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Kernville, CA

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KRS at Camp James

3.6 (286 reviews)
Open • 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

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More trash spread in the mornings after the bears went through the campsite each night.
kirsten b.

We stayed at Camp James for 5 days at sites 71 and 69, and while there were definitely some positives, a few major issues prevent me from giving this campground more than 2 stars. I do think the camp host should let parents, parent... especially the adult children! The Negatives 1. Bears! Directly across from our site was an open trailer full of trash next to a public picnic area. What we were not told upon check-in is that a mama bear and her cub live in the tree above this dumpster and rummage in it daily. We saw them every day and, honestly, were scared. This is extremely dangerous for campers. When we asked the host about it, her casual response was, "No, we let them finish eating and go clean it up." Meanwhile, during check-in she called all six of our 15-20 year olds over to lecture them on rules, no underage drinking, no music after 10 pm, no walking around alone after 9:30 pm, but not once did she caution us about the bears she clearly knew were there. This is a huge safety oversight. The campground should invest in bear-proof dumpsters for the safety of both guests and the bears. 2. Dump Station Layout If you need to dump your trailer, there's a pile of sand in a very inconvenient spot that makes looping into the dump difficult. It doesn't appear to serve any purpose for water protection and just creates an unnecessary obstacle. 3. WiFi Limitations Each site only gets one WiFi password, good for one device. If you need more, you have to pay extra. Lose it, and they'll even charge you to replace it. 4. Rolling Blackouts Although not the campground's fault, Kernville does experience rolling blackouts. It happened 2 of the 5 days we were there. When it's over 100° in an RV or trailer and you don't have a generator, it's rough, and since generators aren't allowed after 10 pm, there's no relief at night. The Positives * The sites themselves are very clean and well maintained. * Quiet hours and rules are enforced, which keeps the campground orderly. One small drawback is that the office closes promptly at 5 pm. If you need quarters, ice, or firewood after that, you'll have to buy them at the overpriced gas station nearby. Final Thoughts Overall, our stay was fine, but I'd strongly challenge management to invest in bear-proof dumpsters and be a bit more welcoming. This would not only protect campers but also encourage the bears to seek food elsewhere instead of dumpster diving. Until then, it's hard to feel completely safe here, even though the campground itself is clean and otherwise enjoyable.

Sandra M.

This was the fourth time we've stayed at Camp James. The first time we stayed in a tent on the riverfront, and the last three times we stayed in the cabin. The cabins are much more comfortable! lol. The cabins come equipped with plates, utensils a large electric frying pan, electric skillet, crockpot, paper towels, dishwashing detergent, etc. Cabins have beautiful knotty pine throughout and I just love staying there. This last stay we were excited to see a small herd of deer come through and just graze while we watched. It was amazing! I recommend this place highly . The staff are very accommodating and very pleasant! I will be returning for a fifth time!

View from our campsite deck
Kerry F.

Great location right on Kern River. Sites are good size with choices of full hook ups (away from river), to E/W on and near the river. Hosts are friendly and helpful. Cable is pretty bad in the sites we've stayed in, but we don't go there to watch TV! WiFI is decent. Only real complaint is they require campers to wear orange wristbands...not even for free beer! We stayed in site 24 with full hook ups.

Camp site 71 with partial hook ups

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5 months ago

Camping next to the river is just beautiful . The river rafters and the wildlife is so fun to watch.

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The camp host "managers" of the place are very disrespectful rude I would not come here if u have dogs and kids won't be back thanks

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Camp J.

Awesome!! Thanks for the review!! See ya soon!!

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Great place to camp have family with you. Clean facility's friendly staff. It's been while since I've been back up time for trip

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Ask the Community - KRS at Camp James

Deposit in cashier's check/money order? Has anyone had any problems?

How can I reserve it

How crowded does Camp James get during mid-week November?

Probably not too crowded. Make your reservations as early as possible though bearing in mind people are getting out more now.

Is there a dog park on site?

Yes!!! It's great!!

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Review Highlights - KRS at Camp James

“We have never camped on the Kern River before but when I found Camp James online I could not wait to go.”

Mentioned in 25 reviews

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Camp Kernville

Camp Kernville

4.1(210 reviews)
0.4 mi
Family-owned & operated
Discounts available

Such a beautiful and peaceful place to go camping! My friends and I came off season (October) so we…read morepretty much had the whole campsite to ourselves. Everything was so convenient from having a hose next to us and a river just down the stairs from the campsite. Loved every bit of the weekend we stayed there! Showers/restrooms were clean and there's also an air pump if you want to inflate your tubes for tubing in the river. This campsite is also easily walkable to town to get supplies or just explore. We also saw some fish, crawfish, ducks, frogs and deers. Overall such an amazing time hiking through the rocks of the riverbank and getting into the water (although cold, still manageable). Since it's out in the mountain area, we also saw a lot of stars. My friend even saw two shooting stars! Highly recommend this place for a good time out in nature! Also very grateful my pup was able to join us. He had so much fun!! 10/10 experience.

