Best Cabin Camping near Independence, CA

This was stop to be able to visit Manzanar Internment camp.

Tent sites are gravel and mostly level. They all have water, a table and fire ring. Trees are still young. Very close to Owens lake(within view).

We had a lot of wind that came blowing up the valley from the south. There is very little protection for the tent campsites. Almost killed the tent.

Hosts were very helpful in getting us situated despite the need to switch sites(too many people).

Free muffins and coffee in the morning! Nice pool and hot tub, as well as bathrooms and laundry facilities.

Easy access into  town for dinner or groceries.

If you’re looking to camp in California, Sequoia National Park should be one of your top destinations. They have cabin and tent camping. I have stayed in both. There are trails galore and GIGANTIC trees bigger than your car. This beautiful setting is worth visiting year round and I recommend camping during the less touristy times in early Spring and Fall. You are near lakes, waterfalls, and an array of bodies of water. I recommend coming up the back end up the park for an easier ascent rather than via the 198. The 198 takes you up a steep, but beautiful, hair pin turn ridden road. If you get car sick easily, take the route through Fresno.

We were able to stay in the cabins for a night and they were small but clean. Some cabins have electric and some do not, but honestly, electric is not necessary while camping here so if you can’t don’t have it don’t worry. The area is very close to some awesome sequoia groves and was very quiet which was great. There are showers for people who stay in certain areas, but you need tokens from the front desk at check in. Don’t forget to ask, we didn’t know until we were naked, ready to go :). Hosts were very nice. Overall, great experience here.

Backing up to the John Muir Trail all the way into the back country of the high Sierra is this Gem of a ranch. It has amazing amenities, such as cabins, tent cabins, developed hot springs, all meals included, toilets and running water, horses back tours/packing, backpacker resupply, and store. 

Getting there however is quite a feat. First you have to traverse a one lane road nearly 30 miles back into Florence Lake. Then you have to take a boat ride to the other side of the lake, and finally you have to hike 5+ miles to the ranch. It is all worth it for the sunning views, great food, amazing fishing, hiking, and all around experience.

Somewhere up near the starry night a pinecone the size of a cat begins its descent to the soft, needle laden ground below. It softly thumps against a branch, and then another, and still another. What seems like minutes, indeed enough time to walk a ways down a path, or find the restroom, or toss a ball many times with kids, the soft thumping grows a little louder, and boldly becomes a clunk…clunk…thunk…until the pinecone emerges from the cover of limbs and lands…bouncing…on the ground at my feet. This is the mighty sugar pine; a tree whose girth is so large in its own right that our family of five cannot manage to stretch our arms, hand-in-hand, around the whole of the tree. And yet, like the small dog that mercilessly barks, the giant sugar pine displays its fantastically large pinecones as a means to say, "I am here", rather than get lost among the biggest trees in the world by volume---the giant sequoias.

This isn't just a land of giant trees. Sequoia and King's Canyon boast some of the most grandiose monuments in all of the continental United States: the deepest canyon, the tallest mountain, incredible caves, the view from Morro Rock, a collection of some of the highest mountain passes, and an expansive backcountry wilderness. Despite the many wonderful park visual aids to teach visitors about the size of these great sequoias, and even standing at the foot of these great trees, I found it impossible to comprehend their size. The extremes of this beautiful place bring with them a sense of humility, much like standing at the edge of the ocean, and all that remains is peace and serenity. While we found this park to be far more awe-inspiring than Yosemite, really than any of the any parks we've visited, it is far less touristed and crowded.

And then there is the wildlife. California Black Bears were resting in every meadow that we walked by, usually making a meal of grubs in the rotting logs. We stopped to let a mama Quail pass with all her babies in a row behind her. Marmots greeted us from the hidden nooks, running here and there to find something to nibble.

With a national park like this, I'd be willing to sleep in my car! But I didn't have to, fortunately. We stayed in a cabin in Grant Grove, centrally located in the park. The cabin was furnished perfectly, and included all that we needed for bedding. There was a lovely fire fueled stove outside on the covered patio. The showers were good enough and there was a place to wash dishes. Grant Village has a large market for groceries, a restaurant and a visitor center. There is a free shuttle that runs through the park to alleviate any concerns about parking. This review is for General Grant Cabins, which are reservable from a separate entity via the National Parks system. However, it is alongside a campground area where tents and RVs can be parked. This is marked cabins only due to the NPS divisions--search for the campground to learn how to set up a tent or park an RV at the very same location.

This is a great place to stay a couple of nights if your looking to acclimate a bit before going Mt. Whitney. It's also just a beautiful campground in general. There are hiking trails from the campground itself, a gorgeous river flowing through it and the camp sites are spacious. It is a short drive from the Whitney Portal Store which has the biggest pancakes I've ever seen and if you go the other way, you can easily get to the Alabama Hills or the cute town of Lone Pine. The sites are shaded and there are pit toilets. It's a terrific campground for families or people just looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Big Pine Creek Campground, CA

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20312&actid=31

As we traveled up Rt 395, along the Eastern Sierras, we searched for a campground offering trails into the wilderness…but also one with a shower, as they seem to be a rare commodity…and our last campground was primitive.

Reviews stated Big Pine Creek had showers and modern restrooms, so we drove through the night arriving at 7:00 Sunday morning…hoping for an available site. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Turns out, the camper at site 2, beside the Host site, was packing up…so we claim jumped the site. Also turns out…after we paid $22 for the night…Big Pine Creek Campground does not have showers, nor modern restrooms.

