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Best Glamping near Johnsondale, CA

164 Reviews

Sequoia National Forest Quaking Aspen Campground houses rustic glamping yurts nestled among towering trees at 6,500 feet elevation. These comfortable canvas accommodations offer a blend of outdoor immersion with modern conveniences, operating from late May through early October. The yurts provide proper beds, protection from wildlife, and space to move around comfortably in the forest setting. Additional glamping options near Johnsondale include Redwood Meadow, where safari-style accommodations sit across from the Trail of 100 Giants. Both locations maintain vault toilets and provide drinking water from spigots throughout the grounds. A recent visitor noted, "I stayed in one of the yurts. It was very clean and there is a bunkbed with two full size beds and another separate full size bed."

Kern River glamping experiences combine mountain serenity with riverside relaxation. After settling into your canvas accommodation, explore nearby hiking trails leading to groves of giant sequoias or wildlife viewing areas. KRS RV Resort at Camp James distinguishes itself with more upscale glamping amenities including electric hookups, showers, and picnic areas for outdoor dining. The surrounding Sequoia National Forest provides ample opportunities for stargazing, with minimal light pollution enhancing night sky viewing. Most glamping sites require reservations, especially during peak summer months when the Trail of 100 Giants attracts numerous visitors. According to one camper, "The campground is so peaceful, and near several hiking trails. The roads around the campground are drivable for all type of cars." Winter access becomes limited due to snow, making late spring through early fall the prime glamping season.

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Best Glamping Sites Near Johnsondale, California (20)

    1. Sequoia National Forest Quaking Aspen Campground

    10 Reviews
    Camp Nelson, CA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 539-5230

    $34 - $233 / night

    "It was very clean and there is a bunkbed with two full size beds and another separate full size bed. The bathrooms were also kept very clean."

    "We arrived on a Sunday and there were first come first serve campgrounds available. We stayed one night but there were plenty of spots to choose from."

    2. Redwood Meadow

    5 Reviews
    Johnsondale, CA
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 539-5230

    $34 - $106 / night

    "However, it is located directly across from the trailhead to the Trail of 100 Giants, a 1/2 mile walking tour of some of the biggest trees Sequoia has to offer."

    "We arrived very late at night so no one was working but was able to grab a spot by booking at the front drop off pillar - u just fill out the paperwork and add cash in it and drop it in the pillar."

    3. KRS RV Resort@Camp James

    14 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 376-6119

    $39 - $340 / night

    "All sites are well kept, with access to clean bathrooms and coin operated showers. Staff is friendly and available when needed. Prices are a tad high but expected with a clean upscale Campground."

    "Clean showers and bathrooms. Polite guests. Respectable to after hour policies. Ground keepers make sure everyone is happy. Full hook up sites make it easy. Shaded tent sites make it comfortable."

    4. Camp Three Campground

    6 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 376-1815

    $34 - $147 / night

    "there is only one place for trash upon exit), but every site has a beautiful view of the mountainside and the stars, and if you get one of the good sites along the river, you're a few steps from the best"

    "Camp 3 is a good location if you can book it quickly outside of the Summer months."

    5. Springhill South Recreation Site

    1 Review
    Kernville, CA
    9 miles
    Website

    6. Headquarters Campground

    2 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 376-1815

    $34 - $106 / night

    "A nice secluded campground up the river from kern’s more populated sites, in the heart of the Sequoia National Forest."

    7. Kern's River Edge Campground

    3 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 376-6553

    $54 - $250 / night

    "The campsites were clean and spacious, the bathrooms were sanitary and showers were hot. Only downside happen to be the on-site general store was shut down the whole weekend."

    "Beautiful nice place Close to the river"

    8. Hospital Flat

    2 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 376-1815

    $34 - $153 / night

    9. Halfway Group Campground

    2 Reviews
    Kernville, CA
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 379-1815

    $57 - $232 / night

    "At one point we even ran out of TP and had to drive to the neighboring campground down the road to ask the host there for some more rolls, which she happily provided."

    "Porta-potties were kept clean and trash was emptied from large trash containers regularly.

    Bears are common in the area and there are no bear lockers for food. So keep this in mind."

    10. Troy Meadow Campground

    3 Reviews
    Johnsondale, CA
    18 miles
    Website

    "We arrived on Sunday afternoon. The weekend crowd was moving out. We had the campground A Loop to ourselves. Really nice to be out of the Valley heat."

    "Very beautiful well kept supposedly it had just opened an hour or two before I arrived after being closed for two years. Great campground"

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Recent Glamping Photos near Johnsondale, CA

4 Photos of 20 Johnsondale Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Johnsondale, CA

164 Reviews of 20 Johnsondale Campgrounds

  • Sam M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2018

    Buckeye Flat Campground — Sequoia National Park

    trees trees trees

    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.

  • D
    Apr. 9, 2017

    Whitney Portal

    Whitney Portal great way to beat the valley heat

    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.

  • Gabby G.
    Jul. 27, 2021

    Whitney Portal

    Amazing

    By far the best campground I've been too.

    I was on campsite 044. Really secluded surrounded by trees, close to bathroom and water faucet. The bathrooms are clean and have toilet paper. Right next to a river, where the sound relaxes you. Flat ground for the tent and in no sight of other campers. Close (walking distance) to Mt Whitney Trailhead

  • Beau B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2018

    Whitney Portal

    Whitney Portal in March

    Great camp ground. no running water that time of year. Toilets were clean and bear boxes were easily accessible.

