Best Glamping near Independence, CA

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.

We arrived Fourth of July weekend and the drive down to the campground is absolutely stunning! We stayed at site 120 which was very spacious and partially shaded. The river was a lot lower than I have seen the past few times I have been here 4 years ago. Therefore there was a lot of people playing in the river. There are flushable toilets at the campground but no electricity so bring your flashlights. This campground is located towards the end of the road and it’s a great location being close to roaring river trailhead and zumwalt meadows and roads end trail. Cedar grove is just a few minutes away where you can get some groceries or little souvenirs. The campground was extremely packed and filled with families. For campers looking for peaceful camping I do not recommend this campground. But since I have a new son whose 9 months old, I was fine with the noise. Quiet hours were respected and that’s the most important part. I loved the location of the campground as you look around you are surrounded by beauty and you’re right in the canyon!

Sentinel was the only campground available for a visit to Kings Canyon and Sequoia. Be prepared for a LONG drive to get anywhere.

The campsite was amazing!!! You are nestled by the river and under beautiful big trees. The site was spacious with a picnic table, fire pit and bear box.

The restroom is dated, but it’s a flush toilet and running water, which is a gift. They do have a sink to clean dishes.

I found it to be pretty quiet. Most sites were dark shortly after sunset. A lot of people were up and out early in the morning. So many amazing hikes and walks to do within the two parks.

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.

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.

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.

Campground is overall very nice. The campsites come with bear boxes to store your food or other gear that might be odorous. Each site comes with a fire pit with attached grill top that swings off. Some site have electric some don't depending on what you want. We stayed at number 107 which was near the top of the hill and was about a 150 foot walk to the edge where you could see the sunset over the valley. I would recommend site 103 or 104 as they are the top of the hill with the best views. There are restrooms available which are actual toilets and urinal not pit toilets. However there are no shower facilities. The days are mild and the nights were cool. Being so close the giant trees was amazing and the views are spectacular. Definitely a place to visit.

Getting there: A long drive on windy roads behind people generally doing 10mph under the speed limit. Take your time because you sure wont be able to rush. Once inside the campground the road looks more like a lunar landscape with more potholes than pavement. Campsites: The group campsites are fairly spacious and easily fit 15 of us, they are rated to hold 20 people but that might be a bit of a squeeze. All the campsites provide 3 picnic benches, 3 bear boxes (not enough so be weary of how many coolers you have), and only one fire pit with grill grate. Trying to get 15 people around a single fire pit and still within range of the warmth was a major issue. There are shared restroom areas with full plumbing and potable water through the campsite. This campsite was also really, really far away from most of the stuff we wanted to do, I would NOT stay at this campsite again. WARNING: The rangers here are asshats. They were constantly patrolling and searching for a reason to write us a ticket (-1 star). They gave us 3 warnings the first day of our stay for BS nit picky reason (we don't want to put our shit in the bear bin when we are sitting around snacking on it you dick). The Park: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park were nice but everything you want to do is at least an hour drive each way on windy roads. Kind of a pain. What to do: Go out on some hikes, there are a ton of trails. Go see the giant Sequoias, either General Sherman or General Grant. Go explore some caves, they are awesome.