★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFSFree
Sequoia National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Tulare County, CA · 35.82364, -118.46125
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A free campground in Sequoia National Forest north of Kernville. A popular spot for boondockers with fire pits and trash cans. Enough room for one vehicle per site. Next to the powerful and beautiful Kern River, surrounded by high-desert. Very busy during peak season. No cell service. Somewhat recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 2,937 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel5 mi
- GGrocery5 mi
- @Mail5 mi
- DDump12 mi
- WWater15 mi
- HHardware20 mi
- OOutfitter23 mi
- +Urgent care24 mi
- AAir-up33 mi
- MMechanic35 mi
- LLaundry35 mi
- RxPharmacy36 mi
- PPropane43 mi
- ShShower46 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 5 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service
Elevation
2,937 ft
County
Tulare County, CA
Coordinates
35.82364, -118.46125
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureKern River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townRiverkern · ~2.5 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelFastrip · ~5.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~12.0 mi
- GroceriesPrimo's · ~5.1 mi
- Hospital / clinicKern Valley Hospital · ~13.4 mi
- HardwareTuff Shed · ~20.2 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Portable toiletChico Flat · at this camp · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletHospital Flat · ~0.4 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletCamp 3 · ~1.0 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletHeadquarters · ~1.9 mi S · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Corral Creek~2.3 mi
- Spring Hill South Dispersed Camping~2.8 mi
- Spring Hill North Dispersed Camping~3.0 mi
- Old Goldledge Dispersed Camping~3.8 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Tulare County, CA). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Hot-weather camping →Gear & rig loadout →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →