Best Glamping near Hume, CA

This campground sits in Sequoia National Forest and is not too far from Hume Lake (also in the Forest). There are three loops with reservable sites, and there are about 20 tent only sites. The campground is nicely shaded, but not all sites have trees suitable for hammocking (some trees are just too big!). Sites are not on top of each other, so there is a bit of privacy, but you can see your neighbors so no streaking! The vault toilets are clean and well maintained, and you can either gather downed wood (seemed like there was a lot to pick from) or buy firewood from the camp hosts (don’t bring in outside wood, they have invasive bugs!!). I really like the location as the campground sits next to a beautiful meadow, Indian Basin, with a really nice paved interpretive trail and a nice spur trail (unpaved). In the evenings the deer come out to graze in the meadow, and the camp host said that bears also come to the meadow frequently. This means it is really important to use the bear lockers at each campsite- don’t store anything in your car! There are a lot of humongous stumps from when this area was logged for the giant sequoia trees. There are still a few sequoias in and around the campground. There is also a little stream that flows through part of the campground, across the hiking trail and, into the meadow but it didn’t seem to attract many bugs/mosquitos, at least not in early June.

We stayed over here one night on our way through to Hume Lake during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Our site (#75) was not very wide but backed onto a lovely patch of woodland that had deer and other critters passing through it.

We stayed over on a Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning they emptied the septic tanks for the pit toilets in our loop and the smell was a bummer during our breakfast. However, a very kind ranger visited that morning to update the site signs and made a point of apologizing to each group for the smell, which was nice.

The highlight of our visit to Princess was that after we camped at Hume Lake, we were able to stop back by on our way home and use the RV sewer cleanout and water fill-up station for free! It is usually $10 but for this weekend (maybe longer?) it was comped, which was awesome.

This is a fantastic, all-purpose campground with three large loops set in an old sequoia grove (sadly logged of all old growth from 1901-1908). There are nearly 100 sites in total, most suited for RVs & trailers, all for tents. There are sequoia stumps are spread throughout the entire campground and adjacent meadow. The facility is well maintained and monitored by camp hosts, who are all very friendly. There is also a lovely paved trail near the adjacent meadow and sequoia grove. This is an ideal location just outside Kings Canyon National Park, located between Grant Grove and Kings Canyon itself. Nearby Hume Lake offers more recreation including fishing, boating, hiking and more.

We reserved two sites next to each other (sites 77 & 78) so we had plenty of space. I have to say this is a very busy campground because it is in a rather popular park (King’s Canyon NP). I enjoyed the stay because I was looking for a good time with friends playing lawn games and some exploring. I would say it was a bit louder after hours than most campgrounds I’ve stayed at but because we were a rather large group it seemed to fit the crowd. Sunset campground is nearby a couple other campgrounds, and the visitors center is only a 5 minute drive away. The showers are located in only one area. I really didn’t like this because it was near the visitors center and all the campgrounds shared this. You had to get tokens from the lodge nearby there also and then wait in a long line. A lake nearby that I enjoy visiting is Hume Lake, they have a cool gift shop also. Pretty much any drive you do hear is just spectacular views.

Great place to stay. With clean sites and plentiful amenities, you can camp comfortably while seeing the sites that California has to offer.

Of all the places we took our kids on their first camping road trip (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone etc)it was right here in California that they found their favorite here at Kings; big trees ( and fallen giants you could walk through) cave tours, hikes, rivers .. they loved it. So much to cover its best to go to Recreation.gov and choose your camp area. Highly recommended by this family !

This is a really cool little campground near the entrance of Sequoia National Park. The sites are tent only, so no hookups or anything like that. Pretty nice sites though, a lot of space. I think there can be fire restrictions in the summer since it can get so dry, so just be aware of that. As far as places go, it wasn't too pricey. I think we paid about $20 a night. There are bathrooms with running water, and the sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Each site also has storage lockers for your food, so be sure to lock it up in order to keep the bears from getting into it.

As for stuff to do around here, you obviously have to check out the trees. Go look at General Sherman and all the other Sequoia trees. They're so amazing and honestly it humbles you a little. Also check out Moro Rock Trail. The view from the top is amazing. You'll also probably see a fair amount of wildlife while you're hiking around, so be careful of the bears. Out of all my trips to California, I've seen the most bears here in Sequoia. They are super cool creatures, just keep a respectful distance and of course don't feed them.

Thousand Island Lake is a trek to get to but once you get there, well you don’t really want to leave. This view is absolutely beautiful, and it changes rapidly with the rising and setting sun so make you have your camera ready for it. This is completely back country so you gotta pack it all in. There are some rules you have to follow while camping at this lake, 30 feet off of the trail and then another 100 feet away from the water. This can be hard to do as your camp may be on a slant or in the wide open, however you have plenty of space to choose from at this location. There is another rule about camping past a certain peninsula but from everyone we talked to they had no idea which peninsula the map was actually referring to, so you just walk past a couple of them and hope you’re in the right spot. The water is very cold but still feels great after a long hike all day.

There are multiple routes to getting to this lake, you can come. The John Muir trail and the PCT lead to this location, also Mammoth California has a trail that leads here as well. We even encountered mule train options on our way in if you prefer that type of transportation. But this is definitely somewhere you want to visit.

Thousand Island Lake is a backcountry camping area located at 9,839 feet elevation in Ansel Adams Wilderness within the Inyo National Forest, California.

If you desire 360 degree mountain beauty, a cool lake to fish, float, swim or reflect by, epic sunrises and sunsets, star-filled night skies...or just desire the unearthly quiet of being unplugged and being a speck in rugged vastness...this is for you!

