Camp Observer1 of 7 photos
Fairview Campground
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
Fairview Campground sits in an area dotted with oak and gray pine along the Upper Kern River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, at an elevation of 3,500 feet.Recreation
Whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Upper Kern River are popular activities.Visitors also enjoy plenty of hiking opportunities. There is direct access from the south end of the campground to several foot and mountain bike trails, including the 13-mile Whiskey Flat, 16-mile Flynn Canyon and 4-mile Tobies Trails.
To learn more about the Upper Kern River, including safety and permitting requirements and a listing of local outfitters, visit the National Forest Service's overview of the area.
Facilities
The campground, located 13 miles north of Kernville, has 54 paved sites configured around three loops. Some sites have views of or direct access to the river. Picnic areas, vault toilets and drinking water are provided. There is a restaurant next to the campground.
This facility is operated by Rocky Mountain Recreation Company (RMRC), a division of ExplorUS and comments are welcome; comment forms are available from campground hosts or directly at Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.
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 and Grizzly Falls.
At various points along the river, gray pines, scrub oaks, grass and dry climate shrubs cling to steep canyon walls, while cottonwoods and willows line the water's edge.
Nearby Attractions
The campground provides a good base for day trips to the Sequoia National Park, Trail of 100 Giants, and numerous Sequoia groves in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.The Giant Sequoia Mercantile offers a wide variety of books, maps, gifts, local art, camping supplies and other merchandise.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (760) 376-1269.Camp site features
Across 54 camp sites:
- Picnic table: 48 of 54 sites
- Pets allowed: all 54 sites
- ADA accessible: 2 of 54 sites
- Longest rig: 40 ft
- Largest party: 6 people
Directions
Off of Highway 99 in Bakersfield, California, take Highway 178 east to Lake
Isabella. From Lake Isabella take Highway 155 around the west side of the lake
to the town of Kernville. From Kernville go north on Sierra Way/Mountain 99
for 16 miles to the campground.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (196)
5 stars
102
4 stars
62
3 stars
12
2 stars
11
1 stars
9
Francisco A
Loop:A
Site:012
Reviewed 13 days ago
No shade available. Close to the river. There’s a small store and restaurant down the road for convenience.
Johnnie M
Loop:C
Site:026
Reviewed 21 days ago
Campground was very clean close to store , restaurant and hamburger stand
Fred G
Loop:B
Site:040
Reviewed 21 days ago
To be expected from a national campground. Very simple place. Couldn’t do a camp fire and the bathrooms were disgusting! I’ll stick to a state park or independently owned. Those are better taken care of.
Don F
Loop:B
Site:045
Reviewed a month ago
very nice campground. Only negative was that the previous camper at my site left numerous cigarette butts throughout the grounds. Must have picked up over 3 dozen cigarette butts to try and make the site more livable for my grand kids.
Joe C
Loop:B
Site:037
Reviewed a month ago
Good location. Close to footbridge and McNally's, so , not so secluded and not many trees. Good fishing right from Campground or walking. Better to go during week if you don't like a lot of swimmers /partiers who take over the shoreline on the weekends.
Frechie V
Loop:B
Site:050
Reviewed a month ago
Campsites #10 & #11 are close to the river. Camp host is nice
Jessica B
Loop:C
Site:025
Reviewed a month ago
Planned this Father’s Day weekend camping trip and it could not have gone better than it did. Our camp host Randy was sweet and Ralph’s (his lab) was even sweeter!
We were bummed about not being able to have a campfire, but we completely understand the risks!
Campground was clean, bathrooms were clean, the river was beautiful. We will come again soon!
James S
Loop:A
Site:004
Reviewed a month ago
Campground is right on the river and has a host on the campground. It also has a general store and a restaurant nearby.
Robin S
Loop:A
Site:004
Reviewed 2 months ago
Great campground. Clean pit toilets, water stations every few campsites, easy access to river, and McNally's Burger Stand - a must visit, great milk shakes and food. Close to Sequioa NF - Trail of 100 Giants and a great waterfall short hike. Camp host kept things clean and tidy. Rangers and Sheriff's patrol so it felt safe. Good distance between camp sites. Even if you get a river site, don't expect to have the shoreline to yourselves - it is public and there for all to enjoy so we preferred a site off the water. There is ZERO reception. My only complaint IF I was camping in a tent, were all the generators that were running....some all night long.
Gloria S
Loop:B
Site:040
Reviewed 2 months ago
This is a campsite we use to stay in for many years. We have not been there for over six years so it was like a little mini reunion. All was good and loved looking at the stars and satellites at night time.
