Looking for the best Lake Isabella dispersed camping? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Search nearby dispersed campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
POTENTIAL FIRE BANS - CHECK BEFORE CAMPING Last report - bans in effect til 11/2020 (reported 10/2020) Located on the east side of Lake Isabella off Sierra Way. Open camping; Free use area; Chemical toilets. No limit on trailer length. Open year round. Supplies at Kernville
Keysville (formerly Keyesville) is a historic mining area that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Set in rolling terrain amidst a blue oak and foothill pine woodland, Keysville is dissected by the lower Kern River. A little exploration can turn up a wealth of historic resources, including a variety of mining structures and features, a historic fort, and the famous Walker Cabin. Keysville offers commercial and noncommercial white-water rafting opportunities as well as fishing, recreational gold panning, and dispersed camping. A network of over seventy miles of trails provides for mountain biking, equestrian, and motorized recreation use.
Travel Responsibly - on designated roads and trails or in permitted areas
Respect The Rights of Others - including private property owners and all recreational trail users, campers and others to allow them to enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Educate Yourself - by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning for your trip, taking recreation skills classes and knowing how to use and operate your equipment safely. Avoid Sensitive Areas - such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams, unless on designated routes. Do Your Part - by leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species, restoring degraded areas and joining a local enthusiast organization.
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/Keysville%20arch%20E%20low%20res.pdf
Dispersed Camping on the shore of Lake Isabella. Vault toilet available. No trash recepticals available (Pack In-Pack Out). ALL Upper Kern Dispersed Camping sites, under restrictions - No Camping or Campfires are allowed within 25 feet of the water___s edge.
Dispersed Camping on Upper Kern River approximately 4 to 5 miles north from Kernville. Ther is no water available at this location. Portable toilets and trash recepticals are available during__summer months. See Larger Picture Here.
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds.
Brush Creek is a dispersed camping or day use site open year round. There are vault toilets available and seasonal trash bins. This is where the Brush Creek meets the Upper Kern River and is a good spot for fishing. Campfire permits are required for campfires, barbeques, and camp stoves. Permits are available at your local Ranger Station or online at preventwildfireca.org
Beware of steep grade to access if you are in a camper.
Traveler
There was no food locker or bathroom close to where I parked but there are lots of spots, and a great view, it's also very close to grocery stores. Heavy wind and some critters interested in the tent. Very immersive area. I ended up just putting all my food in a cooler in my trunk and it worked.
Wouldn't go down the last steep section, it was wet sand, I decided not to risk it, as it was night too, and parked sideways at the spot overlooking the valley, it was a great view but I couldn't really see where the river was.
ScoutClean Spots, recommend! lot of space and different places.
TravelerI drove past a couple of camp grounds directly at the lake and was very disappointed what I found. Yes, you can camp right at the lake but only if you appreciate the charme of a Walmart parking lot. There is basically next to no trees or any nature for that matter.
So I looked a little further and was very happy to have found this site. Beautifully located right at a river, surrounded by trees, big boulders and the stunning mountain scenerey.
However, be aware that this is not serviced at all. There is no electricity, water, dump stations or anything else than the actual spot. And BEWARE: there is quite a steep and narrow entry road into the site. I drove in with a 30 feet class A camper and I am little worried if I will get out tomorrow. Also I smacked some leaves off of a tree on my way in with my 13“ clearance.
Traveler
Arrived at the coordinates and had no place to turn off the road. Also, the area was hit by wildfires (maybe 2 years ago) so it's all pretty barren. Camped at Holey Meadows campground a few miles away.
Scout
This campsite was fantastic. Access was easy with a 4x4, but may be a little tough for a 2WD car. Plenty of space for a small trailer to maneuver.
Highly recommend. Perfect for an off-road trailer or overland setup.
Guide
We love lake Isabella and just discovered this free camp spot right on the beach…
GuideWe stopped here on our way through Sequoia Nat’l Forest and loved it. The water is super clear and nice! We were the only ones staying here, so it was very quiet and calming. A handful of camping spots around this area, well worth the stay!
GuideAll the spots at the front were taken here so we had to drive almost all the way to end. Don’t go down the final steep hill, you might not make it up. It’s very tight there and you have to do a 20 point turn to turn back.
We walked down the hill and our friend saw some random guy come out the trees and follow us as we were walking back up. He might be living there because there was so much trash
2 stars because the area itself is nice, there’s the river nearby and internet was good
RangerNot for big rigs! A very primitive but beautiful area. Tons of winding roads with lots of S curves Leading up to 9000 feet. Many great camping spots including close to Peppermint Creek. Completely dry area so no campfires until November. No services and no reception so pack it in and pack it out!
