Planning a dispersed camping trip near Porterville? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
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
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.
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
Traveler
I visited both parks and needed a place to sleep in my car, I had seen this spot on this site before so I looked and found it, it’s a dirt road but my matrix did fine driving through. Very close to the Chicago stump! Lots of wood laying around also.
Scout
Clean Spots, recommend! lot of space and different places.
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
This is a really nice area for camping on the side of the road here, but we only could've squeezed our 39ft Class A into maybe 2 of these spots. Usually when a dispersed site is marked Big Rig Friendly, we'll find that there is a large paved or gravel area for us to pull into and setup before you get to dirt road or off-road sites. There is a large paved area at this location, but we received a warning citation the next day, stating that we weren't allowed to camp there. It's confusing because this is the exact same setup as any other "snow play" or "sno-park" areas that have allowed camping in the gravel or paved areas area.
The paved area does have a couple of small stakes that say "no camping", but in our past dispersed camping experiences, those were used to mark areas where tents and vehicles couldn't pull off-road to camp. Apparently those stakes refer to the paved area in this case? There wasn't any reasoning provided on our citation, other than "find another area to camp."
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!
Traveler
Quiet place on dirt, not really levelled but fine for a night and easily accessible with any car.
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
Ranger
Not 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!
Traveler
While the road to get up there is a bit nerve wracking (hoping no one comes around those corners the other direction!) It's worth taking it slow and steady. We were the only ones there and enjoyed a very peaceful night bathed in moonlight and the sounds of nature. Great place!
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
ScoutEasy to find if you turn on that road leading to Chicago stump. Keep driving down and you’ll see dispersed camping spots. Beautiful views, quiet, peaceful & there are some fire rings already built.
GuideNice spot off the road . Most have fire pits . I found a spot with good sun for my solar panels.
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!
ScoutVery good spot to camp, there were plenty of spots and most had rings. There was also a bathroom so that was nice. Right off of the main road that goes throughout the whole park
TravelerSimple campground, but suitable for one night
Still some snow around in may
ScoutSecluded with very little traffic. Especially good if you're traveling with dogs to let them roam around. There's a stream and waterfall downhill that makes for great hikes.
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.
Traveler
Nice big camp spot in the Sequoia National Forest, the road was really calm mid-April, we had no car during the night. The spot has firepits, a camping table and loads of bushes. The view is nice on the forest or a mountain top. We were alone but the spot is big enough for 3 or 4 véhicules, the access is just before the U turn.
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
ScoutSince it's offseason and the Campgrounds were closed, we quickly needed to find an alternative and were happy to stay a quiet night at this spot. There is space for maximum 4 small RVs. Large RVs should avoid this place!
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❤️
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Porterville, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Porterville, CA is Dispersed Camp near Sequoia National Park with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Porterville, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 dispersed camping locations near Porterville, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
