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Limestone Campground sits in an area dotted with oak and gray pine along the Upper Kern River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, at an elevation of 3,500 feet.
Whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Upper Kern River are popular activities. To learn more about the Upper Kern River, including safety and permitting requirements and a listing of local outfitters, visit the Sequoia National Forests overview of the area.
The Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the forest's lower slopes. The forest comprises about 1.1 million acres, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls. At various points along the river, gray pines, scrub oaks, grass and dry climate shrubs cling to steep canyon walls, while cottonwoods and willows line the water's edge.
The campground provides a good base for day trips to the Sequoia National Park Trail of 100 Giants. The Giant Sequoia Mercantile offers a wide variety of books, maps, gifts, local art, camping supplies and other merchandise.
For facility specific information, please call (760) 376-1269.
$34 - $36 / night
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.
Hobo Campground is tucked on the banks of the Lower Kern River, north of the popular Miracle Hot Springs. It sits at 2290 feet elevation on the Sequoia National Forest in the Lower Kern Canyon. The close proximity to the Lower Kern River and the shade provided by the riparian forest make it an ideal summer escape from the heat. It has 23 individual tent only sites and an additional 10 sites across the campground.
__White water boating is popular on the Lower Kern and requires a free Kern River Use permit from the Kernville Ranger Station. A trail also exists at the northern end of Hobo Campground that connects visitors to Sandy Flat Campground. The remains of an old resort can be found in the campground and Miracle Hot Springs area.
The campsites are mostly all shaded by majestic sycamores, willows, cottonwoods, alders with views of the Lower Kern River close by.The trees show off a dramatic display of yellow, gold, and orange in the fall. The Kern River flows higher in the late spring and early summer months as water is released from Lake Isabella. The river can appear calm but can be deceiving with it's fast currents under the surface. The Forest Service does not encourage swimming in the river.
Remington Hot Springs is a free Hot Spring on Forest Service Land located approximately one mile West of Hobo Camppground off Old Kern Canyon Road. White water rafting is a very popular activity on the Kern River, local Rafting Outfitters provide half-day to multi day trips along the Kern River.
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (760) 376-3781.
$28 - $30 / night
Walker Pass Campround is located just off of California State Highway 178 and at the junction of the Owens Peak and Cache Peak segments of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Located at 5,000 feet, there are pinyon pines and a few Joshua trees in this semi-arid setting and outstanding views of the dry, rugged foothills of the Southern Sierras. The campround includes eleven walk in sites for Pacific Crest Trail hikers and tent campers. The camprgound also has two sites for car camping. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Hitching racks and corrals are available for horses. No potable water is available at this site.
Long Valley Campground is a remote, primitive campground located within Chimney Peak Recreation Area and is cherry stemmed out of Domelands Wilderness. The campground contains 13 sites, picnic tables, fire rings, and primitive pit toilets. There is no potable water at the campground. The Volpe Trail, a 3-mile unmaintained route that provides access to the South Fork of the Kern River within Domelands Wilderness, starts at the end of the campground road near site 13.
Greetings Traveler,
My name is Joe and I own the property known as Vakinheim. It has served as a private Spiritual Retreat for many friends over the years. I've hosted and held various outdoor adventure recreation activities, and even used it as a training ground where I practiced primitive survival skills in preparation for a 21 day Naked and Afraid Survival Challenge, which I am proud to say I completed during season 12, episode 9 on the Discovery Channel.
Now, I am happy to share this very special place with you. Let me tell you a little about more about it.
Vakinheim is an Open Desert Primitive Camp Site located 2 miles south of Inyokern.
No amenities currently available. However the town of Inyokern is 2 short miles away, just close enough to be walking distance, yet still far enough away to feel alone in the desert.
Vakinheim does accommodate multiple vehicles, as well as RVs and Trailers, Fellow Boondockers are always welcome. But please watch out for glass.
The roundabout driveway allows for trailer pull throughs, and features a large communal fire pit in the center.
The light pollution is always low, so you can see more stars at Vakinheim than you would in Hollywood, and every new moon you can see the galaxy.
One of the best local Places to visit is Indian Wells Brewing Company, theirs beer are good, and they have an amazing restaurant too.
$10 - $20 / night
Guide
Beautiful well kept campground. We tent camped and our site was close to the rv hook up sites. The rv sites have two different sizes and hookups. Tent sites had access to running water. We were located close to the creek and the bathrooms with showers. The walk to the water was a bit far but fun once you’re out there. The current wasn’t too strong so the kids were able to enjoy themselves in the water. Overall we had a blast.
