Best Campgrounds near Hartland, CA

Bears will break into vehicles with food, scraps, wrappers, etc.  Even a cardboard box can invite the critters' attentions.  So keep a clean car if parking there and use the bear boxes provided by the forest service. 

The Whitney Portal store is a stroll away with famously good food, run by the same family since before I was a ranger there back in the 1990s.  They have some last minute supplies too, if you discover you forgot anything from rain gear to a stove canister. 

I'd camp here to hike Meysan Lakes and the start of the Whitney trail to Lone Pine Lake, neither of which require permits for day hikes.  It's a great camp for acclimatization.  The National Rec Trail gets overlooked, but showcases the transition from forest at the Portal to desert scrub at the bottom, following the stream, albeit from a neighboring ridge. 

I'd also consider other campgrounds in the area, as there's a fair bit to do around Lone Pine for such a small town, and the Whitney Portal's position at the end of the road means you'll need to ascend/descend a mile in elevation over 13 steep and twisting curves every time you leave or return. 

The bears and popularity of the Portal limit my enthusiasm for it a bit, but the positives of a store and restaurant, showers, and great hikes make camping here worth the effort for a few days.  It's certainly a great way to get used to the thinner air if you're then headed for the back country. 

If one had the luxury of time and the luck/good planning of getting reservations for Cottonwood as well as Whitney Portal, I'd check out both for additional hiking and fishing, as well as the Alabama Hills, which offer free boon docking.  

The whole Owen's Valley is one great opportunity after another for all sorts of outdoor sports and enjoyment, but Lone Pine has more than its share of nearby attractions and the Whitney Portal is high on that list.

Tim is amazing! He has all the info on nearby trails, maps of the area, answers every question you can think of. Just fantastic. 

As of 6/22/25:

• potable water available-vault toilets are well maintained-no food lockers, but also no in-camp bear incidents/sightings in the last few years, per Tim. So we made sure our food was locked in our cars whenever we weren't using it.
• If you want cell service briefly, there is a spot about 3.5 miles away off 21S70 as if you're headed to Dome rock.
• site#19 had at least 3 relatively flat spots for tents and was nice and spacious.
• Firewood is available at camp, at the nearby Camp Nelson general store, and if you're passing through Springville, Gifford's has some. 

This campground is so peaceful, and near several hiking trails. Would 100% come back here again.

This was a truly amazing spot. The sweeping mountain views on each side, along with direct creek access was great. It was mid July and 105 degrees in Big Pine when we left the 395 highway, but temps had dropped to 88 by the time we got up to the campground due to elevation change, so it is a great way to escape the heat if it is a hot day.

We stayed in site #17, which had the river rolling right by the picnic table. Sites 16 - 19 all had good water access, and I'm pretty sure a lot of the sites in the upper loop could access the river too (didn't get a chance to check it out in person though).

The road getting up is steep, narrow, and climbs almost 3500 feet over the course of 7 miles. If you are towing a trailer or driving a big rig get ready to burn some gas, and make sure you have solid brakes for the way down. No guard rails, so a few of the places I was white knuckling it just towing our small 22 foot travel trailer. Definitely still worth it, just something to keep in mind. Not all of the sites will fit an RV either, so pay close attention to the lengths when reserving. 

Despite the challenges getting up there, this is still one of the best places to camp in the area, would highly recommend.

DO NOT STAY HERE. We woke up to cockroaches in our tent. I was willing to let go the conditions of the KOA. The bathrooms need major updating. The playground is a couple swings and a kiddie slide, the pool was dirty, ants and flies all over everything. The smell of the nearly cow pasture. I could let that all go and think, well KOA sure has lowered their standard. But the wake up with cockroaches. Nope. They have to know this is an issue and are doing nothing to control the problem. If you’re thinking of staying here because you assume it’ll be quality because it has the KOA standard, don’t. This does not live up to any standard.