Ranger
Directions didn’t lead me to any dispersed camping but I did find just an ok spot along the road. Don’t know if where I camped was allowed but I did anyway
TravelerDoes take about 45 mins to wind up there and i got there at 1:15am. Didn't find the campgrounds but had large side areas with forest machinery. Next to stream. Then if you continue on you will hit a 4 mile off road (my Corolla/any sedan OK) and see great views and waterfall! Nice!
Travelerwe looked around the indicated GPS point but at this location, but house or ranch, nothing that looks like the photos posted previously. too bad the spot looked magnificent but with night falling and fatigue from the road we finally slept facing the road in the post office parking lot.
GuideWe stayed here two nights and felt so peaceful and out of sight ! Def recommend
Guide
Pretty easy to find. You can see off the main road. Any vehicle can make it. Be mindful on 3 day weekends we encountered a very large party and did not have a pleasant experience. All other times I have came, it was very quiet and relaxing.
TravelerWe pulled in at night time around 10:30PM. I was scared it would be sketchy, but turned out to be a smooth dirt road. We encountered multiple other campers as well before we found a suitable turnout. Loved the accessibility. We woke up to a beautiful little spot near the water; would definitely camp again here
Traveler
We were looking for a place to car camp on our way up toward sequoia and stopped here. Was easy to locate even at night. Would suggest 4x4 and wouldn’t recommend heavier vehicles as it’s a sandy dried up lake bed and we had to dig ourselves out in the morning. No fire pits or bathrooms.
GuideStunning. If you want privacy this is it. You are definitely alone. We went and there was only 1 other camper there - he was kinda weird and wanted to hang out but we politely asked him for privacy (he said he is there a lot). BRING water and fill up on gas before you go. There are 0 resources for you. It’s gorgeous, we will definitely be going back
ScoutI’ve been camping at This lake since I was 11. My favorite place caught 100’s of fish out of there. I’ve camped in all the camps over the years but I like steins cove when we had a boat. Camp right on the water and the price is right FREE. I live in Az now but when we go back we always hit the lake. Love it great memories with my mom and dad and our kids and grandkids. Enjoy❤️
Scout
I really liked it! The place looks beautiful, especially with sunset and sunrise and there is a lot of space. Just the toilet was hard to find. You just have to drive 2 min more on the road. It doesn‘t have water, showers or trash dispencers.
Guide
There are about five spots for disperesed camping, we stayed at an upper spot with great view and wonderful night sky. We felt very safe here. Road is bumpy, so drive very carefully, but we saw RVs to get there. (October 2023)
Scout
Found this campground on a spontaneous camping trip to the Kern River. There were only two other groups there and they were far enough away that we couldn't hear them at all. Just the sounds of the river, the crickets and the birds. The stargazing at night was spectacular. The site we chose was a bit of a rocky walk from the car, but worth it to have a more private spot. The vault toilets were open and very clean and not very smelly. We could not go swimming here, had to go to another day area for that. The tent was in the sun, so the morning/afternoon was hot. But there was a tree to hang out under. Our T-Mobile and AT&T phones did not work at all. Overall great experience.
Traveler
Very remote absolutely nothing out there. Definitely somewhere you need to be aware of your surroundings. You can get far enough away from the highway that you don’t need to worry about people driving by. There is nothing out here. The road to it is unmarked and very unmaintained Would definitely recommend high clearance vehicle if you want to be further away then 100 feet from the highway. Lots of wash outs. Beautiful sunrise. We were the only people there.
Scout
I'm driving a large Nissan can converted into a camper. I made it to where Forest route 26S06 meets black gulch. I might have made it the rest of the way but it was getting dark and scary. A motor home or camper trailer would surely not make it. The whole Keyesville SRMA is open for dispersed camping.
GuideLots of space and lots of ppl with their toys. Pack it in, pack it out!
GuideAccess to the river is closed as of 26 January, still plenty of dispersed places down the road to camp. Bathrooms and trash dump and lots of trails to ride bikes! Some of the sites are a little rough for trailer access.
GuideI’ve camped here multiple times, sometimes with multiple RVs in a group, it’s very private with wide vistas.
Sometimes you can go days without a single car passing by, and there are a lot of spots to just camp since it is all completely level. There are a lot of insects, birds, and the occasional cow and deer.
To swim in the lake this area connects to Stine Cove campground - via a very soft sandy road - which is also free, has a vault toilet, but is shaded by mountains and less private.
There’s a $12 dump station with potable water at Camp 9 and one at Old Isabella Recreation Site.
T-mobile was very slow but Verizon had a good connection.
Heads up that the lake is MUCH lower than anything you see on satellite view, from Stine Cove I still had to walk 30min before getting to the shore.
ScoutThere are several spots close to the main highway but the upper road is mostly burned out
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Lake Isabella, California, where nature lovers can find serene spots to unwind and explore. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, this area is perfect for those seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Lake Isabella, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Lake Isabella, CA is Stine Cove Recreation Site with a 3.8-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Lake Isabella, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 dispersed camping locations near Lake Isabella, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