So, to set the record straight…there are vault latrines and a river of cold glacier runoff of roughly 40F degrees. However, next to Big Pine Creek Campground is Glacier Lodge (they share the same entrance road and is privately owned)…and they will rent you a shower for $5/5 minutes. For that $5 shower, you can use the modern toilet.

Don’t let that run you off, though. We loved Big Pine Creek Campground. The sites are spacious and the backdrop is gorgeous. Not many campgrounds offer stellar trails into the Inyo John Muir Wilderness…more on that later. Mule deer roam between campsites, ground squirrels and magpies are everywhere. We also noted a resident lizard.

Most sites are somewhat tiered because of the sloped terrain. Site 2 parking pad was large enough for our SUV, but little else. You have a large bear resistant locker in front of a large fixed picnic table, situated on a large, raised, leveled pad that also has the fire pit. Up a few steps is the raised timber tent pad. Numerous large pines and smaller hardwoods populate the sites. Our neighboring site was visible with little obstruction, but was occupied by a delightful French family on holiday, that we enjoyed.

Big Pine Creek Campground is often filled with campers from all over the world and makes for interesting conversations.

Drinking water was a little walk. Last year’s winter had an avalanche destroy their water lines, so others were rerouted. No electric. Also, no cell service. Perfect for unplugging, relaxing and meeting your fellow campers.

There is a trout pond near the entrance that folks were capitalizing on. They were also fishing the creek. The glacier fed creek is cold…like 38 degrees cold. The trails…in a word…Epic!

The North Trail was incredible. We started late and only went to the first and second of seven alpine glacier lakes. The water is so emerald green, it’s surreal. We hiked out and back in 6.5 hours, taking an hour respite for a polar bear plunge in the near freezing lake. I was advised we missed the most beautiful third lake…also referred to as Emerald Lake. The North Fork Trail into The John Muir Wilderness does require permits for backcountry camping…an easy process and well worth it…https://www.recreation.gov/permits/John_Muir_Trail_North_Of_Devils_Postpile_Aa10/r/entranceEntryExitDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72203&entranceId=315543&permitTypeId=1009473747&entryType=1

Of note, along the way is Lon Chaney’s (of Frankenstein, Werewolf and Hunchback of Notre Dame movie fame) backcountry cabin. Lon Chaney would bring guests back by horse and mule train. Upon his passing, it was gifted to the parks.

One horse/mule train passed us on the trail, returning after they deposited their riders and goods out into the wilderness.

The host couple were very helpful and a joy to glean local and trail information from.

A wonderful campground to visit.

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 !

Amazing views all around the campgrounds. If you want to get of away from the city this is the place to be...Love it.

Lodgepole Campground itself is located in the beautiful Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the central California region next to the amazing Sierra Nevada. Lodgepole is near the Kaweah River.

The Giant Sequoia Forest it's a thing of beauty and the famous General Sherman Tree - the world's largest tree is an incredible experience to see up close.

If you are hiking the highest peak in the conteninal U.S, you have 2 options. You can either hike all 22 grueling miles in one day or break it up into two by camping at Trail Camp. It is located about 6 miles from the Whitney Portal parking area and provides a great base camp for summiting. There is a nice lake to collect water from. Beware of the many marmots that will raid your camp.

We recently backpacked to the summit of MT Whitney. On the way to the summit there are several options for overnight camping. Lone Pine Lake is your first option, about 2.8 miles from the trailhead at Whitney Portal. This is a beautiful little lake, surrounded by pines and imposing granite walls. This is the last place you can camp without a Whitney zone overnight permit. Outpost camp is your next option at mile 3.8. Flat and shady with meandering streams and a waterfall, this is a beautiful place to stop for the night. Trail Camp is located at mile 6.3. Surrounded by tall, jagged granite peaks, and edged by a beautiful alpine lake, Trail Camp is awe inspiring. Trail Camp is about 12,000 ft elevation, so be prepared to camp at high altitude. If you can swing it, taking your time to ascend slowly, and camping along the way for at least a couple of nights will make your MT Whitney experience truly unforgettable.

We aren't big hikers, so our reasons for coming had little to do with the trailheads to the mountain. When my brothers and I were little, we went to Whitney Portal every summer to camp and fish. My father used to get us all set up with hooks and poles early in the morning, just at the perfect time to meet the stock truck. The back of the truck would open and a river of hungry trout would come rushing out, and three little nippers pulling fish out as fast as dad could get the hooks out of them. Camping at Whitney Portal has become much more regulated now, but it's even more beautiful than I remember. The altitude still makes me tired at first, but after a day or so, it wears off and it's easier to enjoy fishing and watching the chipmunks and seeing the stars twinkle in the crisp night air.

It's a bit more primitive than my favorite places to camp, but the beauty makes up for it. Not a fan of vault toilets, but that's how it goes.

Had a wonderful time exploring the area of the Alabama Hills below and was a wonderful campsite to beat the heat of the valley, at that time was over 100 degrees. The stream was flowing and had just been load with fish, the campground was open and as well as the store/restaurant. The Burger and Beer was a welcome site after a week in the sierras, the big surprise was breakfast, the single pancake was big enough to feed three people. Do not order the short stack unless you have an army of people to feed. The campsite was kept very clean and well organized, firewood for campfires and an abundance of information about the hike to the top and surrounding areas.