Camp Observer1 of 1 photo
Boulder Gulch
Notice
To protect natural resources and provide for public safety, the following acts are prohibited below 5,000 feet in elevation within the Sequoia National Forest.
1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire, except in the designated Campfire Areas listed in Exhibits A, B or C. C.F.R. § 261.52(a).
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building or within the areas listed in Exhibits A, B or C. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(d).
3. Operating an internal combustion engine, except on a designated National Forest System road, trail, or within the areas listed in Exhibits A, B or C. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(g).
4. Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame, except within the areas listed in Exhibits A, B or C.
Alert Start Date: June 10, 2026
Alert End Date: November 30, 2026
Jun 12, 2026 – Dec 1, 2026
Overview
Boulder Gulch Campground is nestled in the foothills of the high desert at an elevation of 2,650 feet, just a short drive from Lake Isabella. The facility sits in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, offering countless recreational opportunities for visitors.Recreation
At the nearby Lake Isabella visitors enjoy trout and bass fishing, boating, windsurfing, swimming and water skiing.There are also hiking, horseback and mountain biking trails in the area.
Facilities
This campground consists of about 58 paved sites and includes a fish cleaning station and flush toilets.
The Giant Sequoia Mercantile offers a wide variety of books, maps, gifts, local art, camping supplies and other merchandise.
Natural Features
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 near Fairview and Grizzly Falls on the Kings River.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (760) 376-1269.Charges & Cancellations
Cancellations
Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee.
A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite.
Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
No-Shows
A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.
No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.
Refunds
Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.
Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.
For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.
In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
Camp site features
Across 62 camp sites:
- Picnic table: 1 of 62 sites
- Pets allowed: 2 of 62 sites
- Longest rig: 30 ft
- Largest party: 6 people
Directions
From Highway 99 in Bakersfield, California, take Highway 178 east to the town
of Lake Isabella. Take Highway 155 around the west side of Lake Isabella for 4
miles to the campground entrance.
Stay Limit
Check in from 12 AM, check out by 12 AM.
Reviews
Ratings (49)
5 stars
17
4 stars
8
3 stars
8
2 stars
6
1 stars
10
Thinh N
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 2 months ago
Lack of signs and direction of where are the camp sites and trash dumpter.
Leidy A
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 2 months ago
We had a wonderful stay at Boulder Gulch Campground! The campground was peaceful, clean, and surrounded by beautiful nature. One of the highlights of our trip was spending time by the lake, enjoying the views and the relaxing atmosphere.
The area was quiet, making it the perfect place to disconnect from daily life and enjoy the outdoors. We especially loved the fresh air, the natural surroundings, and the sense of calm throughout our stay.
We had a great experience and would definitely recommend Boulder Gulch Campground to anyone looking for a relaxing getaway in nature. We would love to come back! 🌲🏕️🏞️✨
Michael W
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 3 months ago
Campground is shut down with no access to the campground loops. Restrooms were closed. No water. The area was overgrown with vegetation. Overall, not up to the standard I expected for a USFS campground. The area was open for day use. And it looked like there was some dispersed camping going on outside of the dedicated camping loop. We’d not stay at this campground due to these conditions. On the bright side, I was issued a full refund.
Julio G
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed a year ago
First time here. Readily accessible off the main highway.
Only wish the showers worked and that a 2nd haul away trash was accessible for the campers closer to the entrance.
Craig M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
The campground was nice but a large group of campers did not observe the posted quiet hours.
Andy M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
Dirty and loud people, restrooms had used tampons and dirty underwear in them. People played music all day and night, essentially no “quiet time”, a dude was literally washing himself with soap in the lake.
Jacob G
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
The reservation website says that sites will be assigned upon arrival. This is misleading. It is a first come first serve so dont pay in advance thinking you will get a spot. There wasn’t even a camp host to assist.
Gary S
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
Confusing place. Poor hosts. Disgusting facilities. Dirty. Tight confusing road.
Gerardo B
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 3 years ago
The manager of the place is a very good person, very helpful and very attentive, just one detail to improve the cleanliness and service of the bathroom and having showers
Jose G
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
We had such a good time the camp hosts was awesome 👍👍👍👍
Kartik A
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 3 years ago
Online Site allotment was totally disaster it just tell you on arrival site will be allocate, when reached host said nothing available even I booked month before and he had me in list. At last he asked to place RV where ever find space. He wasn’t helpful to me and bunch of other people who booked online.