  • Ricky S.
    Jul. 31, 2022

    Lake Isabella-Kern River KOA

    Good camp to park & explore

    Overall nice site with full hookups & wi-fi/cell. Had a nice shade tree but it can be real sunny without one. Laundry right on site! Close to lake Isabella and all of the Kern. Great for last minute reservations too, online booking works

  • Vanessa H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2020

    Redwood Meadow

    Busy daily traffic but clean

    Stayed here on July 4th weekend. Campground is small and there was plenty of day traffic to the Trail of 100 giants across the road. No running water and has pit toilets but camp hosts kept them VERY clean and they were very helpful and managed the crowds well. Definitely have to drive around to hunt for some water to hangout in/by. I usually stay on the eastern Sierra side but thought I’d give the western Sierra a go. Not sure I’d stay again but it’s a good spot if your passing by and need a place to stay on way to your destination.

  • Ray & Terri F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 9, 2020

    Sequoia Campground & Lodge - TEMP CLOSED THROUGH 2022

    For an RV camp this is top-notch!

    We got a spot right on one of the river branches, with a great mountain view. Park was relatively empty. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny with cool nights. Nice, semi-grassy sites with fire-pits made from washing machine tubs(good idea!). Staff was friendly. Campground close to nice coffee shop--Sequoia Coffee Co; quaint little bar/deli--Totem Market; and nice restaurant with a great patio view right on the river--Gateway Lodge. Also close to small market and general store. Would definitely stay here again.

  • A
    Jul. 6, 2020

    Redwood Meadow

    Perfect for a night or two

    The camp hosts, Michelle and Darren were wonderful. Kept things clean and were on top of managing the campground. I only give this three stars because there was no running water and the location was quiet but there wasn’t much to do unless you’re an avid hiker. There was no cell service with Verizon but that’s why we get away right? It was directly across from the trail of 100 giants which was highly trafficked every day. We stayed in site 9 and if you have a back in trailer, you may want to drive in the wrong direction to be able to angle things properly. Overall nice campground and enjoyed exploring this little piece of heaven.

  • K
    Jul. 30, 2021

    Camp Three Campground

    Decent facilities, stellar location

    While our first impressions were terrible (we did not love our originally reserved site - #33), once we moved to another available spot and started exploring, we ended up having the time of our lives. 

    The campground itself left a lot to be desired (lots of trash, half the sites are extremely rocky / sandy with little shade, some sites have rotting or broken picnic benches and very little privacy, and there is only one place for trash upon exit), but every site has a beautiful view of the mountainside and the stars, and if you get one of the good sites along the river, you're a few steps from the best part during the summer: swimming in the Kern River. 

    We stayed at site #29, where (like sites #25, #27, #28 & #30), there were nice, flat, soft surfaces to pitch your tent under the trees just beyond where you park your vehicles for privacy and shade. From these gems, the river is just a short, 1 or 2 minute walk to the River. Though nice to be near the water spouts and bathrooms, we would not recommend sites (#3-19, #22, #24, #26) Further down the river, we noticed that sites opened up a bit more and had much more space and shade, AND that the river was a lot closer - all great for larger groups and especially those with children. If we were to come back, we'd probably choose site #47 which had two shaded, flat places right near the site and was only a few steps from the river - which had a nice shaded space for chairs along it. Only downside for being on the end is that you're next to the Day Use entry point from the road.

Guide to Johnsondale

Camping options near Johnsondale, California sit within the Sequoia National Forest at elevations between 5,800 and 6,500 feet. Summers typically reach highs in the 80s with cool evenings in the 40s, while spring and fall bring significant temperature variations. Forest roads in this area often close during winter months due to snow accumulation, restricting access to most campgrounds.

What to do

Hiking to waterfalls: Access several trail systems directly from Camp Three Campground for day hikes ranging from 2-5 miles roundtrip. "This is a great primitive campground if you truly want to disconnect for a few days. No cell reception, no WiFi, there are restrooms but no showers. Take a 3 minute walk through the woods to get to Kern River and you have a little oasis away from it all," notes reviewer Mike N.

Fishing spots: Fish Creek offers productive trout fishing throughout the season, particularly in early summer when water levels remain high. "Tons of trees water and quiet. Just the way everybody likes it. Not to far from a general store and has tons of places you can hike. Highly recommend checking the river out and swim during the summer! I have also caught tons of trout here so fishing is excellent!" reports Tyler C. about Springhill South Recreation Site.

Nighttime astronomy: Take advantage of minimal light pollution at higher elevation campgrounds for stargazing between May and October. "We stayed here in October after the yurts had been taken down which was no bother to us when you're surrounded by the most magnificent trees in the world! This also meant there were no crowds and we had practically the entire campground to ourselves," shares Lili R. about their experience at Redwood Meadow.

What campers like

Riverside sites: Many campers prefer spots directly adjacent to water for both convenience and natural cooling effects. "By far the best campground there. The river front campsites are awesome and have a great size. There's plenty of shade (which is rare for the area), and the section of river is so fun," notes Morgan F. about Headquarters Campground.

Off-season tranquility: Visiting in late September through early October offers similar amenities with significantly reduced crowds. "A nice secluded campground up the river from kern's more populated sites, in the heart of the Sequoia National Forest. First come first serve style camp site, showed up at 5 pm on a last minute late night camping trip and arrived to an empty campground," reports Diego R. about their Headquarters Campground experience.

Amenity variations: Glamping in Johnsondale, California ranges from basic to comprehensive depending on the specific site chosen. "My partner and I stayed here after a campground down the road overbooked us for a weekend, and it ended up being a lovely trip. The campsites were clean and spacious, the bathrooms were sanitary and showers were hot," shares Makenna R. from Kern's River Edge Campground.

What you should know

Limited connectivity: Cell service is virtually nonexistent throughout most of the Johnsondale area. "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," notes Kim L. from Sequoia National Forest Quaking Aspen Campground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Johnsondale, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Johnsondale, CA is Sequoia National Forest Quaking Aspen Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Johnsondale, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 glamping camping locations near Johnsondale, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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