sequoia Mercantile offers a wide variety of books, maps, gifts, local art, camping supplies and other merchandise.
$34 - $36 / night
Belknap Campground, elevation 4,800 feet, is located east of Porterville, CA off state highway 190 in the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the Western Divide Ranger District. It sits within the Belknap and McIntyre giant sequoia groves.
Trails in the monument are open to hikers, horseback riders and bikers. The trails wind through giant sequoia groves, up mountains and alongside wild rivers. A hiking trail also starts within the campground, leading into the sequoia grove, with fishing in Tule River along the way.
Trails in the monument are open to hikers, horseback riders and bikers. The trails wind through giant sequoia groves, up mountains and alongside wild rivers. A hiking trail also starts within the campground, leading into the sequoia grove, with fishing in Tule River along the way.
The Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the Forest's lower slopes. The Forest comprises about 1.1 million acres, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet, creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls, such as Salmon Creek Falls near Fairview and Grizzly Falls on the Kings River.
For facility specific information, please call (661) 455-6010.
$34 - $36 / night
The Mineral King area features the highest elevation campground in the parks. At 7,500 feet (2280 m), it is only open during the summer months. A narrow, winding, largely unpaved road leads to the area and its two campgrounds. RVs and trailers are not recommended on Mineral King Road and are not permitted in campgrounds. Mineral King is not connected to the rest of Sequoia National Park by roads.
Trails to alpine lakes and mountain passes begin nearby.
Hikes into the backcountry out of Mineral King will give visitors an ever deeper understanding of the beauty and uniqueness of Sequoia National Park. Hike to alpine lakes and over mountain passes, or climb a peak.
There are limited services at Silver City Resort, 2.5 miles (4 km) west of the campground.
For facility specific information, please call (559) 565-4404.
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 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 $10 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.
$32 / night
Dispersed Camping on Upper Kern River approximately 4 to 5 miles north from Kernville. Ther is no water available at this location. Portable toilets and trash recepticals are available during__summer months. See Larger Picture Here.
These are beautiful sites overlooking the Tule River, which runs right through our property. All sites are well spaced, offering exceptional privacy and access to multiple day-use spots along the river. Rope-assisted steps allow access the river and are just feet away from your camp site. The Tule River runs year-around and offer some of the most spectacular vistas in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Sites are ideal for small backpacking tents and medium-sized family tents and gear.
Located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains on the land of the Yokut people and bordering the Giant Sequoia National Monument, this 12-acre homestead (known simply as the Land) stretches along both sides of the Tule River and offers exceptional camping and outdoor experiential events.
The habits and vision of owner Donald McMillan reflects the Land's beauty and pristine natural habitats, inspiring daily living practices that value nature. The Land is his home and headquarters for organizing events that change the world and mindset of communities regarding respect for nature and preservation of culture and art. The Land is nestled in Blue oak woodland and riparian (river) habitat in the foothills of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and offers the ultimate in privacy and completely dark night skies for perfect star-gazing.
We are of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+/Two Spirit, arts, and justice activist communities and host only people embracing diversity, inclusion, self-reliance, reciprocity, and equality.
(24 hour security and our German Shepard ensures your comfort, privacy and safety)
We offer the listed campsites here plus gorgeous outdoor venues tailored for small-scale special events and featuring a covered outdoor kitchen and BBQ area, outdoor living and bedroom spaces, fireplaces and fire pits and two outdoor showers. It is rustic and best suited for minimum impact camping for those with camping experience or who may be on their first outting. Reach us for special event hosting.
Don and the people who come here respect the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace at gathering places on the Land. You should too.
All visitors must register online at www.wildplaces.net to receive details, directions, and a liability waiver to sign. We ask each member of a visiting group to complete this online waiver.
Toilets are composting or chemical and the hotwater shower is tucked inside the majestic canopy of a Live Oak tree. The toilets are located near the house which is a 5 minute walk or less from most sites.
Use your own camp stoves and opt to stay clear of the house entirely for maximum seclusion.
You provide tents, tent footprint (tarp), lights, sleeping bags, food, insect repellant, camp stove and other stuff. There is an outdoor, hot water shower. NO SOAP of ANY KIND IN THE RIVER. CARRY WASH WATER 10 FEET AWAY From THE RIVER.
$60 - $70 / night
Located along the Lloyd Meadow Road (Forest Road 22S82), 10 miles north of Johnsondale. The campground is 27 miles from California Hot Springs, 32 miles from Kernville, 31 miles from Ponderosa, and 74 miles from Porterville. Most services are available in Porterville and Kernville.
The campground has 17 single family units. Some units can accommodate recreational vehicles up to maximum length of 16 feet. Sanitary facilities, portable water, tables, and fire rings are provided.
