Camping near Kernville, California
Camping near Kernville, California includes 10 public campgrounds on record, 6 reservable and 4 first-come. All are run by the U.S. Forest Service. The nearest, Headquarters, is 3.1 miles from Kernville in a straight line, and all 10 are within 15 miles. 2 are free, and 1 stays open all year. Another 47 public campgrounds filed under nearby towns are within 30 miles of Kernville.
Camping near Kernville at a glance
- Public campgrounds
- 10 (10 National Forest)
- Getting a site
- 6 reservable and 4 first-come
- Cost
- 2 free; lowest posted fee at Camp 3: "Single Site: $36 per night"
- Distance from Kernville
- 3.1 miles (Headquarters) to 15 miles (Brush Creek) in a straight line; 10 within 15 miles
- Elevation
- 2,300 ft (Camp 3) to 3,784 ft (Brush Creek), 9 of 10 on record
- Season
- 1 open all year
- Campsites
- 266 across the 6 campgrounds that state a count
- RVs
- 6 take RVs; no hookups on record; longest stated RV length 40 ft (Camp 9 Recreation Area)
- Drinking water
- 7 of 10
Distances are straight-line miles from Kernville's point in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2025), not driving distances. Every other fact comes from each campground's own sourced record, linked from its page.
- Sites
- 42
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Overnight Use:
- Sites
- 79
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Free
- Sites
- 36
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- 36
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- 54
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- 19
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Year-round
- Fee
- Free
No campgrounds match these filters.
More campgrounds within 30 miles of Kernville
- Halfway Group Campground, 3.5 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Tulare.
- Live Oak Group, 4 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ; listed under camping near Kern.
- Live Oak North, 4 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Kern.
- Live Oak South, 4 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $ per night); listed under camping near Kern.
- Tillie Creek, 4 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Tillie Creek #1 Group Campground, 4.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Tillie Creek #3 Group Campground, 4.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Tillie Creek #4 Group Campground, 4.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Tillie Creek#2 Group Campground, 4.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Thunderbird Group Campground, 4.4 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Tulare.
- Camp 9 Group #2, 4.5 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Kern.
- Boulder Gulch, 6.1 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night.); listed under camping near Wofford Heights.
- Hungry Gulch, 6.1 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Kern.
- South Fork Rec, 6.7 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $12 per night); listed under camping near Lake Hughes.
- Corral Creek, 7.1 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Kernville Riverkern.
- Paradise Cove, 7.2 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Mt. Baldy.
- Auxiliary Dam, 7.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $12 per night); listed under camping near Lake Isabella.
- French Gulch, 7.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Standard nonelectric: $420 per night); listed under camping near Kern.
- French Gulch Group Campground, 7.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Lake Hughes.
- Pioneer Point, 7.8 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Lake Hughes.
- Main Dam, 8.3 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Closed for Construction); listed under camping near Kern.
- Cedar Creek, 8.5 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Glennville.
- Horse Meadow, 11 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $17 per night); listed under camping near Kennedy Meadows.
- Frog Meadow, 12 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Evans Flat, 12 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Wofford Heights Bakersfield.
- Black Gulch South Group Campground, 13 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Site one(50 persons): $229.00); listed under camping near Kern.
- Sandy Flat, 13 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Lake Hughes.
- White River, 13 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Hobo, 14 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site Electric: $28 per night); listed under camping near Lake Isabella.
- Long Valley Campground, 16 miles from Kernville in a straight line , BLM ; listed under camping near Tulare.
- Leavis Flat, 16 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Holey Meadow, 17 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Tulare.
- Holey Meadow Group Campground, 17 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Long Meadow Group Campground, 18 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Redwood Meadow, 18 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Breckenridge, 22 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Bakersfield.
- Lower Peppermint, 22 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $29 per night); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Chimney Creek Campground, 23 miles from Kernville in a straight line , BLM ; listed under camping near Tulare.
- Walker Pass Campground, 23 miles from Kernville in a straight line , BLM ; listed under camping near Kern.
- Upper Peppermint, 23 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Troy Meadow, 24 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $17 per night); listed under camping near Kennedy Meadows.
- Fish Creek, 25 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $17 per night); listed under camping near Kennedy Meadows.
