Best Tent Camping near Hanford, CA
Searching for a tent campsite near Hanford? Find the best tent camping sites near Hanford. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Hanford, California's most popular destinations.
Searching for a tent campsite near Hanford? Find the best tent camping sites near Hanford. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Hanford, California's most popular destinations.
22 acre property right next to a hang gliding and paragliding landing zone scenic landscape at the pond, hiking trails, or anything to get your outdoor fix and if you want a little more comfort we also offer fully furnished 16ft yurts as well we also have 20 yurts fully furnished
$40 - $150 / night
Come visit this incredible animal sanctuary! Your stay goes to 100% to our 501c3 nonprofit efforts!
Situated on a 72 acre animal sanctuary and goldmine boarding 140 acres of BLM land. If you're looking for a unique and special camping experience, look no further than Camp Ikigai at Ikigai Animal Sanctuary in Squaw Valley, California. Offering agricultural tourism experiences like; mushroom hunting, bird watching, rock and mineral collecting, bike tours, animal sanctuary, and more, your stay will truly be unlike any other! Apart from all the experiences offered, you can also join a variety of events on site to connect with your family and the community around you.
30 minutes to SEKI - Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks!
Book your spot today!
**During high fire season we only allow campfires in the communal area! Communal firepit access is open to everyone. Oak Firewood is included in your stay!
**Please reach out to the host to ask about current road conditions and access concerns.
$39 - $59 / night
Crystal Springs campground is centrally located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in central California's rugged Sierra Nevada range. This mid-sized group campground is at an elevation of 6,500 feet. In addition to the 14 mid-sized group sites, there are 35 standard size campsite available for reservation on the Crystal Springs Campground page.
There are numerous recreation opportunities in the immediate area. From your campsite, you can hike to a Sequoia Grove that includes the General Grant Tree, the Nation's Christmas Tree and only living memorial to our military veterans. Hike to the beautiful Ella Falls, a 50 foot waterfall or to Panoramic Point for a breathtaking view of the high Sierras.
Crystal Springs campground is located in a mixed conifer forest of sugar pines, incense cedar, fir and sequoia trees. Summer days can be warm and dry with cool nights. Wildlife is abundant and includes black bear, mule deer, gray squirrel, golden-mantled ground squirrel, and a variety of resident birds, among many others. The dynamic landscape of the park evolves from geologic processes working over millennia to sculpt granite, marble and other forms of rock. Here in the parks are canyons carved by rivers and glaciers, towering rugged peaks and miles of underground caverns. Found throughout the park are thousands of lakes and ponds and miles of rivers and streams.
For facility specific information, please call (559) 565-4357.
Crystal Springs campground is within an hour's drive from the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, home of the biggest tree in the world, the General Sherman, and the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. Fishing is 30 minutes away at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Forest. The national forest also includes Converse Basin and Chicago Stump, where you can learn the history of logging in the area. The Crystal Caves are about a one and a half hour drive (39 miles/63 km) from the campground. Reserve tour tickets in advance on Recreation.gov.
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. For group campsites: All modifications must be made at least 14 days prior to scheduled arrival date to avoid additional fees. For group campsites: All cancellations made within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date are considered late cancellations and will incur the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use 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 $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) 565-4357 if you will be arriving 24 hours after your arrival date so your site won't be cancelled.
$50 / night
Located at a 1000-foot elevation, Camp 4 campground offers five campsites near the Wild and Scenic Kings River with a table, fire ring, and a vault toilet. Rafting is popular here, with up to Class III rapids in the river. the. Supplies may be obtained in Piedra. No drinking water. Unsuitable for trailers.
$10 / night
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
The campground is located along the north side of the Kings River on a large sandy flat area. There is no shade so it is very hot during the summer months, but is a great place for camping in the spring and fall. Access is paved and dirt (last 1 mile). Vehicles must stay on roads. Each site has a table and grill. Please pack out all garbage.__Poison Oak abounds in this area, please avoid plants with three leaf clusters: "Leaves of three, let it be!" Watch for rattlesnakes. When fire restrictions are in place (usually during the summer months) NO campfires or charcoal fires are permitted. Camp stoves are permitted. There is no cell phone coverage in the area, but a pay phone is available at Balch Camp.