He was yelling loudly to my friend that he can kick her family out of park like it was his kingdom with no higher authority very rudely.
I recommend please not book such place on long weekend. Where no proper management present, rest is like hell with insects and all kind of bad smell.
Don’t really want to post bad review for anyone, but if this can help someone to pick next family fun place I will be glad.
Lepage D
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
Nice place. Pretty quiet and great for that.
Far from sequoia forest giant.
Nice hot spring in Hobo Campground. Relly nice.
Denise W
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
First of all I realize your budget may be strained due to recent forest fires. However, the campground could use some maintenance. The dirt around the asphalt has eroded to the point that there are some steep drop offs. I am embarrassed to admit I wasn't watching where I stepped, lost my balance and rolled around in the dirt for a few seconds. I jumped up, looked around to make sure no one had seen me and dusted myself off. No blood no foul. The campsites had some cigarette butts and bits of plastic which we picked up. Maybe the camp host could rake the sites once a week. Bathroom was fairly clean. Price was fair.
Aletta S
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 4 years ago
Plus: Clean campsites, some with shade and a very helpful host. Minus: Facilities were disappointing: no working showers and no electricity in the restrooms. Surroundings: campground is next to Lake Isabella, but water level has dropped dramatically so it's not as attractive as you would expect. Also, we thought there would be Sequoia trees in the immediate area, but that is not the case.
Lucas M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
Really nice place with great amenities, would come back. Better than expected.
Roger F
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
Great campsite. Lots of shade, clean campsites and clean portable toilets. My only complaint is that they didn't open the restrooms for shower.
Andre A
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
The Lake Isabella and Kernville areas are beautiful with lots of fun things to do. That said, I do not recommend this campsite. Next time I will be in the area, I will look for options in Kernville
Pros:
- Very close to Lake Isabella. Lake is beautiful and there are several spots you can enjoy it by the shore
Cons:
- When booking, it says that sites are assigned upon arrival. It doesn’t happen that way. Host was not on-site for several hours, no instructions on site and we had to guess what sites were available/reserved or not.
- campsite is next to a busy road and you will hear traffic the whole night
- this place attracts large groups and “campers” who don’t respect noise rules. Loud music the whole day including the evening. No way to relax in this campsite
- the bathrooms are filthy
Marius B
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
Very nice and clean Campground, very friendly and helpful Camphost. Not far to walk to the lake.
John M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 4 years ago
A splendid campsite with a spectacular view of Lake Isabella. Truly worth the drive. The facility has full bathrooms and offers access to the lake for swimming and fishing.
Stuart J
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 4 years ago
We had booked in advance but were the only people there, aside from Earl (we think that was his name), the park ranger. the site was comfortable and scenic. Earl was great: he advised us of the best routes onward into Sequoia and where to stop for lunch - The Ponderosa, which was genuine Americana.
Elena S
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 5 years ago
Awful campground. Far from the lake, too hot, nobody met us for checking in. Nothing to do out there
Carrie M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 5 years ago
What a great campsite for the family and our doggies. The short walk/hike to the lake was amazing and we did it a few times in the days we were there. The bathrooms were really ran down and they got Port-a-jons for the campsites to use. Hopefully they get these fixed before we go back. Still a great spot for camping.
Norma V
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 5 years ago
Nice area, expensive for boon-docking. No dump station on site. .
bianca g
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 5 years ago
Very crowded camp ground, not much privacy. Close to the lake (walking distance) with fresh water at most campsites. Plus nice bathrooms!
Cynthia V
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
We loved it. The kids had so much fun. Drove to the river which is close by and had a blast.
Brittany O
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
The campground is very large and spread out. There are all sorts of unique sites to choose from. The lake is about .5 walk from the campground but it seems much easier to access with a car from the road or an off-road vehicle. The management of the campground was poor however. We arrived at 3pm on a Saturday but the Camp Host was no where to be found, so had to figure out how reservations worked in our own. We just picked an available spot but was unable to register our vehicle with the host so we received a citation at 1 pm the next day while we were out enjoying the lake. When we tried looking for the host at the indicated site we could not find them again!
Karen M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
We skipped reservation due to weather & smoke. To late to cancel to get refund.
