A forested campground near fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.
Recreational opportunities center on the river and the surrounding national forest. The Upper Kern is a draw for fishing, kayaking and rafting when flows allow, while trails nearby invite day hikes the Cannell Meadow National Recreation Trailhead is just north of Kernville.
Length limits vary by campsite.
Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 52 sites.
| Site | Fr 13 | Sa 14 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 016 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 033 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 003 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 047 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 019 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 005 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 041 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 050 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 009 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 039 standard nonelectric |
Hookups (individual campsites): 48 no-hookup individual sites · group sites listed separately (3 no-hookup).
Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.
Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (123 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.
“Site was great. Right by the water. Camp hosts were FANTASIC.”
“First time at this site. Very clean campgrounds and restrooms. The river is mostly calm at this site and very chill compared to a lot of other campsites. Camp hosts were approachable, respectful, and very accommodating for our small issues. Will be staying here again!”
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights30 sites open for every night.jpg)
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights3 sites open for every night| – |
| – |
| $36 |
| 021 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 036 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 017 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 037 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 020 walk to | – | – | $36 |
| 038 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 045 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 011 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 022 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 049 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 034 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 052 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 006 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 013 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 043 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 024 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 025 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 004 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 027 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 008 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 040 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 031 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 007 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 044 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 051 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 032 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 023 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 012 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 029 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
| 010 standard nonelectric | – | – | $36 |
✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released
Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 40 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.
Class C motorhome · 23 ft · sleeps 5 · 105 mi from campground
$189/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available
View rental
Travel trailer · 21 ft · sleeps 5 · 115 mi from campground
$96/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available
View rental
Pop-up camper · 12 ft · sleeps 2 · 116 mi from campground
$61/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rentalstays up to 14 nights (Recreation.gov rules).
For July weekends, book about 131 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 57 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.
| Arrival month | Fri/Sat arrivals: half booked at least | A quarter at least | Other days: half booked at least | A quarter at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 74 days ahead | 116 days ahead | 26 days ahead | 63 days ahead |
| June | 46 days ahead | 94 days ahead | 49 days ahead | 115 days ahead |
| July | 57 days ahead | 131 days ahead | 65 days ahead | 137 days ahead |
| August | 47 days ahead | 118 days ahead | 70 days ahead | 156 days ahead |
| September | 75 days ahead | 124 days ahead | 31 days ahead | 87 days ahead |
Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.
Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (10,261 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.
49 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7 · 3 group sites listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.
Tent, van or small RV, no power
48 sites · $36/night
Loops: AREA CAMP THREE CAMPGROUND (48)
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15
3 sites · $154/night
Loops: AREA CAMP THREE CAMPGROUND (3)
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15
1 site · $36/night
Loops: AREA CAMP THREE CAMPGROUND (1)
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15
