Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Lake Isabella, CA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Lake Isabella is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Lake Isabella, reviewed by campers like you.
$28 - $30 / night
"Due to a bridge wash out and no funds for repair, this beloved campground is closed."
"Unfortunately, went to camp there last weekend and were informed the bridge has been washed out and camp is closed with no plans to repair the bridge. SO SAD!"
"It is also an off-roading area for sport bikes and the like so there are trails all through out for it. But all the campsites are pretty spaced out so you’ll have your privacy."
"This is a awesome campground, with just a fire ring and table (if a site has it, if not there's plenty to choose from) there is an outhouse and that it is, no signal unless you go up to the lookout"
"Cool place to go and chill, just make sure you are prepared for a narrow and bumpy road, also a short dirt trail."
"The 2 on the south side are attainable with careful driving and 2 wheel drive. One site is visible by the road, the other crests a small hill and has limited visibility from the road."
"No other campers present so good privacy. Lots of birds, peepers, and late night owls. Quite pleasant."
$34 - $36 / night
"Sites are pretty nicely spaced out and almost all sites have shade. The lsites are not as close to the river as Brush Creek campground, but still closer than Fairview, which is down the road."
"Most sites have trees for shade. We were in one (12) that didn’t, but we moved our chairs to a shaded space between sites. The paved pad is above the area with the table and fire ring."
"If you want privacy this is it. You are definitely alone."
"This camping site is a nice free area super close to the Giants Trail entrance (5 minute drive). As you head in you go thru a little dirt road and at the end you see an opening for this site."
"We did a backpacking trip from Johnsondale Bridge down to Fairview Campground following the Rincon trail in May.
It was hot but the views and the quietness was beautiful!"
ScoutA great place to relax in the heat right down the road from Lake Isabella. They have a wonderful pool and splash pad for the kids. The staff was amazing! They have pizza and a small bar to relax in. Most of the sites have shaded trees. They do movie nights and pancakes on certain days. A wonderful little place.
GuideLovely campground! Stayed with a small group at site 35, which is a large site with a parking area that can fit 3 cars/SUVs. We set up 3 large tents, 2 hammocks, plus a lot of cooking equipment, and still had room for more! There's a trail that leads down to the creek right from the site, which we used each day to cool down in the water. Very dog friendly- our group's pups enjoyed themselves too. Vault toilets are clean and the toilet paper was abundant. The price of $17/night (plus$5 for additional cars) is very reasonable. Used a bit of the non-potable water and came prepared with lots of drinking water from home. Was a pleasant temperature in the high 80s with a regular breeze.
Now for the downsides…it was extremely buggy;. Even with multiple types of bug spray and a Thermacell, we got bit by mosquitos and various flies all throughout the day. Plus, there are really big beetles that flew on us at night. Wish we had a big bug net over the picnic table or other areas, but at least the hammock was covered. There were also noisy neighbors- one group had a bunch of ATVs they started riding at 8am, and another was shooting guns. No cell service, but that was expected, so we brought satellite devices for emergencies.
GuideNearly all these campsites butt up against the Badlands-esque rock formations with mini slot canyons to explore right at your campsite. My son absolutely loved this place. I loved it. We had a great time!
It costs $25 per night and has zero amenities but the landscape makes up for it. Joshua trees and amazing rock formations, Jack rabbits and desert squirrels... it’s just great.
1 bar AT&T if you’re lucky. No water, no electricity, but there’s a dump station near the visitor center. No electric car charging. Lots of tents and small rigs, nothing big. Campground uses narrow one-way dirt road. There are about 50 campsites with a picnic table, fire ring, rocky tent pad and fairly level gravel parking spot. At least 2 spots are ADA with concrete parking spots and nearby restroom.
Now during COVID time it’s self registration, not sure about other times. We stayed one night and never saw a ranger. The campground was about half full and didn’t fill up while we were there.
LegendThis is a primitive campground with several site locations. It was a very long, winding and narrow road to get there. There is a river near the entrance and it is covered in giant sequoia trees throughout. The park offers a picnic table, bear box, and a fire pit at each campsite. They have also made benches out of fallen trees which was really neat. There's a porta house nearby, fairly clean but I've seen nicer. There is no water or hookups. Perfect for needing a simple place to sleep while visiting Sequoia National Park.
LegendBeautiful campground for $24/night. It is popular during the summer months, so if you want to reserve a site for the weekend, make sure to reserve online well in advance. Sites are pretty nicely spaced out and almost all sites have shade. The lsites are not as close to the river as Brush Creek campground, but still closer than Fairview, which is down the road.
Facilities. There are vault toilets. Both trash and recycling collection bins are available (not the case for nearby day use areas or dispersed camping). Each site has its own campfire ring and picnic table.
Dogs allowed throughout the forest as long as they are on leash.
Activities in the area:
TravelerHoley Meadows is a small campground with just 10 sites. We reserved campsite 5 and there was shade all day long, which was good because temperatures during the day were over 90 degrees in the sun. There was a flat spot for our tent and plenty of room to pitch another tent. This site didn't have any neighbors behind it and it was close to the bathroom. It's a short half mile drive down a dirt road to get to the campgrounds. The camp host was friendly and helpful. He suggested a number of activities for us and came around each day/night to check in. He also kept the vault toilets so clean and aired out. Two thumbs up for that. All of our neighbors were really quiet and went to bed early. There's a number of activities in the area to keep you busy during the day - Trail of 100 Giants, the view from Dome Rock, the Noble Waterfall, and the Needles Lookout 5 mile hike. If you are in need of supplies, there's a restaurant / store 18 miles up the road in Ponderosa. We were able to pick up firewood and ice and had a beer on their deck and enjoyed the band. Overall, we were very pleased with our stay and would recommend it to other campers who don't mind no showers. Please note that there is NO drinking water as the description on this site states.
LegendGeneral: Smallish (approx. 50-site) campground that does not take reservations. No hookups, one walk-in tent site, and the others are either back-in or pull-through. Some are “double” sites that would be ideal for sharing.
Site Quality: Varies. All sites (except four, three of which are designated handicap sites) are a mixture of sand/gravel. Not all are completely level, and some accommodate larger vehicles than others.
Bathhouse: Pit toilets only. Some are open air and some are enclosed; the one closest to our site was clean.
Activities: hiking, photography. Good night sky area. The nature trail is accessible directly from the campground and the Hagen Canyon trail is ¾ mile from the campground. Red Cliffs is another short trail across the highway; these are the most popular (and short) hikes in the park but there are others. The views are jaw-dropping and well worth exploring.
Note that although there is a dump station, there is a $20 charge to use it.
We arrived around 1 pm on a Sunday in late March and had our pick of sites, however, the campground filled in to about ¾ full by the end of the day.
GuideThis 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. Bring everything you need with you. Currently no fires permitted. Great place to unplug and decompress.
ScoutWe stopped here on the way from SF to AZ in October. There are lots of open spots, FCFS. Vault toilets and trash cans scattered throughout. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a nature trail nearby although we didn’t have time to go check it out. Cost was $18 paid in envelopes at the entrance.
Tent camping near Lake Isabella, California, offers a blend of stunning natural beauty and a variety of outdoor activities, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Isabella, CA is Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest with a 4.5-star rating from 6 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Lake Isabella, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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