Abbott Creek road (13S58) is near the McGee Overlook and west of Cherry Gap just off of Hwy 180. The area offers sites for dispersed camping and Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) riding. One of the disperse camp sites has a picnic table and rock fire ring. All of the disperse camp sites are within 3 miles of the Millwood OHV staging area and Cherry Gap off of Hwy 180. Abbott Creek road is 6 miles in length.
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.
We had a flat tire on a Sunday morning and permanent resident was more than helpful with taking the tire off and giving us a ride to the tire place to get it fixed and put back on. Beautiful view of the mountains and very close to the park
This KOA is great! Very clean, has a K9 area, barbecue grills, hot showers, laundromat, etc. and right in town!
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.
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!
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.
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)
Stayed 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
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.
We 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.
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!
The other "resorts" on the river need to come here and see what a real campground is like.
Either way this is a nice campground with nice stuff like a pool, hot tub, clubhouse, and more.
I enjoyed my stay on the most part. Sadly there was some trash scattered all over the place because of previous visitors. It was quite and have several trails to walk on. Their is a nice that runs by the campgrounds and further down and pass the station where pay the toll to the stake park. Their is a few playgrounds in the middle of the campgrounds and option to play an activity or two. It was also not to far from the town or it’s dam. I would only suggest to bring your own wood with you because California made it illegal to pick up any wood for a fire and it would be very and to find and wood for a fire. Overall it’s was a pleasant visit for this place for a camping trip .
Tent only camping for us. Quiet. Shower and toilet accessible. The only thing was neighbors were very, very near. But our neighbors were quiet so it wasn't bad. End of March was rainy, so be prepared for rain if you go during that time.
This location is for the Crystal Springs campground across from Azalea.
$32 p night, no hookups but a beautiful place.
Well worth a stay either here or Azalea. About 45-60 minutes to Lodgepole where you can take the shuttle for free to several park stops.
No cell service, easy to find. We have a 28 foot class c and there were lots of spots we could fit.
GROSS ANIMAL NEGLECT is the reason my family decided not to stay at Camp Ikigai. From the tick covered dog that was dehydrated and trying to continuously get in our vehicle to the obviously scared wild horses to the unsheared lamb turned to dread locks that kept stepping on its own fur. Besides the fact the “shower” is literally a garden hose tied to a board or that the “toilet” is a bucket and a curtain, the web site promoting Camp Ikigai as an “animal sanctuary” is a complete farce. Setting animals loose in a pasture does not mean it’s a sanctuary. It’s obvious the owner doesn’t care about the welfare of the animals, he’s using “sanctuary” as a key term to pay for his broken-down trailer and improve his own standard of living. This compound is an absolute wreck with trash and broken parts littered everywhere. It is not a safe environment to stay, and their own website warns of their dogs’ potential aggressive behavior. I expected the first nights’ pay to be lost, but nobody has replied to multiple phone calls, texts or e-mails. It’s been over a week and the owner continues to hide and not respond to any form of communication. I am sure he is used to people refusing to stay there after seeing the condition of the animals/property and asking for a refund. To the owner; Please do the right thing and use the money you stole from my family to take care of the animals before the S.P.C.A. gets there.
WARNING: This park does NOT have accessible ways to pay for parking. They fail to have credit or debit card machines to buy a parking ticket and they fail to have any scan to pay. You can not pay the parking unless you brought cash. This was my first time here and did not know this, Im a disabled veteran and there was NO parking spaces in the parking lot near the lake so I had to park far away on a gravel and dirt area, that was red flag number one. Once my family saw the parking fee of only 12 dollars we looked and looked for a credit or debit card pay area to buy a ticket. Never found one! We searched for scan to pay signs so we could pay on our phone and there were NONE! So I was forced to walk all the way back to my car NOT parked in the parking lot, up a hill, on the dirt and gravel, and they gave me a fine. This place purposely makes it impossible for to pay and then fines you for not carrying cash. This was my first time here and it will be my LAST!