Bobby D
Loop:A
Site:007
Reviewed 2 months ago
Our campsite #7 was right next to the river. Excellent spot if you want to river fish which we did and caught many rainbows. The facilities are clean and water is conveniently located throughout. The store and hamburger place next door was nice, we walked there a couple of times, they allowed us to use WiFi. There were fighter jets flying overhead during the day, which I thought was awesome. We visited sequoia national park one day, it was a very nice drive from the campsite. Will definitely go back. Some campsites don’t have a lot of shade, ours didn’t, but we had a canopy that worked great
Roseann H
Loop:C
Site:017
Reviewed 2 months ago
We had a great time here. Beautiful weather mild wind one day. Only internet is at the store close by if you need to check in or emails. Toilets were clean and stocked someone kept leaving the ladies door open after they used it and allowed flies to gather. Even though the toilet is well ventilated. Camp host was friendly and the campground was clean. I am a bit sad by having to pick up peoples trash left at the rivers edge after fishing. Beer and soda cans water bottles food wrappers. Etc. what is happening to society? Keep it nice for everyone to enjoy. Take your trash out with you please. We had more bites on power-bait than lures, the water was great for a cold plunge. It was a beautiful stay.
Michael E
Loop:A
Site:016
Reviewed 2 months ago
Fairview Campground is a really nice place to camp. Many of the sites are right next to the river, providing quick access to fishing, swimming and just the beautiful sites and sounds of the Kern. There is also McNally's burger stand and general store right next to the campground. Go get a burger or breakfast burrito and enjoy. The Campground host was friendly and keeps the sites in order. Great camping experience.
Alyn L
Loop:A
Site:011
Reviewed 2 months ago
Close to the water and a flat spot for your tent. Not much shade but still a great site and great campground.
amanda l
Loop:A
Site:010
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful campground on the Kern. Toilets were clean. Campground host was friendly and helpful. Perfect location for fishing. We definitely will be returning. McNally’s restaurant and general store adds convenience you otherwise won’t have.
Lisa D
Loop:A
Site:012
Reviewed 3 months ago
There was a rv that ran their generator from 6 AM to 10 PM I understand that’s the window to be able to, but it was very annoying and loud. We go to the Kern River for a peaceful quiet atmosphere.
Denise G
Loop:C
Site:023
Reviewed 3 months ago
Camp host Randy was superb. This is a lovely campground with great sites on the Kern River. It was clean, quiet and a good level site.
Kathy W
Loop:C
Site:019
Reviewed 3 months ago
The campground was clean. The restrooms were clean and well stocked. We enjoyed our stay there Randy the camp host was very helpful.
Noemie E
Loop:A
Site:015
Reviewed 3 months ago
Fairview campground was absolutely amazing! We stayed 2 nights at Campground 15 which was right on the river. We fell asleep under the stars each evening. The campsite is about a 45 minute drive to the sequoia groves at 100 Giants Trail. It's also very close to McNally's restaurant/steakhouse which was amazing. The camp's amenities were well kept. Highly recommend this campsite.
Michelle B
Loop:C
Site:021
Reviewed 3 months ago
Quiet campers and clean bathrooms, camp host was very nice
Harald K
Loop:C
Site:018
Reviewed 3 months ago
Good Alternative in Sequoia Forest if you cannot make it to Sequoia NP - 100 Giant Tree Trail 40 min drive and the riverside was great for the kids with many safe spots to play
Rebecca L
Loop:B
Site:054
Reviewed 3 months ago
This was our first time camping. Randy (host) met us upon our arrival and took time to explain to us everything about the campground. The facilities were clean and everyone enjoyed their time at Fairview.
Stephen C
Loop:A
Site:007
Reviewed 3 months ago
Great campsite, very clean. Enjoyed our stay. Don’t forget a pop up because there isn’t much shade.
Brittney C
Loop:C
Site:031
Reviewed 3 months ago
This campsite is absolutely gorgeous, especially if you snag campsite 9, you are sitting on the river and snug in the valley of mountains. Its a shame that its 30 minutes away from Kernville and you have to drive up a WINDY road to get in or out of there.
The camp host is very kind and it is a beautiful stay.
John S
Loop:A
Site:011
Reviewed 4 months ago
Campground is very nice, the tent sites have lots of room and separation from each other, but there is not much shade. Vault toilets are clean, water spigots are all around. The river is spectacular. Only negatives are the wind ( we were there mid April, tents need extra guy ropes) and the training fighter jets that fly at low altitude over the campground from 9am to 5pm weekdays, unbelievably loud! We got used to it but it freaked out the dog.
Alexander C
Loop:C
Site:021
Reviewed 4 months ago
The camp hosts were friendly and helpful. There is no water at the site so bring extra.
Marissa S
Loop:B
Site:053
Reviewed 8 months ago
The location was great; everyone was friendly and helpful. We got some really good pictures of the view and Sundown. Kids did some fishing and enjoyed their time on the swing at the Bridge. However, we had a really bad experience with the bees. They were crazy as soon as we started cooking, they came and were relentless, we couldn't eat without getting attacked by bees. We got rid of our trash asap and didn't have any around but 2 of us adults still got stung, I myself started having an allergic reaction since I had not been stung since childhood and the local store had run out of Benadryl. My kids had to drive down further to get me some. Apparently, many others in the area were having the same issue. Needless to say, we packed up early morning and left asap.
Ashley M
Loop:C
Site:021
Reviewed 8 months ago
Such a beautiful campground. Spots are roomy and not on top of each other. Bought firewood at the general store just right up the road.