- Quaking Aspen Group Campground, 26 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Quaking Aspen, 26 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Overnight Use:); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Kennedy Meadows Campground, 27 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Coy Flat, 28 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night; Additional Holiday Fee: $2 per night); listed under camping near Tulare.
- Belknap, 28 miles from Kernville in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (Single Site: $36 per night); listed under camping near Tulare.
Tent camping near Kernville
- Headquarters : 13 tent sites , 3.1 miles from Kernville.
- Hospital Flat : 4 walk-in sites , 5.3 miles from Kernville.
- Goldledge : 9 walk-in sites , 8.3 miles from Kernville.
- Fairview : 13 tent sites , 13 miles from Kernville.
- Limestone : 19 tent sites , 15 miles from Kernville.
Things to do near Kernville
Public land and water within 30 miles of Kernville, the public land its campgrounds sit in, and landmarks at those campgrounds, nearest first.
- Lake Isabella fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 5.9 miles from Kernville; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Deer Creek fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 17 miles from Kernville; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Dry Meadow Creek fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 18 miles from Kernville; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Domeland Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 20 miles from Kernville; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Kiavah Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 20 miles from Kernville; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Chimney Peak Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 21 miles from Kernville; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Bright Star Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 21 miles from Kernville; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Owens Peak Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 24 miles from Kernville; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Kern River South Fork fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 25 miles from Kernville; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Freeman Creek fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 27 miles from Kernville; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
Supplies and emergencies near Kernville
Nearest emergency room
Kern Valley Healthcare District
6412 Laurel Ave, Lake Isabella, CA, 8.4 miles from Kernville . (760) 379-2681
Next nearest: Kern Medical Center, 1700 Mount Vernon Ave, Bakersfield, CA, 40 miles , (661) 326-2000.
In an emergency, call 911.
Both report emergency services in the CMS Hospital General Information dataset (accessed 2026-09-26) .
- Groceries
-
- Riverside One Stop
- Primo's
- Sierra Gateway Market
- Fuel
-
- Shell
- Fastrip
- Mobil
- RV dump station
-
- Kern River Sequoia RV Resort
- Camp 9
Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of Kernville: propane, potable water fill, pharmacy, laundromat, and ice. Stores, fuel, propane, dump stations, water fill, laundromats, and pharmacies are the nearest few mapped within 25 miles, straight-line, © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of 2026-10-01; this extract under the ODbL). Hours are as mapped; call ahead.
Common questions
Where can I camp around Kernville, CA?
10 public campgrounds are on record near Kernville. Nearest first, straight-line from town: Headquarters (3.1 miles), Camp 3 (4 miles), Camp 9 Group #1 (4.5 miles), Camp 9 Recreation Area (4.5 miles), and 6 more. 6 book through Recreation.gov and 4 are first-come, first-served with no reservations.
Is there free camping near Kernville, CA?
Yes: Brush Creek and Chico Flat charge no fee at the campground.
Where can I camp with an RV near Kernville, CA?
6 campgrounds near Kernville take RVs: Camp 9 Recreation Area, Fairview, Goldledge, Headquarters, and 2 more. None has hookups on record. The nearest mapped RV dump station is at Kern River Sequoia RV Resort, 0.7 miles from town (OpenStreetMap).
Where can I go tent camping near Kernville, CA?
Fairview, Goldledge, Headquarters, Hospital Flat, and 1 more list tent or walk-in sites on record.
Where can I camp near Kernville with drinking water?
Camp 3, Camp 9 Group #1, Camp 9 Recreation Area, Fairview, and 3 more have potable water on record.
Are there year-round campgrounds near Kernville, CA?
Yes: Brush Creek is open all year, per the managing agency. The rest are seasonal or have no season on record.
Where can I camp near a lake around Kernville, CA?
Camp 9 Group #1 and Camp 9 Recreation Area sit on Lake Isabella.
Where is the nearest emergency room to Kernville, CA?
Kern Valley Healthcare District, 6412 Laurel Ave, Lake Isabella, CA, is 8.4 miles from Kernville in a straight line and reports emergency services to CMS; phone (760) 379-2681. In an emergency, call 911.
Every campground in the state: camping in California ; by agency: National Forest campgrounds in California .