Sequoia and Kings Canyon Camping

The wilderness area around Sequoia and Kings Canyon is administered by four different government agencies. In addition, privately-owned campgrounds and camping spots are available outside the parks.

National Park Campgrounds

You'll find over a dozen National Park campgrounds in Sequoia, Mineral King and Kings Canyon. Most are available on a first-come, first-served basis and only Lodgepole and Dorst campgrounds can be reserved online (up to 5 months in advance). All charge a nightly fee.

Facilities vary, with some having flush toilets, RV dump stations while others accommodate tents only and may have only pit toilets. None have showers, but there are pay showers at Lodgepole Village and Cedar Grove Village, and you can shower at Grant Grove during limited hoursSee their locations and find out what facilities each one has.

Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument Campgrounds

The USDA Forest Service manages more than 50 developed campgrounds in the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, some that accommodate RVs and have toilets and running water while others are more primitive. Fees vary and some of the most basic are free.

Camping season runs from late-May through mid-October, but some campgrounds are open year-round. See a list of all of them with descriptions and find information about reservations.

Three Rivers Campgrounds

Just outside the park's south gate is the town of Three Rivers. You'll find several campgrounds and RV parks in the area:

• Sequoia RV Ranch has nice RV sites if you bring your own but also offer a rental if you don't
• Three Rivers Hideaway has over 40 sites and 3 cabins
• Kaweah Park Resort is near Lake Kaweah, with RV hookups and tent sites.
• Lemon Cove-Sequoia Campground is a bit further west on Highway 198 near the small town of Lemon Cove

High Sierra Camps

Bearpaw Meadow Camp is a backcountry tent hotel overlooking Kaweah Gorge and the Great Western Divide, providing hikers with linens and meals, open only in summer. Reservations for the upcoming summer are available beginning each January 2 at 7:00 a.m. by calling 866-807-3598. Bearpaw is 11.3 miles from the trailhead at Crescent Meadow and the average time to get there is about seven hours.

Sequoia High Sierra Camp is a much more refined place where the experience is sometimes called "glamping" (glamorous camping). Their 36 luxury canvas cabins combine a wilderness camping adventure with the comforts of home. To get there, you can make an all-day hike 11 miles along a well-marked backcountry trail or drive to a trailhead and hike just 1.5 miles. Open July through October.