Nearby activities are fishing, touring, hiking, viewing scenery and hunting during the prescribed seasons. Nearby attractions include the Needles, North Fork Kern and the Freeman Creek Grove of giant sequoias.
7100-foot elevation. Undeveloped dispersed camping area within the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Fishing available in nearby Peppermint creek, check with the Department of Fish and Wildlife for regulations. __No services, no fee.Dispersed Camping Rules, Regulations, and Tips
Guide
The name of the campground alone will let you know what to anticipate staying here. As far as views go they are phenomenal but people wise it gets busy.
Guide
I enjoy this site my spot was directly below the footbridge to head up to Weaver and Jennie lakes. Excellent brook trout fishing and feels off grid. Amazing rock formations near by and plenty of hiking for all levels in close vicinity.
Guide
If you like to be off the grid amidst the trees this is the place for you. We like to camp next to the creek. Fishing is plentiful and the air is great as long as there’s no fires near.
Guide
We arrived just before dark, it’s quite a small site. Room for 4 vans max, ideal for 3. We used to chocks to level up as it’s pretty uneven in parts. But a great nights sleep, we had the place to ourselves
Guide
Mountain side relatively flat dirt area to park. Has a sizable fire ring for the cold nights! Absolutely magical to sit next to the creek listening to the roaring waters! Much needed after the desert!
Scout
This KOA is great! Very clean, has a K9 area, barbecue grills, hot showers, laundromat, etc. and right in town!
Traveler
I drove past a couple of camp grounds directly at the lake and was very disappointed what I found. Yes, you can camp right at the lake but only if you appreciate the charme of a Walmart parking lot. There is basically next to no trees or any nature for that matter.
So I looked a little further and was very happy to have found this site. Beautifully located right at a river, surrounded by trees, big boulders and the stunning mountain scenerey.
However, be aware that this is not serviced at all. There is no electricity, water, dump stations or anything else than the actual spot. And BEWARE: there is quite a steep and narrow entry road into the site. I drove in with a 30 feet class A camper and I am little worried if I will get out tomorrow. Also I smacked some leaves off of a tree on my way in with my 13“ clearance.
Ranger
Spot#106. Unlevel, but most in this area are not level.#107 not bad. Some loops have no bathrooms so be aware of where you reserve. Good trails to village and grants tree. Crystal springs campground adjacent has more trees, more shade.
Foodie aside: Lodge across the road had market with chocolate milk for $1.60 per 2p. Almost out of beer after holiday weekend. We had Readywise mango sticky rice with for dinner, yum! Added butter and salt, but recommend cut back on water in Readywise direction so use <175 cup Dog approved.
Ranger
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!
Ranger
Stayed in van in tent space 52. Bathrooms had showers with hot water, clean. Had laundry but we didn't use. No real walking trails in the area but were able to go down to the river and there was a swimming hole,$40 for holiday weekend. Lady at front desk was nice and very helpful over the phone and in person- saved us a space even tho we didn't have reservation over memorial day weekend. Tent spaces were adjacent with little space between and around a large parking lot. Friendly, quiet.
Traveler
We chose this campground to be an easy "getting back to camping" campground since it was supposed to be developed and even have showers.
Cons: The central restrooms/showers have been non-operational for over a year based on the maintenance log of the porta potty. While the porta potty was well maintained, there were no hand wash stations or anything to make up for the loss of sinks and showers. The tap outside the building didn't work and neither did the water fountain.
The host was not there for check-in. Thankfully, we ran into a very kind maintenance worker that gave us the predator rundown for the area and told us how to get to our site. The host eventually showed up, but was not there for at least 5 sets of campers who were trying to check in.
Nearly every campsite has a major hill, so most will not have a good flat area for a tent. Site 61 is flat and a couple of others have flatter grounds, but many will have you sleeping on an angle.
Cons Site 61: The previous group was very disrespectful of the site and left glass shards everywhere. We had to sweep it away from our tent site and kept finding more as we were using our site. It was especially a problem since we brought our dog, so eventually we just laid tarps out to let her walk on instead of the dirt for her safety.
No shade at all. While most other sites had trees or an aluminum awning to provide some sort of shade, Site 61 had nothing. Thankfully, we planned for that, but definitely worth mentioning for other campers. Most sites on the inside of the loop had good tree coverage, so if that's what you're looking for definitely book one of the inner loop sites like 63.
For those looking to be fully removed from the world, you should know this campsite is RIGHT off the highway, so there is traffic and some headlights if drivers have their brights on. That didn't bother us, but we've lived off of major streets for years, so we tune it out pretty well.
Pros: There was running water, but you had to find it near other campsites. (Closest one to ours was near Site 63, which was very convenient)
Pros Scenery: The stargazing is beautiful. There is some limited light pollution emanating from the other side of the foothills, but because you are surrounded by foothills you get some good, dark surroundings to really appreciate the stars. Similarly, the sunrise and sunset were slightly late/early because the sun was contending with the surrounding hills. When the sun was rising over the hills, there was a beautiful glow to them.
Pros Site 61: You have absolutely no neighbors, which gives you more privacy and the ability to face out in any direction and enjoy the scenery.
Predators: Coyotes, rattlesnakes, meat bees (bring cheap canned meat to set out during the day and they will leave you alone for the most part)
Cool Wildlife: Various birds, though I was never able to get a good enough look to identify them. There were also bats at night that really helped with the bug problem and created a cool ambience while stargazing. My husband loved listening to them hunt!
Overall: We enjoyed the site, but were extremely grateful that we are redundancy packers. If we didn't have our extras, we probably would not have had a good time since it was 100+ degrees every day we were there and the grounds weren't totally as advertised. (Toilets, showers, etc)
Traveler
Pulled in on a Friday afternoon and had the whole campgrounds to ourselves, until about 7 pm. Neighbors kept noise to a minimum. We chose site #3 (back right) and it had a fairly level spot for our cars RTT. Overall, the grounds and bathrooms were very clean. Holey Meadow, across the road, is small, but very beautiful. The main road is just past that, so you will hear traffic. The Trail of a Hundred Giants is about 2 miles north and worth a visit. A section of the trail was closed due to a downed tree, but still a nice walk.
Traveler
Well run site, with easy late check in process. Friendly on site camp hosts who sell ice and firewood. Quite a lot of rules, and it had kind of a kids camp feel to it. Showers are hot, but you need quarters for them. I only gave three stars as it just not my kind of campground. If you're a family with kids I think it'd be great.
Traveler
2nd time at this spot and loved it! Rolled in after midnight and no one else was around.
Scout
This campsite was fantastic. Access was easy with a 4x4, but may be a little tough for a 2WD car. Plenty of space for a small trailer to maneuver.
Highly recommend. Perfect for an off-road trailer or overland setup.
Traveler
Very beautiful sight of the lake and mountains. Easy access from the road. Had a ton of wind and thunder so hard to move further up and away from the lake so we wherent up against the wind. Close to the road so a little noise from it, but thats what made it easy accessible as well. All in all a very nice campsite.
Scout
Beautiful views!
Traveler
This park is in the middle of nowhere but a fabulous view of the Sierra Nevada's. I had a problem when I pulled into my site getting shore power from the electrical hook up. But I went to the office and I was moved immediately to a better site with a good hook up! Quiet, clean and well landscaped for the desert surroundings
Guide
Great spot and so much less crowded than Yosemite. Bathrooms are not so great
GuideStayed one quick night here. The entire campground is very mildy hilly and many sites are sloped. A decent area to stay and short drive to see attractions and trails. The bathrooms were the most unattractive part. There didn’t seem to be a check-in process. I just showed up to the site I paid for, not sure if I was supposed to check in somewhere. It would have helped to have a map
GuideOne 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.
Ranger
Camped here before hiking Mount Whitney the following day. Think we got one of the only sites with a “tree,” but the grounds were well maintained and area was quite. Enjoyed camping here.
Guide
I pulled in here looking for a campsite on my way up to mammoth. I was able to find a pretty dope spot surrounded by rocks, and nowhere near any other campers. I was legit, alone.
Great place to pull off and sit on a rock to watch the sun set over the mountains. Shade was minimal, but if you hide between the rocks like they do in that scene on the fire planet in Riddick you’ll be alright til it cools off.
ScoutWe were so happy that we found this spot in the evening, after we had a reservation for a different campground and were so disappointed. Here we found a nice spot under a tree. Everything was clean, good WiFi and access to the river.
Scout
Great campground as base for hikes or just to chill and enjoy the river. We had no cell reception - good to be really off for a little while. Only the restrooms where a little disgusting - experienced that differently in other NPs.
GuideWe stopped here on our way through Sequoia Nat’l Forest and loved it. The water is super clear and nice! We were the only ones staying here, so it was very quiet and calming. A handful of camping spots around this area, well worth the stay!
Scout
This is a working animal sanctuary with horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, humans. etc.
Amazing outdoor shower has grapes and herbs growing in it. Laundry facilities and kitchen available in a welcoming community area.
I love it so much, I am volunteering my time to do permaculture projects to help them grow. And, I will keep coming back as often as I can.
Beautiful views, beautiful community. Good cell service... I LOVE IT HERE!
Tent camping near Camp Nelson, California, offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the stunning landscapes of the Sequoia National Forest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Camp Nelson, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Camp Nelson, CA is Limestone Campground with a 4.9-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Camp Nelson, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 46 tent camping locations near Camp Nelson, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