Marlon B
Loop:A
Site:010
Reviewed 9 months ago
Couldn't have asked for a better labor day getaway. For site 10, the proximity to the river was just several yards away and we had a blast floating down the river. One tip that I glanced over from earlier reviews that I felt was without question the most important tipi of all was getting a canopy with bug screen walls. If it weren't for this, I'm not sure how we would have dealt with the constant barrage of wasps drawn to our cooking. I've seen another family without screens and I think they laid out food a few feet away to draw them away from their canopy. Not really sure how effective that was. Also I found the screens helpful during the evening when river flies were drawn to our lanterns. Also, it can get windy especially at night so having tents that you can secure to surrounding rocks or the ground would be ideal. We'll definitely come back again.
Virginia N
Loop:C
Site:030
Reviewed 9 months ago
Really liked the location and the staff and the bathhouse was a plus
Pat T
Loop:C
Site:018
Reviewed 10 months ago
The campground was nice not crowded at all. Only issue was when we went to check in there’s somebody in our space that we have reserved. I said something with the camp host he said there was nothing he could do. Also, the Camp host did not come around to check reservations while we were there.
Maria B
Loop:B
Site:046
Reviewed 10 months ago
The camp host, Mauricio, is completely inept, has a terrible attitude and clearly had not done his job since at least 8/17 which was the last date on most of the tags in the campground. As a result, when we arrived at about 3pm on 8/27 there were 5 tents in our spot and a car parked so we couldn't pull in. I had to track down the camp host who was sleeping on the job and needed to change from civilian clothes into his work wear before he came over. When I questioned why the tag on our site had not been updated since Aug 17th and didn't have our name on it, he became combative and told us not to tell him how to do his job. He also said he had been off the day before and that is why the tags weren't updated. He said if we wanted to complain we needed to call his boss. One of our friends who was staying in a spot close by walked to McNally's in order to call the Forest Service and try to track down who we needed to talk to. She finally connected with the correct people who came by about an hour later and had words with him and stayed until the campers came back, packed up and left. We did not get into our spot until about 6:30pm He is completely incompetent and should be fired!!
Marco M
Loop:A
Site:014
Reviewed a year ago
Fun and lovely river to enjoy with the inner tube and only 30 mins away from the Sequoia National forest. Great camping experience 👌🏻
Ashley F
Loop:C
Site:028
Reviewed a year ago
We come back every year! We love it and the c loop camp host is the best!
Arminda D
Loop:A
Site:007
Reviewed a year ago
WASPS WASPS AND MORE WASPS!!!! They were relentless. Any sight/smell of any kind of food, they were there, day and night. NO PEACE!!! We couldn’t eat in our tent it was too hot. We had to eat in our car. We got stung so many times. Also NO CAMPFIRES! Don’t bother bringing firewood. We had our stove and were able to cook in the stove, with the wasps, I guess extra source of protein :( it was nice being close to the river. The camp host is nice. Little shade. Enjoy the wasps!
Brian S
Loop:A
Site:005
Reviewed a year ago
As far as the campground is concerned; the bathrooms are outhouses. There are no showers. You are not spoiled here. If you’re okay with that, then as far as this camping spot goes, there is a Yellow Jacket nest near by that invades your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’re basically trapped in your tent. This spot had no shade, so in August, my kiddos were half dead. The river isn’t easy to get to, despite being really close. We had to leave early. No fun.
Tristan V
Loop:C
Site:034
Reviewed a year ago
We stayed here for a week. Great location, but loud music at night. Quiet hours not enforced by camp host.
Linus S
Loop:A
Site:008
Reviewed a year ago
I really enjoyed this campsite. It was close to the trails and was well maintained.
Valerie D
Loop:A
Site:016
Reviewed a year ago
Fairview is my favorite campground when I visit the Kern River. The campsites are large, offering plenty of room to spread out and relax without being right next to your neighbor, and the camp host was friendly and did a great job keeping the area clean and welcoming.
One thing to note—there are a few large potholes in the asphalt on the campground road. It didn’t affect my stay, but it might be something to keep an eye on, especially for larger RVs. Fairview continues to be a peaceful and beautiful place to camp and I’m already looking forward to my trip next year!
Todd Y
Loop:A
Site:012
Reviewed a year ago
This campground is our favorite! You can’t beat camping next to the river.
James M
Loop:C
Site:035
Reviewed a year ago
It was pretty hot, not much privacy at the camp sites, and the creek bed was really rocky
Lori H
Loop:C
Site:020
Reviewed a year ago
We love coming up to Fairview. Our family has been going for 41 years. I wish your season would extend to Thanksgiving weekend like it used to.
Doug C
Loop:C
Site:034
Reviewed a year ago
Paving at campsite was very broken up and uneven. Camp host was great
Liam G
Loop:B
Site:048
Reviewed a year ago
Camp host was extremely friendly and helpful. Campground was clean and well maintained. Will definitely camp there again!
Julia G
Loop:A
Site:009
Reviewed a year ago
The camp is absolutely beautiful with views all around and many great hikes close by. Close proximity to general store and WiFi access. Camp host is very nice. Will definitely be staying here again.
Popularity
Moderate · 54%
Busiest in July, when about 54% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