When arrived the wind was blowing and the dust was a moving.. but in the evening it calmed down.. nice place every thing looks updated, facilities, pool, help is nice, right next to loves truck stop so there is traffic but not hateful.. good place to stop on I 5
What a wonderful campground with a beautiful pond and hang gliding site. Very clean bathrooms and laundry room. Spencer is a great camp host and is very accommodating with anything that you would need help with. Definitely will be coming back. 
Very pretty spot 😊 could hear coyotes At night. Warm showers 😁. All awesome except for the fact you have to reserve one night in advance 😔
Loved our stay at this resort. Warm pool, riverfront and a gorgeous beach! Will be back with out family of five and two doggos! Stayed for spring break and weather was perfect.
We arrived after carefully following the website and emailed instructions, as our RV GPS and Waze would not have gotten us here. We pulled up in the small parking lot in front of the entry gate. Although we arrived during open hours, there wasn't anyone in the office, but a kid came up to us and offered to get his mom, who was the manager. However, the kid came back alone and told us our information package was on the front board outside the gate and had everything we needed to include the gate code. We then proceeded to our assigned FHU site 34 that was a pull-in with utilities set up for a motorhome. The site was large enough that we could have pulled in, unhooked, and moved the truck out, but we were concerned about connecting to the utilities in this configuration. Back-in site 33 with FHUs was empty, so we called the office number and the man who answered didn't know if it was empty but would go check in the office if we wanted to move sites. It was obvious we were putting him out, but he did call back a few minutes later and said that back-in site 33 was open for our two-day stay. The pads here are all sand, and after settling in, we noticed the campground(CG) was about half full with either residents or transient workers. Some sites were organized, and others were not. The way the large-sized sites here are arranged, you can park your rig in various configurations. The utilities worked fine, including a decent water pressure of around 40 psi. Supposedly, they have Wifi, as indicated by the multiple repeaters around the park, but we received no instructions/password and didn’t see a guest network to try and log in. This was fine as we put out our Starlink and we had 4 bars on Verizon. We are in no way prudes, but several of the private WiFi names we could see on“Other Networks” were pretty disgusting making us question who we were parked by. They do have a nice pool area with two hot tubs. There is also a nice-sized dog park with two separate fenced areas. According to the front of the office, they sell sundries and souvenirs, but they never opened the office during our stay even though should have according to the hours on the door. From the information on their website, the King River that runs adjacent to the CG is pretty much dried up this time of year(January) but fills for the summer season. Sorry to say we didn’t“feel it” on this CG and would not want to be here in the busy season.
Great for a quick getaway from Fresno metro area. Clean and maintained facilities (camping standards not hotel) water access is not the easiest from the sites and the area does get loud due to proximity geology and acoustics. Closest store is about 7 minutes drive away and the lake is more of a boating than Beach lake.
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.
We stayed in December. Could not reserve or pay online. Tried scanning QR code but that wouldn’t work either. Talked to ranger who was friendly and helpful. Only a few campers and no snow (yet). Plenty of spots to choose from and was first come, first serve. Site 28 was pretty level. Highly recommend this campground.
I used to camp in the Sequoia's as a kid and I made a last-minute decision to spend a night as close to King's Canyon National Park as possible the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm SO glad and feel super lucky to have found this retreat area and accommodations! Spencer, the owner and operator, was responsive and helpful in getting me in last minute and he's just a super genuine human being. We stayed in one of his off-grid yurts and it was perfect. I was toasty warm under the covers at night and felt super cozy and safe. The property itself provided scenic, long walks and comfortable hanging out with other guests. Spencer has done, and is doing, such a great job setting this unique area (a historic hang-gliding landing strip ) up to accommodate other humans who are simply looking to connect, be among nature, and other like-minded humans. We will certainly be back!
I had a great stay. Sweet location, very quiet and peaceful, clean bathroom and showers. Conditions for the hangglide was amazing. Thanks for being great hosts.
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Discovering tent camping near Hanford, California, offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hanford, CA is Dunlap canyon retreat with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Hanford, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.