9 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Kernville RV parks provide options ranging from riverfront settings to mountain valley locations with diverse amenities. Rivernook Campground accommodates big rigs with full hookup sites including 50-amp electric, water, and sewer connections. KRS RV Resort at Camp James features riverside sites with electric, water, and cable TV hookups, offering level pull-through spaces for larger motorhomes. Haven RV Park in Lake Isabella maintains sites with 50-amp service and sewer hookups on concrete pads. Lake Isabella RV Resort provides big rig-friendly spaces with full hookups, though some sites have limited shade. A recent review noted, "The sites had power, water and cable TV hook up. The sites were level dirt for your rig and a clean cement pad for your chairs."
Mountain access roads present challenges for larger motorhomes at higher elevations. Several campgrounds require navigation through narrow, winding roads with steep grades in places. Cell service varies significantly throughout the region, with stronger signals in valley locations near Kernville and Lake Isabella, while mountain parks experience limited connectivity. Most RV parks in the area remain open year-round, though winter weather may affect accessibility at higher elevations. Dump stations are available at Rivernook Campground and KRS RV Resort, with some parks offering on-site sanitary dump services. Pet policies generally allow dogs with standard restrictions, and several parks provide laundry facilities. A visitor commented, "The road to the campground is a narrow, twisty, two lane road. Then we got to the campground and it got narrower and steeper. The grades in some parts were double digit percent."
"We are in an 18' trailer and we fit nicely in the site with our pickup truck. Lovely long shady grass area for dog walking. Showers were great, good water pressure and plenty of hot water."
"Very nicely kept facility, clean and in order. Was basically full while we were there and was beautifully quiet."
"Clean, friendly, and easy full hookup...clean facilities Dog Park Swimming pool Wendy&Mario"
"The facilities are clean the showers are warm and they even have an exercise room. The sites are spacious and have 50 30 hook up all full hook up all pull through."
from $43 - $54 / night
"It does sit next to a branch of the Kern river…unfortunately it was dry. The campground is clean and well maintained. Sites are level dirt for your rig and a clean cement pad for your chairs etc."
"Nice park adjacent to a great bike trail of 50+ miles. The river is not always running as in some of the pictures. Gravel pads concrete patios surrounded by grass."
from $42 - $49 / night
"Very quiet community. Full hookups for our 5th wheel, spacious sites, flushing restrooms and showers if you wanted. Starlink worked perfect, though there was wifi available."
"My little family & I had a great experience tent camping here at Camp Nelson, Trudy showed lovely hospitality & we made some new friends, the campground is really clean & peaceful."
from $20 - $235 / night
"Stayed three nights and really enjoyed the peaceful setting and open desert views. The sites are level, spacious, and have full hookups."
"A lovely site, both scenic and peaceful. Was very quiet when we stayed. The small lake was ideal for a bit of casual kayaking and nature watching - mostly birds and dragonflies."
from $49 - $69 / night
"We were able to float down the river in our inner tubes safely. We were told May to June the river is very high in this area. We also fished in the river. Our camp site was great."
"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."
from $39 - $340 / night
"We needed somewhere to stay for one night as we were finishing up a cross-country drive. We loved how quiet the area was. The grounds are clean and well-kept."
"Not a lot of privacy but the campsites were big enough, most were pull throughs. Laundry room, restrooms with showers and hook ups."
from $43 / night
"This is close to the freeway, it's gated and clean. We stopped in for a night on our way to Tennessee, it seems like a good place to spend a few days or even weeks."
"Convenient park adjacent to freeway but the noise is minimal. Clean park and bathrooms. Nice place to spend a night."
"Great location. Right across the street from the lake. Clean bathrooms and laundry room."
"The dump station is central to the park and not at each spot (some spots do offer it). I think we paid a premium price for the best spot they offer."
"We couldn't stay at the river's edge, but instead stayed at a full hook up. The area was under trees and quiet, but could had used a little more landscaping. "
from $45 - $75 / night
GuideIt is a very quiet offroad campground. I would only drive it with a van or an all-wheel-drive car. It is pretty soft sand. It is supposed to be $12 but the machine where you are supposed to pay is broken. So everybody around us assumed it must be for free. You have to absolutely dry camp. There is a dump station nearby for $25.
ScoutThe bathrooms and showers not open maybe cause we came in November but a notice would have been nice. Loud road noise all the time depending on which site your on just bring headphones and you’ll be fine. The sites were really spacious though and it’s close enough to the national forest though the drive in and out is a pain.
ScoutClean easy access dry campground
TravelerNice spot close to the river but also close to the main road. No cell service. It’s kind of small but I had the place to myself on a Wednesday night. Didn’t show up until 2PM.
ScoutEasy Check-in and Check-out process. Beautiful area, nice campsites. Although little privacy, and it helps to bring your own tp.
ScoutCall ahead if you’re arriving after 4:15pm or so and pay in advance so you get a reusable gate code. If you can’t call you can check in at the gate but there are limited in and out privileges so it’s best to do it before the office closes. This is a lovely little county type park by a reservoir outside of the town of Tehachapi. Great Thai food at Thai Hachapi. We had the place to ourselves on a Thursday in October. Lots of room to walk on leash dogs and enjoy the birds. No swimming or body contact with the water but you could canoe or kayak. And there were folks fishing. Easy drive to town. I’d stay again!
