Kern River (Kernville)
Kernville / Sequoia NF · near Kernville · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Elevation
- 2700
- Campsites
- Many campgrounds
- Season
- Spring–fall
- Fee
- ~$10–30/night
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- No
- How to reserve
- Mix of reservable (Recreation.gov) and first-come/dispersed along the river. A string of campgrounds on the wild Kern River above Lake Isabella — whitewater rafting, fishing, swimming. DANGER: the Kern is a powerful, deadly river; heed warning signs, never swim near fast water.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- River-canyon sites · Whitewater rafting hub · Trout fishing · Kernville town nearby
- Best for
- Whitewater + river camping
- Features
- Whitewater rafting capital · Wild Kern River canyon · Trout fishing & swimming · Funky Kernville town
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Camping detail
- Camp type
- developed · rv · dispersed
- Intl tip
- Mix of reservable (Recreation.gov) and first-come/dispersed river sites. Whitewater rafting capital — outfitters run everything from floats to Class V. Trout fishing (fishing guide). DANGER: the Kern is a powerful, deadly river — heed warning signs, never swim near fast water, respect the flows. Funky Kernville town (breweries, outfitters). Spring–fall. Respect the river.
The guide
The Kern River above Lake Isabella is Southern California's whitewater capital — a wild, powerful river tumbling out of the sou…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Kern River (Kernville) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 35.753, -118.425