Headquarters

$36.00–$111.00/night

Show on map 760-376-1815 sschmidt@goexplorus.com

PO BOX 1640
KERNVILLE, CA 93238

Overview

Headquarters Campground is situated along the Kern River, 6 miles north of the town of Kernville. Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities.

Recreation

Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities in the Upper Kern River area. Click here to learn more about the area, including safety and permitting requirements and a listing of local outfitters.

Facilities

Headquarters Campground offers a mix of standard, RV and tent-only sites. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are vault toilets and drinking water.

Natural Features

The campground sits within Sequoia National Forest at an elevation of 2,800 feet in an open area overlooking the Kern Wild and Scenic River. Some sites overlook the river and lie in the shade of oak, juniper and cottonwood trees. Sites sitting further from the river are more open and have little to no shade.

Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, is named for 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. 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.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (760) 376-1269.

Nearby Attractions

The Cannell Meadow National Recreation Trail begins just north of Kernville. The trail stretches 11.5 miles as it climbs through mixed pine and fir forest to Cannell Meadow and a historic Forest Service cabin built between 1904 and 1909. Hikers are awarded beautiful views of the Kern River Valley along the trip.

Visitors enjoy making day trips to Sequoia National Park and Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Camp site features

Across 42 camp sites:

Fire pit: 40 of 42 sites
Picnic table: 40 of 42 sites
Pets allowed: 39 of 42 sites
ADA accessible: 1 of 42 sites
Longest RV: 30 ft
Largest party: 10 people
Equipment: RV, Tent, Trailer

Services within 25 miles · OpenStreetMap

Nearest dump station: 2.8 mi · Kern River Sequoia RV Resort

Directions

From Bakersfield, 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 4 miles north on Sierra Way (Mountain 99) to the campground.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

315 reviews

5 stars

185

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Jesse R

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed 11 days ago

Awesome campground , quiet and really cool water front sites

anton b

Loop:C

Site:

Reviewed 23 days ago

Nice clean campsite with great hosts. Easy access to the river and facilities.

kevin s

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

#28 was an OK site. I was in a van, so wasn't really a problem, but the area around the picnic table, fire ring, bear box was like a sandbox. Not sure how or why its so sandy / loose there, but wasn't ideal. No cell service on ATT or T-Mobile. Some campsites had water, but not this one. It has room for two regular sized vehicles. Group next to us ran a campfire every night. Supposedly it was a propane fire pit, and supposedly this is permitted, even though no campfires or charcoal fires are permitted. If the fire hazard is that high, why are we allowing 3 foot high open flames for hours every evening?

Zay N

Loop:B

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Great little spot here near Sequoia, great little river and swimming holes abound.

Paul V

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Headquarters has been our annual camping spot for 25 years. While the fires and big flood set us back, it has always has been a positive experience. This year was exceptional since Candace and her husband took over the management. I have never seen it so clean and orderly. They both work very hard to keep it looking that way.

Juan Ramon S

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The only complaint are the bathrooms they need to be cleaned more often from outside of the toilet not just remove the inside waist. using soap and a brush and hosed down at least

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve

Popularity: Very quiet

Busiest in November, when about 4% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 6 years of reservations.