Best Cabin Camping near Lone Pine, CA

Cabin Reviews near Lone Pine, CA

207 Reviews of 22 Lone Pine Campgrounds

• J

  J. S. W.

  Traveler

  Jun. 2, 2018

  Whitney Portal

  Gobsmacked

  We parked our rig and looked around and were speechless. Whitney Creek runs through the campground, and the Sierra Nevada mountains rise up all around it. For those hardy souls who want to hike up Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Sierra Nevada range, this is the place to start. For the rest of us, it was just an amazingly beautiful place to spend a couple of nights, do a little fishing and a little hiking. One caveat is that it is at 8,600 feet and the road up from Lone Pine is pretty scary.

• 

  Chester R.

  Scout

  Oct. 16, 2022

  Kennedy Meadows Campground

  Campground time forgot

  Most reviews here are dated. Campground has been abandoned for years so: no fees, busted up roads, no water, no trash, no bathrooms, no cell/wifi. Basically dispersed camping in an awesome location on concrete spurs/pads.  Each site still had picnic table and fire pit.  The mosquitos here are biblical at night so bring your nets and deet.  Kern creek and trails right from campground. General store and Grumpy Bear tavern close down the road.  Only 2 other campers here when I stayed in October. Great place as long as you are expecting disbursed camping experience.

• 

  Missy R.

  Guide

  May. 12, 2021

  Sentinel Campground — Kings Canyon National Park

  Amazing getaway

  Sentinel was the only campground available for a visit to Kings Canyon and Sequoia. Be prepared for a LONG drive to get anywhere.

  The campsite was amazing!!! You are nestled by the river and under beautiful big trees. The site was spacious with a picnic table, fire pit and bear box.

  The restroom is dated, but it’s a flush toilet and running water, which is a gift. They do have a sink to clean dishes.

  I found it to be pretty quiet. Most sites were dark shortly after sunset. A lot of people were up and out early in the morning. So many amazing hikes and walks to do within the two parks.

• 

  Jeff V.

  Traveler

  Jul. 20, 2025

  Whitney Portal

  Cool, popular, gorgeous, has lots of bears

  Bears will break into vehicles with food, scraps, wrappers, etc.  Even a cardboard box can invite the critters' attentions.  So keep a clean car if parking there and use the bear boxes provided by the forest service. 

  The Whitney Portal store is a stroll away with famously good food, run by the same family since before I was a ranger there back in the 1990s.  They have some last minute supplies too, if you discover you forgot anything from rain gear to a stove canister. 

  I'd camp here to hike Meysan Lakes and the start of the Whitney trail to Lone Pine Lake, neither of which require permits for day hikes.  It's a great camp for acclimatization.  The National Rec Trail gets overlooked, but showcases the transition from forest at the Portal to desert scrub at the bottom, following the stream, albeit from a neighboring ridge. 

  I'd also consider other campgrounds in the area, as there's a fair bit to do around Lone Pine for such a small town, and the Whitney Portal's position at the end of the road means you'll need to ascend/descend a mile in elevation over 13 steep and twisting curves every time you leave or return. 

  The bears and popularity of the Portal limit my enthusiasm for it a bit, but the positives of a store and restaurant, showers, and great hikes make camping here worth the effort for a few days.  It's certainly a great way to get used to the thinner air if you're then headed for the back country. 

  If one had the luxury of time and the luck/good planning of getting reservations for Cottonwood as well as Whitney Portal, I'd check out both for additional hiking and fishing, as well as the Alabama Hills, which offer free boon docking.  

  The whole Owen's Valley is one great opportunity after another for all sorts of outdoor sports and enjoyment, but Lone Pine has more than its share of nearby attractions and the Whitney Portal is high on that list.

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• T

  Thomas K.

  Scout

  Sep. 1, 2023

  Three Rivers Hideaway

  Very nice campground, very close to Sequoia NP

  Clean restrooms and showers, nice picnic tables and fire rings, very nice tent sites. And the Wi-Fi was very good and covers the entire campground well. The campground has access to the river, though it did not carry a lot of water when we visited and you couldn’t swim.

• 

  Erin A.

  Ranger

  Mar. 31, 2021

  Sequoia RV Ranch

  Perfect Spot for Sequoia

  Stayed 4 nights the first two dry camping in spot 14 in the Oak Grove, nice and spacious with a little deck picnic table and fire pit. The last two nights in spot 26 (pictured) which was spacious on the small river (probably larger later in spring) and full hook up. Pretty mountain views from both sites. Turkeys and lots of birds roaming. We did see a bear too (in Sequoia not at the campground).

  A lot of the other sites looked a little tight but not bad. Bath houses were okay not great. Showers use quarters. The place was completely full for our entire stay (Easter week).

  The greatest part was the proximity to Sequoia/Kings Canyon (8 miles to the entrance). Would definitely stay again should we visit the parks in the future.

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• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  Oct. 1, 2018

  Big Pine Creek Campground

  Blue skies, Emerald lakes, Refreshing creeks!

  CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Big Pine Creek Campground, CA

  https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20312&actid=31

  As we traveled up Rt 395, along the Eastern Sierras, we searched for a campground offering trails into the wilderness…but also one with a shower, as they seem to be a rare commodity…and our last campground was primitive.

  Reviews stated Big Pine Creek had showers and modern restrooms, so we drove through the night arriving at 7:00 Sunday morning…hoping for an available site. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

  Turns out, the camper at site 2, beside the Host site, was packing up…so we claim jumped the site. Also turns out…after we paid $22 for the night…Big Pine Creek Campground does not have showers, nor modern restrooms.

  So, to set the record straight…there are vault latrines and a river of cold glacier runoff of roughly 40F degrees. However, next to Big Pine Creek Campground is Glacier Lodge (they share the same entrance road and is privately owned)…and they will rent you a shower for $5/5 minutes. For that $5 shower, you can use the modern toilet.

  Don’t let that run you off, though. We loved Big Pine Creek Campground. The sites are spacious and the backdrop is gorgeous. Not many campgrounds offer stellar trails into the Inyo John Muir Wilderness…more on that later. Mule deer roam between campsites, ground squirrels and magpies are everywhere. We also noted a resident lizard.

  Most sites are somewhat tiered because of the sloped terrain. Site 2 parking pad was large enough for our SUV, but little else. You have a large bear resistant locker in front of a large fixed picnic table, situated on a large, raised, leveled pad that also has the fire pit. Up a few steps is the raised timber tent pad. Numerous large pines and smaller hardwoods populate the sites. Our neighboring site was visible with little obstruction, but was occupied by a delightful French family on holiday, that we enjoyed.

  Big Pine Creek Campground is often filled with campers from all over the world and makes for interesting conversations.

  Drinking water was a little walk. Last year’s winter had an avalanche destroy their water lines, so others were rerouted. No electric. Also, no cell service. Perfect for unplugging, relaxing and meeting your fellow campers.

  There is a trout pond near the entrance that folks were capitalizing on. They were also fishing the creek. The glacier fed creek is cold…like 38 degrees cold. The trails…in a word…Epic!

  The North Trail was incredible. We started late and only went to the first and second of seven alpine glacier lakes. The water is so emerald green, it’s surreal. We hiked out and back in 6.5 hours, taking an hour respite for a polar bear plunge in the near freezing lake. I was advised we missed the most beautiful third lake…also referred to as Emerald Lake. The North Fork Trail into The John Muir Wilderness does require permits for backcountry camping…an easy process and well worth it…https://www.recreation.gov/permits/John_Muir_Trail_North_Of_Devils_Postpile_Aa10/r/entranceEntryExitDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72203&entranceId=315543&permitTypeId=1009473747&entryType=1

  Of note, along the way is Lon Chaney’s (of Frankenstein, Werewolf and Hunchback of Notre Dame movie fame) backcountry cabin. Lon Chaney would bring guests back by horse and mule train. Upon his passing, it was gifted to the parks.

  One horse/mule train passed us on the trail, returning after they deposited their riders and goods out into the wilderness.

  The host couple were very helpful and a joy to glean local and trail information from.

  A wonderful campground to visit.

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• D

  Don B.

  Traveler

  May. 31, 2023

  Sequoia RV Ranch

  Right on the river and spacious dry camping area

  We stayed in the dry camping area for a week and had a great time. Lots of space in dry camping area, a fire pit, and a picnic table at the site. We shared a tour of this campground in a video here https://youtu.be/S4dlqUQAY8A?t=251

  The relaxing sounds of the river are great and the full hook-ups  RV site loops are right on the river. This was the most affordable option we found available at the time to have easy access to get to Sequoia NP

  we would stay again

• L

  Lauren S.

  Traveler

  Aug. 9, 2018

  Sequoia National Forest Quaking Aspen Campground

  group campsite

  We stayed at one of the group campsites with about 15 people total. Plenty of space and picnic tables my only complaint was that there was only one normal sized bear locker for a group campsite. Hard to fit coolers and food for 15 people into one bear locker.This might be normal for group campsites but this was our first time using one so we were caught off guard. Parking is also an issue as they have 4 giant group campsites with maybe one small parking lot with 15 spaces to share between them. Most of your group will have to park on the side of the road outside the entrance to the campground. Besides those two things the campground is great. There is a general store about a mile down the road if you need ice or snacks and they have WiFi if you absolutely need to get ahold of someone.

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