Kernville, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Kernville is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Kernville, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
Headquarters Campground
8 min away
Gold Ledge Campground
17 min away
$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."
$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."
"Laundry right on site! Close to lake Isabella and all of the Kern. Great for last minute reservations too, online booking works"
"Kern River is a great place in the hot California Desert. This place has everything to make you feel at home."
$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"
$34 - $36 / night
"I do a lot of camping, this one is a great campground if you want to go swimming, waterskiing, windsurfing, fishing, or just enjoy the beautiful scenic views of Lake Isabella."
$34 - $106 / night
"A nice secluded campground up the river from kern’s more populated sites, in the heart of the Sequoia National Forest."
$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."
$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."
ScoutThe lake isn't that great. But they are improving their facility. Running water and restrooms are available. Spots available near the water
GuideCamped here a couple times with a college group, once in the fall and once in the fall. The Kern River valley is definitely more of a summer destination, because on both occasions camping here our group was the only group in the campground. There are a few different group sites available, with varying group size limitations. When we camped, only a single porta potty was provided which sort of worked with a smallish group, but if we had more people it would have been an issue. 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. Also keep in mind there is no running water at al here. Either bring your own or filter/boil the river water. Camping in the off season was nice because it felt so isolated, and our group had a good time. The campground is right up against the river so you will definitely hear it roaring at night. There are many hikes to do in the valley, especially if you drive north. The town of Kernville is also 10 minutes to the south and has a grocery store, gas station, and even a brewery! Overall this campground was really relaxing, and had some awesome views of the towering peaks above the valley floor. I could definitely recommend this campground for a group trip.
GuideOverall 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
LegendKern River is a great place in the hot California Desert. This place has everything to make you feel at home. Several large sites for tents or RV's , bathrooms with full showers, a pool, splashpad and water play area. They have these weird Banana bikes which were fun. I was in complete heaven when I saw the coffee bar! There is a big pavilion with cooking areas for everyone!
This is close to several nearby attractions. They offer great wifi services. Great places if you have little ones. so much to do and all of the staff was wonderful.
They have Cabins too! I didnt stay in them but they are pretty cute.
GuideStayed 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.
ScoutBeautiful spot. Old school mountainside camping in the tall trees. Campsites are around 6,000’, pit toilets, grills, steel fire pits, picnic tables and potable water taps. We spent a night in late May and there were only a few other sites occupied on a Wednesday night. This is a hidden gem. It was 100 in Mojave and 70 in the TMP. Gorgeous tall evergreens and some larger oaks, a few might be old growth? ***Note: this is not a place for large RVs or trailers. The road in is tight and twisty with no shoulders and some trees and rock faces snug up against it. The campground is very steep, the roads are one lane and very very curvy. Some sites are very near each other, others are more dispersed. There are large groups sites.
GuideWhile 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.
GuideThe 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.
RangerReview
Made reservation on Recreation.gov. Arrived at 4pm. Sites are said to be assigned upon arrival. Camp host was the only tent found pitched in the entire campground. It’s during the pandemic and some places are closed. Campground sign said full. Yelled to see if anyone was there in the campsite and no answer from the camp host. Left a voicemail with campground to let them know my name and reservation info and I have was going to look for a spot. Picked a spot with shade - very few available. Some trees, but not large Sequoias like you may expect since it’s near the Sequoia National Forest. This place is desert hot and might be a bit miserable for folks to just hangout here. There’s no hookups. It’s near Lake Isabella. Went to bed and didn’t see a camp host that evening. ANTS!! So many ants in my camper in the morning. Ack!! Talked to a waitress in town and she says the campground I was at is known for an ant problem. Had to get diatomaceous earth at the hardware store in town along with ant traps galore now that my camper was overrun. Find out from the locals this campground has a reputation for being bad. I had to reconsider my plan to stay there and went elsewhere... so frustrating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Kernville, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Kernville, CA is KRS RV Resort@Camp James with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
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