This incredible dispersed backcountry camping area must:

1. Be hiked into
2. Possess a permit
3. Use approved bear canisters
4. Leave No Trace

There are a few methods of getting to Thousand Island Lake...all involve backpacks and hiking. First, if you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will at some point of your journey reach Thousand Island Lake. Second, if you are hiking the John Muir Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will reach Thousand Island Lake during your journey. Third, you can choose a beautifully scenic 14.3 mile out and back from Mammoth, CA...the shortest of the three options. Fourth, there are horseback/mule train options.

We happened to reach Thousand Island Lake as part of our August 2018 SOBO John Muir Trail attempt.

Choosing to hike in by any of the options takes planning and preparation. This is beautiful country, but it is also rough and unforgiving. The trails are wonderfully cared for, but not groomed and flat...know this and adequately prepare.

Every hiking/camping group must possess a permit, which for a short hike directly into Thousand Island Lake is secured through the Inyo National Forest office. PCT and JMT permits are primarily lottery based (although several walk-in permits are granted each day on site...but that's a gamble).Inyo National Forest website page states: "Groups cannot be larger than 15 people (includes day use). Quota of 30 people permitted to start overnight trips each day from May 1 to November 1."

This is active black bear country, so you must use approved bear canisters for food and odoriferous items (toothpaste, soap, lip balm, insect repellent, etc). Stiff fines by rangers (and they do backcountry patrols) await if you foolishly ignore this law...worse yet, you might receive a catastrophic visit from Yogi or Boo-Boo. We did not see any bear or evidence of their presence but I’m sure they saw us.

Leave No Trace...pack it in...pack it out. Yes, that means everything. Know the rules and abide by them. Nothing more distasteful and damaging to pristine wilderness are those that believe they are the exception to this rule and leave trash...worse, waste and TP dotting the landscape. Unfortunately, I found myself burying selfish stranger's waste. So bring a small shovel (www.tentlab) and a Ziploc freezer baggie to pack out your TP.

There is signage at Thousand Island Lake advising where to camp, which is far away from the main JMT trail. Again, abide by the rules and camp at least 40 feet away from the trail and 100 feet from the lake. Read and obey the list of rules on the website.

We camped on the northwest area of the Lake. Numerous hikers were there, some groups that hiked in for a day or two, others were thru-hikers. I enjoy the "community" of backcountry backpacker's. Day hikers can bring "Fido."

It is unnecessary to pack in hordes of water, as there seems to be streams and lakes aplenty. I'd recommend a reliable water filter or boiling the water to ensure a parasite free thirst quencher. We used a simple Sawyer Squeeze, which was both lightweight and effective.

Once camp is set, hike around the trails of this pristine wilderness and soak it all in...or just pull out your sleeping pad and relax.

I have read and been admonished to use 100% DEET for the mosquitoes on the JMT...particularly June-July, and though prepared, we experienced none in mid-August, nor at this elevation. The elevation should not be bothersome healthwise, as it is not above 10,000 ft. As Floridian Flatlanders, we had no adverse altitude maladies...other than being out of breath while climbing passes. June and early July hikers may experience snow at this elevation depending on the winter accumulations.

Several notable peaks shadow Thousand Island Lake, Banner Peak being one of them.

For those securing a day hike permit, search out several websites/blogs for the best starting locations (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/thousand-island-lake-pct).

If you are looking for the best bang for your buck in backcountry short trips, file this one away as a "must do!" There are others in the eastern Sierra Nevadas...but that's for another post.

Probably could have secured a first-come-first-served site within Sequoia NP, but rather have the comfort knowing our site was waiting for us after a 6 hour drive up to Sequoia National Forrest. The campground hosts were busy when we arrived, but made their way over to our site to check us in after we were set up. After that, we saw the hosts make several trips around the campground each day, keeping an watchful eye on all campers. Clean restrooms! (pit toilets) Clean fire ring upon arrival Site Size - small, comfortably fit 3-person tent, but would not have been able to fit a second of the same size (maybe two 2-person backpacking tents would work) Density - not much privacy in the sites to the inside of each loop, the outer sites appeared to have more privacy. Great location for a day trip to Kings Canyon NP and then a second day trip to the northern sites of Sequoia NP.

Campsites are well spaced, good pit toilets, with great camp hosts. From this base, there are a number of good hikes a short drive away.

We spend Memorial Day weekend at this nice campground at Morning Star site 26. Beautiful situated next to a little water flow and a big stump the kids played on. Space between the sites, but no low brush, so neighbors can be seen. Camp hosts were wonderful and very helpful as road conditions worsened and we had to figure out if we could get out as planned. Restrooms were extremely clean, and well maintained.

While I did not camp here, I did drive through and checked out the sites.

I was looking to get a bit further on my driving or I would have happily set up camp.  

I even picked out the site I would have set up camp.  26, huge stump of a tree, bear boxes, fire rings, picnic tables, water on site, flush toilets.  Nice sites for sure.

Some sites are right on top of each other and others are a bit more spread apart.  Drive around and check them all out.

In Mid Sept there were only a handful of campers and the majority were in campers just a few tent campers.

Free dispersed camping in sequoia national forest. I got there at around 5 on a Sunday and quickly got a spot. There was a fire pit but also a fire band going on. No at&t cell reception which is true for most of the surrounding national forest/park land. People were listening to music but it wasn’t too loud and they stopped when it got later. No showers or anything obviously but they do have showers in the nearby parks seasonally. Great spot to use as a base for hiking, make sure to lock up your food because there is bears (though I didn’t see any).