This was the most expensive campground that we ever stayed at. We were expecting a Resort style…read morepark. Boy were we wrong. The pedestal had a sign asking not to shut off any breakers. I was not going to plug into a 50amp service that was hot. Plus, the office appears to be plugged into the same pedestal with a 50amp extension cord. We were told that the power might be shut off, and I asked if we would be compensated for the outage. Response was "its not our fault". It was a mix of full time residents in houses and trailers along with campers. After we left, we went to the Oasis in Las Vegas. What difference, the price was 1/2 of Camp Kernville, and a magnificent park.

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Camp Kernville - 3rd Annual Family & Friends Trip.  Thanks Camp Kernville for an AMAZING Time!!

3rd Annual Family & Friends Trip. Thanks Camp Kernville for an AMAZING Time!!

Camp Kernville - The office

The office

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Fairview Campground - Xao long bao made by the cousin

Fairview Campground

3.3(4 reviews)
1.1 mi

-Vault toilets , no showers . -No cellular / No internet…read moreservice . -On site Host. -Water spigot shared among other campsite. -fishing, hiking trails -Hot spring -walking distance to McNallys burgers , Johnny McNally's Fairview lodge, McNally's General Store We stayed in site 21 and 24 site 21 is adjacent to the bathroom & across the street to the river Walking distance to Mali's burger, cabin general store and a steakhouse , Mally's General store. To access the nearby restaurant walk towards the residential trailer across from site 24. The general store carries many items if you were to leave anything at home. they have ice , canned food , drinks, sleeping bags, hats, water, shoes, medication and of course, alcohol and also fishing baits. Some of the sites has no shade , the group sites has partial shade and is adjacent to the river .

Fairview camping area is nice most of the spots are drive thru easy parking we had spot 19. The…read moreonly thing is the picnic are is deeper in not by your trailer. The area is clean and the bathrooms. They have men and women bathrooms no running water inside. They do have water spigots around the camp including fresh drinking water. No showers. No cell service. Really quiet area the stars at night are awesome you can see them dancing the Milky Way. The camp host was only there one night we came the second week of November. You can fish right behind your campsites. There is a store next door. Other than that you are pretty remote. Oh you will see some fighter planes flying by like 3 or 4 times a day very loud.. but pretty cool to watch.

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Fairview Campground
Fairview Campground - Site 21 can accommodate 2-3 cars

Site 21 can accommodate 2-3 cars

Fairview Campground - Freezing cold water

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Freezing cold water

Kern River

Kern River

4.1(12 reviews)
0.7 mi

Oh how I completely love the Kern River!! I have been going for 24 years. It has never been as…read morebeautiful and full as it is now. One of my dearest friends is a seasoned river rafter. When we go river rafting, we mainly stay @ Headquarters or Sandy Flat Campground. This past weekend, we stayed at Sandy Flat. It was amazing. It is right off the river. The river was full and had power. I will add official stats by this weekend. My favorite group of runs is called The Jungle. (I will fact check this). I think that a great run was called Dilly. It is a class 4!! OMGoodness, it was wild & fun. Once more rafters arrived we went on another run. I will get the official names. One is named ... something Deli. Anyways, EPIC FUN. I forgot my wetsuit. I just went on June 3rd. The water was C O L D. Our guide, Doug, told us NOT to bring our phones. I wish I would have remembered my Go - Pro. We were lucky that the 178 reopened for the drive home. It was 93 degrees. I was mesmerized by the river. I couldn't stop watching it on the drive home.

The Kern River is beautiful…read more This review is based on a first timers camping visit. Coming up here from San Diego we didn't really know what to expect other than we might have an opportunity to tube down the river. So everyone in our group brought river tubes. That was our first miscalculation. Aperently tubing depends on the season, recent weather conditions, and various natural events that really narrow the scope of when you can tube safety. Also consider how you plan to get back up to your campsite after you tube down the river a few miles.. Ideally you rent tubes from a company that also shuttles you back up the river. If you don't want to rent tubs someone in your group has to pick you up and drive you back, which is a pain. There is no cell service and no uber... The Kern River is best suited for kayaking and rafting. There are many companies in kernville that offer those services. Camping. If you're looking to camp along the river during the summer you need to think about booking in January. During our stay mid-June, the entire river was booked solid.. We stayed at Sandy Flats campgroup which had a small beach area by the river. Litter bugs. One of the most discouraging things to see along the river was the amount of trash that people leave behind. The number one item? Used diapers.. If you can manage to visit midweek, and be prepared to use a kayak/rafting company you will have an epic time. Note - Sequoia National Park is about an hours drive away. Makes for a great day trip.

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Kern River
Kern River - Camping on the Kern River

Camping on the Kern River

Kern River

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KRS at Camp James - campgrounds - Updated October 2026

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