Scout
Do yourself a favor and avoid campsite 008; this tent site is right next to the vault restrooms that have not been cleaned in ages…oodles of flies coming out of them and the odor carries into the tent site!! Also people have zero respect for quite hours; people were super loud and it was extremely upsetting and annoying!
Traveler
Remote. Saw 3 rattlesnakes. Bring plenty of water. Tent camping only. Very limited space.
Traveler
We went tent camping and the spots were huge and close to the river which made for beautiful peaceful mornings.
Traveler
Very convenient and super clean. The lady who answers the phone is super friendly and helpful. I think it's better for RVs and don't think there are any tent sites.
Traveler
Our family stayed here for 2 nights. We enjoyed our time but the kids were disappointed they couldn't touch the water at the lake. I brought a small plastic pool for them to get wet in at our site because it was hot. They do not take reservations and they do fill up quickly so claim your spot early if you plan on going. Fishing is nice if you have a boat of some kind. The boat has to have a trolling motor only though. Not a whole lot of shade in the RV sites there is more shade in tent areas. Bathrooms near RV sites were clean and nice. Down by the tent sites not so much there were ants everywhere. We will probably stay here again as it is only 30 minutes from our house but we will bring our generator and stay near tent sites with shade.
RangerI’ve been coming here since I was a kid, not much has changed except the water level.. and nicer restrooms!
we tent camped by the river ( other options include by a brook ) and had plenty of space and trees. Full rv hookups and rv camping available on the top tier of the campground. Be careful of thievin raccoons!
Close to Riverkern , cell service and supplies
Ranger
rv camped. but could’ve tent camped in our spot, closer to the water. sites are HUGE! rv hookups lots of trees. water has enough pools to chill in. short walk upstream, gives you option for rafting back down to your camp. very enjoyable couple of days. oh! and super close , for a run into Sequoia for the day ( we did that!) we also reserved our spots, so our whole caravan of rvs would be together!
Guide
Excellent family spot. Beautiful well kept grounds. 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. Camp store make it convenient. Walking distance to town and store. Kern river Brewing company is the family favorite. Pizza Barn delivers to you while riverside.
Scout
This is a nice clean campground right on the Kern River. However, the website says several spots are good for a 30-foot RV. I do not recommend anything bigger than 24 feet or so. The road through the campground is very narrow, and lined with large boulders. Some of the turns are very tight. For tent camping, though? Great spot. And the river front spots are nice. Just expect that others will want to get to the river and will be walking in or near your campsite.
Scout
It was a very peaceful and calm campground on the I stayed in one of the yurts. It was very clean and there is a bunkbed with two full size beds and another separate full size bed. The bathrooms were also kept very clean. I didn’t get a chance to go hiking in the area, but there are trails nearby. There is no service but it is about a 5 minute drive from a cafe/store/lodge that has Wi-Fi. I was in site 28. Sites 6-10 looked amazing for tent camping.
Guide
Late review but we enjoyed this campground on our family road trip in Summer of 2019. Spacious tent sites. We had a nice area where the kids could explore the rocks. I was terrified of bears but we saw none. Woke up to a field of prairie dogs near our spot. They had self service pay station, easily accessible restroom / outhouse, wood sold on site, concrete tables, fire rings, & gorgeous views. It was a great spot. Would love to return one day.
Guide
I go camp at Frandy campgrounds once a year in October. It’s a wonderful camp ground, very large and well maintained. Some sites are appropriate for RV with electrical hook ups. I always camp near the river, there are plenty of walk ways to get down there to relax. It’s enjoyable to be able to walk into town to have a drink or enjoy a bite to eat if you don’t want to cook at your campsite. I love this camp ground, it’s a great spot for the family. You can even rent a covered wagon to stay the night if you don’t want to tent camp.
Guide
Started coming here over 40 years ago as a kid. This was (still kind of is) a working horse packing station where they ran cattle out for the summer. Most trips out now are aimed at tourists/fishermen but the vibe is still the same. Fun horse riding trips. Great family vacation to get away from everything. Cabins are rustic but have everything you need. Plenty of tent camping in the campgrounds before the lodge. This is a great starting point for many backcountry backpack trips as it is near the PCT. Lots of hiking. Great fishing spot, river is generally stocked with fish on a weekly basis.
Guide
This was a pretty nice campground. We were at group site 3, it has a covered picnic area and flat area for tents closer to the river bank.
We called park services to make sure our camper was allowed (Twice) and it indeed it was. However when using a pop up you are essentially camping in the parking lot. It didn’t end up being a bad spot but I would definitely say this site is more appropriate for tent camping.
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.
Overall it’s a wonderful area to camp and play in the river.
Traveler
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.
Sadly there werent any only tent sites left so we just took a site with a yurt but only used the tent we had. The host was okay with it the next morning and was very kind explaining and giving us some info on the area.
They had a little gift shop which had medicine which was a life saver. I was coming up with something the day after arrival but the med from gift shop cleared it up in a few hrs. Definitely made the rest of the stay much more enjoyable.
When we were about to leave we found out our car died from using the portable alternator but host was kind enough to help out with a jumpstart and even helped cleaned the battery leak with a bottle of coke he took from the gift shop. He cleans the sites in the morning and does what he can with the restrooms.
Definitely recommend.
Scout
Mountain Valley RV park in Tehachapi, Ca is a nice mid-way stop between Las Vegas and the Bay area. We stayed here when we discovered our trailer was a bit too large to get into Tehachapi Mt State Park Campground. (Although this RV park isn’t that far from the state park where you could drive and do some day hikes.) Although Mt Valley RV Park is probably on few peoples list as a destination spot, my husband and I would consider coming back for the sheer peacefulness of the place. There is something embracing about the valley location at about 4000 ft elevation- with views of the surrounding hills, minimal road noise, mature trees, space between sites and lovely song birds the 3rd week of April when we were there. Not to mention, the gliders in the sky will mesmerize you since it’s located adjacent to a glider strip. Due to Covid the laundry and external restrooms were closed, and tent camping, which is normally accepted, was canceled for the time being. It’s definitely a place to consider if you’re passing through or plan to stay in Tehachapi ,CA.
Legend
General: 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.
Guide
This campground is sparse in amenities and full of the beauty of the eastern Sierras. The sites are really optimized for car or tent camping, but will also work for a small trailer. We have a 13 foot vintage travel trailer and she fits anywhere, but not all of the slabs were level or easy to back into. The sites are large and most of them have a pretty view, or an interesting rock formation. They are spacious and there is plenty of room from your neighbors.
We went in July and there were no attendants on site, and they are all first come first served. You put your fees (cash or check) in an envelope at the entrance and tear off a flap to clip at your site while you are there, as well as a hang tag for your vehicle. Its $17 per site and I think an additional $7 per extra vehicle The toilets are vault toilets, and there are water taps every few sites but the notice said that the water was not potable until boiled for 5 minutes. There are no showers, and no trash bins - you pack your trash out.
There is no cel service - we had none until the bottom of the 9 mile grade where you start the climb 30 miles away. There is a general store that has ice and drinks about 35 minutes / 9 miles from the campsite towards Kennedy Meadows, and Grumpy Bears retreat about 2 more miles down the road that has food and a bar. Both the general store and Grumpy Bears have a decent wifi that you pay for. I used the 2 hours for $2 and that was enough to get messages out and catch up.
The only gas for sale that I saw was at the general store, and it was expensive, but nice to know its there. There is a trash dumpsite on the turnoff before Grumpy Bears.
We stayed for 5 days and I could have stayed much longer!
Legend
Kern 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.
GuideI gave a four star only because there are a lot of tent spots only and I really like some of them but they are reserved for tent only. There are sites on the river with hook ups except sewer, but that’s ok for us. There is also a large grass area they have for large parties like weddings and things. We go every year.
Traveler
Windy and creepy campers coming up to ur tents and some what stalking you!.
Scout
We were robbed from this location while out hiking and rafting for the day. Lost thousands of dollars in gear, clothes and personal items. Literally everything was gone, they plucked up the whole tent and took it all, nothing left but some tent stakes once we returned. The location is convenient to town and it is nice next to the river BUT BEWARE and don’t leave ANYTHING. We have a feeling it’s people who know the area and do quick grab and goes, not other campers.
Traveler
Cute small campground down by a creek. Has bathrooms. There are no tent pads.
ScoutGreat 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
Traveler
I love pitching a tent and waking up to a beautiful lake especially when your right on the water! First come first serve and Launching access anywhere pretty much! Kernville lake Isabella is the place!
Guide
There are no amenities however it’s a fairly popular spot to camp. There are tents setup at the top of the hill. A 10 minute walk to the natural hot springs along the river.
Tent camping near Onyx, California offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature, with stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Onyx, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Onyx, CA is Limestone Campground with a 4.9-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Onyx, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 25 tent camping locations near Onyx, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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