Best Tent Camping near Tupman, CA

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.

Super dusty, muddy and dirty if you’re off the main camp site away from the RV circle. What balances being away from the main campsite though- is the literal waterfront campsites. Weather is all over and there are tons of bugs because you’re on the waters edge- but the symphony of frogs singing you to sleep at night is great! Was there with my two dogs tent camping. Def not worth the cost if it’s a frequent visit place. Water spouts and flushing toilets/showers are only in the main campsite- not in the PKW where we were.

Great little spot! I pulled in late at 10pm with my camper van. All the spots were taken except one tent camping spot - but it was super chill so im sure I could have parked in the large pullout just before the designated campground area. Just parked in the parking area of the camp area and slept in van. It was lightly drizzling when I woke up- absolutely beautiful! It was quite and everyone was very respectful. No water on site, people had campfires. Heads up - the road getting there is long and pretty rough, took a star for that - definitely washboard sections- so watch out for that. Happy camping

Jake from the Dyrt here!  Autonomy Farms is a unique place to stay, built to connect people with the process of growing food, but also offering a scenic place to stay in a tent, van or small camper.  Check them out and share some pics of your stay on the Dyrt!

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.

☆ No target shooting allowed ☆ Arrived on a drizzly day & tried going further down the road to other more secluded camping spots. However the dirt road was slick & minivan, loaded down, was slipping & sliding. Backtracked to a nice spot, camaflouged by a small hill, it'll protect my gear tent. This is open castle range.

This is a beautiful, relaxing and tranquil campground. Most sites were spread out enough for privacy. Camp neighbors were respectful. We were in site 30 which was incredibly spacious. There were a couple flat spots big enough for our large tent. The weather in middle of October was chilly but layers kept us warm. The wind however on our second night there was so crazy it scared our little one. It roared through the night and was relentlessly cold in the morning. The Exploration Trail was a bonus. Super easy 1/4 mile paved hike leading you through beautiful scenery. Would definitely come back.

We discovered this campground with friends who booked a group camping weekend. We have now been back yearly for that trip and our son’s birthday. 

The group site is perfect and can easily fit 12-15 families/tents. Good parking area with toilets across the road. 

One fire pit in the group site means everyone is located in one area. The 1/4 hiking trail around the site is perfect for kids exercising some independence. 

Beautiful tree lined area that doesn’t get too hot in the summer. That said, late sept it can get below freezing. There are also often fire restrictions in place so keep up to date on the latest.

While the sounds of highways and trains abound, the historical significance of this amazing site isn't lost to the sands of time. A pleasant, barely off the beaten path campground, this is worth a stop over before entering the hustle and bustle of southern California urban life.

Walk around the town and listen to the history of this very significant town that was once the site of the largest hotel between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

We are the only people here

We love camping at McGill we had a great time camping this Labor Day weekend !! We love the camp hosts Harry and Carey and we were even going to try to squeeze in one more weekend trip here and as we were leaving they shut down all the national forests in California because of the fire dangers currently. We hope they are able to lift the restrictions soon as this awesome campground closes for the winter in November I believe. It is so nice to have cell service and still feel a million miles away !!

The "Town"

In 1908, former slave Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other African Americans founded the town of Allensworth in the San Joaquin Valley of California. According to wikipedia, it is "the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans." At its height, the town included 200 people and a library, post office, barbershop, store, hotel, schoolhouse, church, and numerous other homes and farming buildings.

Water for the town, however, began to try up as other farms "upstream" increased demand and by the time of the Great Depression, public services such as the post office began to shut down and many residents had to move away to find work. Despite hard times, the "town that refused to die" still had a population of 90 in 1972, though within a few years that had dropped to almost zero.

Due to the town's historical significance and a public campaign to save the town, in 1976 Allensworth became a state historic park. Nowadays, many of the buildings have been restored and are available for public tours along with the addition of a visitor center and 15 campsites.

The Campground

The campground is set off at the back of the historic town and was completely deserted when we arrived on a warm summer day in June, including empty spots where camp hosts would have been. Self registration is easy though (just $20) and the town itself had rangers and volunteers in the visitor center for any questions. Bathrooms with flush toilets, free showers, water fountains and an area to wash dishes were ridiculously clean. The camp sites had concrete pads for RVs, picnic tables with covers, and a couple of water faucets, though no electricity or water hookups except for in the camp host spots. The area is hot and dry in the summer with few trees, so the shade covers over the picnic tables are helpful. There’s also an RV dump for an additional $10.

The Weird and The Awesome

I absolutely loved this campground and learning about the town history. It’s quirky, interesting, and such an odd thing to find in the middle of nowhere-California between Fresno and Bakersfield. It also felt completely deserted, like a ghost town, despite rangers and the occasional tour bus coming through. The big open spaces, dust, and sparse amount of trees adds to its otherworldly-ness. If you find yourself anywhere near here, definitely worth a stop. Or if not, their website includes much more information about the history including a virtual tour and is worth a look: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=583

At the top of the Cuddy Valley road is a large parking lot (Adventure Pass required) for the hiking trail to the top of Mt. Pinos. Off to the other side is a dirt trail on the edge of a meadow, after about 200/300 yards is Chula Vista Campground. The camp sites vary greatly in size and flatness, so check around for the good ones.

First Come First serve camping, with some great spots overlooking the nearby meadow. The sites were clean and decently spread out, with fire rings and picnic benches.

It can get pretty windy up here so make sure your tent is staked down well. If you don't have an Adventure Pass, Mountain View Mini Mart in Frazier Park is the closest place i know that sells them. $5 a day, or $30 for the year pass. (you can get a second year pass for only $5).

Met a guy named Bob and helped set up his telescope in the parking lot, he let anyone who wanted check out the amazing night sky!

Pros: Free camping!

          Great hiking nearby.

          Shady, clean sites.

          Great sky gazing!

Cons: Lots of flies, very active during the day.

           Bathrooms were pretty messy. below average for vault toilets. Bring extra TP.