Tyler C
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Me, my wife and 2 little ones stayed here for a night. Found a nice spot under some trees which makes a world of a difference. The place seemed very clean. Bathrooms didn’t have working showers and had a weird creepy feel to them, holes in the walls and no lighting In the men’s room. People were up partying till about 3 o’clock. But for the most part our neighbors were chill. The lake seemed pretty low so it was a pretty far walk to the beach. Also, really bad algae bloom going on so don’t recommend swimming. With no electricity make sure you come prepared. Over all me and my family enjoyed ourselves considering we couldn’t get in the water and it was really far away. If they added electricity and fixed the showers I bet a lot more people would be flocking to this campground.
John G
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 6 years ago
Whats up!!!!! Boulder Gulch was an all around ok campground. Its the middle of summer (8/22) so it was def hot all day until day break when we woke up around 6. The lake is OK to take a dip in but its got a massive algae problem so I didnt go beyond chest deep. Beyond that its for sure a family weekend get away spot, lots of charades and partying into the night. Our spot was kind of dirty too from previous camper, clean you shit up people!!! First come first serve so get there early and wear sunscreen.
Grace D
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Campsite is confusing. Upon arrival finding the camp host is near impossible so GET THERE EARLY AND GET A SPOT. Camp host came around later (about 6-8pm) to check in and she was amazing. Campsites are nice, we went to one on the tip of a section as to not disturb any kids trying to sleep. Close to the water... but the water was gross.
Carina M
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
I have no complaints. Well maybe just one. The showers in the bathroom weren't working but other than that, campground was beautiful. Lake was a short 5 min walk away
maria v
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Everything was nice but the bathrooms showers must be fixed
Oliver O
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Love the location, you can walk to the lake and have a quiet private cove
Jason A
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
When were arrived, at about 12:30 pm, our space was still occupied, and we could not find the host.
Shelby K
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Such a great campsite! Bathrooms were clean and the sites were as well. Lots of space and a good amount of shade! Lake Isabella is about a 10 minute walk which is great for those hot days. Also nearby town is about a 5 minute drive! On the weekends it can get a bit noisy late at night with younger crowds but overall it was such a great campsite. Will definitely be back!
Elvira S
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Nice overall, no showers available so be prepare.
Isabelle J
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
This was such an easy camping experience. When we arrived the manager of the campground was offsite and had left a note to just pick a site and she would be by later. It is a 5 min walk across the road to Lake Isabella. We found a relatively quiet spot and had an excellent time.
Manuel C
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
Un lugar excelente , limpio y agradable ,, personal muy agradable nos atendieron muy bien,, cerca del lago , una parte del lago que no avía conosido, una bonita experiencia en familia
Cece B
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 6 years ago
My girlfriend and I had to cancel all of our plans after getting lost on the way to this campsite. One thing I noticed about this place was that on maps it will come up as “Hungry Gulch campground” rather than boulder gulch campground. If this was fixed on their page and on google we would have never been forced to stay somewhere else and cancel our whole trip.
tomas a
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 6 years ago
This location was great but the facilites were utterly disgusting. My girlfriend looked at the restrooms once and we left. One of the restrooms had no lighting and was disgusting. The other one had lighting, but I would never use it. I just don't understand how it can be allowed to be so filthy.
There was also half done construction in the men's room. With EXPOSED WIRES. Holes in the walls near the urinals. Just disgusting.
Brett N
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 7 years ago
So much fun can’t wait to get back and enjoy the lake again.
Marco S
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 7 years ago
No showers! Toilet facilities not maintained by the department. There is a facilities manager who empties the trash. It's an okay place.
Jason G
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 7 years ago
Clean campsites right next to the lake. Frendly park attendant. Highly recommended.
Eric B
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-20
Reviewed 7 years ago
Why would you spend money on upgrading the survey site instead of spending it on those filthy so called facilities. That's the memory that me and my 15 year old have. Roach infested toilets, urinals snd sinks. Spiders and their cobweb's hanging down from the ceilings, diseased bird nests inside of the coin slots for the showers.
I didn't experience these conditions in Iraq nor Afghanistan. Filthy.
Christopher H
Loop:Area Boulder Gulch
Site:FS1-30
Reviewed 7 years ago
The campground was clean but we were overcharged for our stay! We found out after that there's a half price discount for the handicapped. The camp host was a bit rude, and a little rough around the edges. We wanted to stay more than 14 days but were kicked out and told we couldn't stay at another campground! Otherwise the stay was good!
Popularity
Very quiet · 2%
Busiest in July, when about 2% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
