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Several dispersed camping sites can be found near Sequoia National Forest, about 30-40 miles from Kings Canyon. The Sequoia Forest Hunting Area on FS 13597 offers free camping with a narrow, steep access road that requires careful navigation. Road to Armenian Camp provides another free option with paved access suitable for larger vehicles, including big rigs. Cherry Gap OHV Staging Area sits between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, offering primitive sites along forest road 13S03 near the Chicago Stump.
These sites generally lack amenities, with no toilets, drinking water, or trash service. Campers should pack out all waste and bring necessary supplies. Fire regulations vary by location and season, with some sites permitting campfires while others prohibit them entirely. One camper noted, "The road was a little windy getting up here, but it was completely paved and we were able to get up here without any problem in our 11,000 pound class B plus Winnebago." Cell service is limited but present in some areas, with visitors reporting 1-2 bars of Verizon coverage at certain sites.
"I’ve camped here for 14 days on two different occasions. It’s very private other than the manager for the Armenian Camp who comes up and down the road everyday, a few more campers on the weekend."
"Keep going: coordinates lead to the last spot which is spacious and serene."
"We were lucky there was enough room to pass plus in the dark you can see what’s coming as other reviews mention, the road in is narrow in parts and around 1 mile before you get to the camp ground."
"Everything else was a little bit of a drive away You have to get up a steep incline, right road off of the main road and the road is narrow. It was not our favorite part."
"About 200 feet further a little area that you can pull off. I’m driving a 170 wheelbase extended Sprinter and had a little difficulty to get in. Anything larger will be difficult. But great spot."
"Super convenient free camping between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. A park ranger directed me here when all the campgrounds in the park were full."
"The Forest Service route 14S11 in Sequoia National Forest has quite a few areas that identified for camping."
"Usually when a dispersed site is marked Big Rig Friendly, we'll find that there is a large paved or gravel area for us to pull into and setup before you get to dirt road or off-road sites."
"Nice big camp spot in the Sequoia National Forest, the road was really calm mid-April, we had no car during the night. The spot has firepits, a camping table and loads of bushes."
"Nice quiet spot right outside the park!"
"Plenty of shade for you, plenty of sun for you solar panel. Load road, you camp near the side, but it's not heavily trafficked even on the weekends. They are many spots nearby."
"It’s a dirt service road about 30 minutes down Hume Drive. The dirt road goes on for miles, with many different turns, and there are plenty of campsites around the whole area."
"If you enter from the Tamarack trail head and go down Rock Creek Rd its easy to get to the overlook tower."
"Quiet place on dirt, not really levelled but fine for a night and easily accessible with any car."
GuideWas a great place to stay. Plenty of shade for you, plenty of sun for you solar panel. Load road, you camp near the side, but it's not heavily trafficked even on the weekends. They are many spots nearby. Some really pretty of you walk and camp. Most are car accessible and has amazing views! Totally recommend
TravelerThe Forest Service route 14S11 in Sequoia National Forest has quite a few areas that identified for camping. We found a fairly large area, with several campfire rings and is fairly flat and has an amazing view south to a beautiful ridge line.
The spots on this road are mixed of options for tent or smaller RVs. We drove into Big Meadows and came back to the spot we found - because of the view.
ScoutTook a right off the main road (Rd 180) where you see signs for the Chicago stump. Took the road a little bit further than the pinpoint where there was a split and took a left. About 200 feet further a little area that you can pull off. I’m driving a 170 wheelbase extended Sprinter and had a little difficulty to get in. Anything larger will be difficult. But great spot.
TravelerThis is more of an ATV spot, I arrived on a Sunday evening and the ATV people were set up and essentially taking up most of the spots meant for camping. They were using the many many trails meant for ATVs before I arrived and, when I parked a decent distance away from where they were set up, they opted to ride circles around my RV throwing dust everywhere and revving their engines (likely an attempt to run me off). The open space at the top of the hill where the restrooms are is meant for camping, I would NOT ADVISE taking any of the other roads as they are steep, uneven, and you will struggle to turn around.
There’s one spot at the entrance good for camping (away from most of the ATV action) but it is taken up by a permanent boondocker.
ScoutTried to stop on the way to Yosemite park. This pulls up to three closed gates that all look to be private properties
GuideCurvy, narrow road. No great pull outs for larger vehicles.
ScoutWe actually didn’t stay primarily because this spot absolutely did not have any cell coverage whatsoever (this app said it had some coverage for Verizon. It did 100% not. We couldn’t find a suitable place for tent and some of it looked like private property and/or reserved camping areas. Definitely more suitable if you have a RV or a built out van.
GuideThis is a really nice area for camping on the side of the road here, but we only could've squeezed our 39ft Class A into maybe 2 of these spots. Usually when a dispersed site is marked Big Rig Friendly, we'll find that there is a large paved or gravel area for us to pull into and setup before you get to dirt road or off-road sites. There is a large paved area at this location, but we received a warning citation the next day, stating that we weren't allowed to camp there. It's confusing because this is the exact same setup as any other "snow play" or "sno-park" areas that have allowed camping in the gravel or paved areas area.
The paved area does have a couple of small stakes that say "no camping", but in our past dispersed camping experiences, those were used to mark areas where tents and vehicles couldn't pull off-road to camp. Apparently those stakes refer to the paved area in this case? There wasn't any reasoning provided on our citation, other than "find another area to camp."
GuideSuper convenient free camping between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. A park ranger directed me here when all the campgrounds in the park were full. There are sites all along the road, but the first at the junction is great and big enough for a small RV. Also a quick walk to the Chicago Stump which is a must see.
Several free dispersed camping areas exist in the national forest near Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Road to Armenian Camp offers private sites on a paved road accessible for large vehicles including RVs and motorhomes. The area provides limited Verizon reception (1-2 bars) and intermittent T-Mobile signal. Cherry Gap OHV Staging Area provides primitive camping between Sequoia and Kings Canyon, with sites located along Forest Road 13S03 toward Chicago Stump. The spot accommodates small RVs and is walking distance to the historic Chicago Stump.
Sequoia Forest Hunting Area (FS 13597) features flat terrain large enough for multiple vehicles, including RVs up to 22 feet. The access road requires careful navigation, as one camper noted: "the road is narrow in parts" with steep sections. Several forest road pullouts (13S02, 14S29) provide additional camping options with varied accessibility. Most dispersed sites in the region have existing fire rings, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply. No sites offer facilities, water, or trash service, requiring visitors to pack out all waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Elk, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Elk, CA is Road to Armenian Camp - Dispersed Spot with a 4.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Elk, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 29 dispersed camping locations near Elk, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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