GuideThis was a nice e little campground. Nothing fancy but it was a quiet night, except for a few trains coming thruwith their whistle blowing off in the distance. Be sure to drive over to the Tehachapi Loop, one of the 7 train engineering wo dets of the world. We were lucky enough to see a small train going through. Town has a Walmart and Walgreens for groceries and meds. Be sure to watch when you book online if you are applying the Good Sam discount. I had selected it but it didn't apply for some reason and office staff said she couldn't apply it when checking in. This was the reason for knocking a star off the rating.
ScoutGreat place to stay, Jonathan is a really great guy and keeps the place immaculate. Very little traffic and has plenty of trees surrounding the property.
ScoutHonestly, I'm not entirely sure why this is on the map at all. It is literally just a dead-end road with a blank spot of dirt and a picnic table at the far edge. I can't see that there's really any good. I don't know. It just doesn't even seem like a place to be.
Perhaps there is some generosity of spirit that somebody would allow someone to be here for free, but it doesn't seem like this is intended to be a camping spot at all. The only reason that I'm including two stars instead of one star is because it does exist, and that is all right. It's possible that if you needed a place to stay, this would be an acceptable one, but I would not pitch a tent here. It's quite close to the highway, so you're getting quite a lot of road noise.
Kernville RV campgrounds rest along the banks of the Kern River at elevations between 2,600-2,700 feet, offering camping options in a transition zone between the Sierra Nevada mountains and Mojave Desert. Water levels in the Kern River fluctuate seasonally, creating different camping experiences depending on when you visit. Summer temperatures typically range from 75-95°F with minimal rainfall.
Tubing and floating down the river: At Rivernook Campground, guests can set up riverside sites and enjoy water activities directly from their campsites. A visitor noted, "We stayed on the southern end of the campground site #102 and we walked to the northern end and floated down the river back to our site with a nice cold beer in hand."
Fishing for trout: Several Kernville campgrounds offer direct fishing access without needing to travel elsewhere. "Great place for RVs and tents. Great fishing spots all over the campground. And access to floating in your tubes and hanging out at beaches in the campground," reports one Rivernook camper.
Visit Trail of 100 Giants: About an hour's drive from KRS RV Resort@Camp James, this sequoia grove offers an accessible boardwalk trail. "It is about a hour drive to Trail of 100 Giants Sequoia Trees," mentions a visitor who used the campground as a base for exploring.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Many campers report regular wildlife sightings from their sites. At Nelson Falls RV Park, a visitor observed, "Saw deer in and around the campground almost daily," making it a popular spot for nature enthusiasts.
Clean facilities: Bathroom cleanliness stands out in reviews across multiple campgrounds. One camper at Nelson Falls noted, "The bathrooms had flush toilets and hot showers that were very CLEAN. That is usually very hard to find when you are camping!"
Proximity to town: Several campgrounds offer both nature immersion and convenient access to amenities. A camper at Lake Isabella RV Resort appreciated being "Right across the street from the lake. Clean bathrooms and laundry room."
Campsite reservations: During peak summer months, riverside sites book months in advance. "Book way in advance though. You can get a site right on the river with no sewage hook ups or get all hook ups off the river," advises a KRS Resort visitor.
Seasonal crowd differences: Summer brings higher visitor numbers while shoulder seasons offer more solitude. A January visitor to Rivernook noted, "Visited in January so it was pretty empty which made for a quiet and spacious experience."
Elevation and temperature considerations: Mountain valley campgrounds experience significant day-to-night temperature swings. At Mountain Valley RV Park, campers enjoyed "views of the surrounding hills, minimal road noise, mature trees, space between sites and lovely song birds the 3rd week of April."
Kid-friendly water activities: Choose campgrounds with gentle water access for younger children. A camper noted, "We were there August 1-6. The River was a little low but it was perfect for us with our 5 year old son. We were able to float down the river in our inner tubes safely."
Look for playgrounds and recreation: Some RV parks feature additional amenities for children. At Orange Grove RV Park, a visitor mentioned it "could absolutely use a playground for kids to play on, but other than that it is a nice, simple park."
Try family activity programming: Several campgrounds offer organized activities for children. At KRS RV Resort@Camp James, a reviewer appreciated that "This campground even offers activities for the whole family, movie night, bingo, even rock painting."
Road challenges: Many campgrounds require navigating mountain roads. "The road to the campground is a narrow, twisty, two lane road. Then we got to the campground and it got narrower and steeper," reports one camper about mountain access.
Site selection for larger rigs: Some campgrounds offer better accommodation for big rigs than others. At Haven RV Park, one camper noted the "spots are wide and long enough for our 42' 5th wheel."
Check bathroom access hours: Some facilities have limited overnight availability. A visitor to Bakersfield River Run RV Park warned: "Pretty ridiculous that all the toilets and showers in the RV park are locked from 10pm-7:30am. When you're paying a minimum of $59 a night I'd expect I would at least be able to use the restroom in the middle of the night."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Kernville, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Kernville, CA is Haven RV Park with a 4.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Kernville, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 115 RV camping locations near Kernville, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
