Sandy Flats is always a good time! Campsites are always clean. Restrooms are clean. Loved the location we were lucky to reserve! Lots of rocky hiking areas. Though the river was extremely cold in March, we were able to drive like 2-3 miles to some hot springs and still enjoy the water. Lots of places to hike! View is amazing always! read more

Loved it! We love the location! So much fun to be near the river. We experienced a great family atmosphere.

I would give Sandy Flat a higher rating because the location was nice right along the river, however, we came on a weekend when a group was incredibly loud well beyond quiet hours. They were breaking all of the rules such as max people and cars per site and were spread out into the common areas of the camp ground. When the host came by to collect fees for an additional car, we brought up the amount of people at the other site and he said this particular group comes a few times a year and although upper management has even gotten involved, this group just won't follow any of the enforced policies. In addition they brought a full on PA system and were bumping house music well into midnight. They refused to turn their music off. At the end of the day, there were several groups of people breaking the various rules and it felt like the site host couldn't do much. Although I liked the grounds, we won't be returning. read more

Cute campground between Bakersfield & Lake Isabella. It definitely is sandy! Best part is being near the river. It's pretty fast & people go rafting down (I had no idea prior), so don't expect to be able to easily swim. However, there are so nice rocks to lay on with your feet or more in the river & some sandy areas to bring your chair. If you're looking for quiet I'd recommend to go on the weekdays because weekends can get pretty busy. Oh, and it's dry and windy (& hot)! So plan accordingly. read more

Went with a group of friends this past weekend. I haven't been to this campground in about 7 years, and it was even better than I remembered - largely due to the fact that our sites had some shade and we were better equipped with canopies etc. to keep cool. Kenny, the host, was so sweet! I saw him driving around a few times, and once before nightfall he made a round with firewood for sale. Bonfires are currently permitted, which I was equally as excited/surprised about! We were able to be cozy at night and cooked some smores for the full camping vibe. He also restocked the TP in the AM, but it did run out at night so be sure to bring a roll just in case. The bathrooms are just vaults, which I am terrified of - but I made do and that is no fault of his own. He did his best with maintenance, and overall the camp was tidy! I see the reviews complaining about loud music, large groups, barking dogs - etc. God forbid people take their dogs/children out camping on a weekend in summer! (eyeroll) This is definitely a family/group/fun campground.. if you want solitude then it's obvious that you should go deeper into the middle of nowhere. This camp is a mere 10 min drive from the Lake Isabella town, and just off the highway across the river. That being said, our neighbors across the street had a barking dog walking around the camps, and there were kids laughing and playing in the evening - but we didn't mind at all! Our neighbors played music, but it was at a decent level - I honestly couldn't even tell you what genre they were playing. We also played music, and no one in our immediate area seemed to be bothered it. We walked to the bathrooms down the way (a 20 second walk?) from our camp and couldn't hear ours or our neighbors anymore. Maybe we got lucky, but everyone was friendly and courteous. We even helped our "upstairs" neighbor (above us on the hill) with starting their fire. Overall a nice camping spirit at these sites.. it's summer and we were all there to have a good time! Another warning I hear a lot about is to stay out of the river. And this is mostly true - NO ONE should be "swimming" in the Kern. The water is high and dangerously quick right now. In fact, after our time in the water - we saw ambulances, fire trucks, sheriffs, and a rescue helicopter down at the other side of the campground. I looked it up yesterday and apparently someone went missing in the river from Sandy Flat. Please use extreme caution while in/near the Kern! I would not personally recommend this area as an option for families who want their kids to sit/play in the water. Our group was all adults, and we found a "beach" down a fairly steep hill were we could sit our chairs in the water and hang out. There was no other groups (not even one person) around us either day, which we were surprised about. Maybe there is another spot that gets more packed down the way - but not ours. All weekend we did not go in more than past our waist - which was about 6 feet TOPS from the shore. It was easy to see how just another 2 or 3 more feet out we could be easily swept away by the current. And as the sun fell it seemed to get stronger and closer to us. I got back yesterday and I haven't felt any mosquito bites. A few bees really wanted our pizza, and our camp also had huge red ants. But the bees went away when the pizza did.. and no one was bit by an ant and they most stayed on the floor. Common sense is to always wear shoes and keep your camp cleaned up to avoid pests - so that worked for us. I've stayed at campgrounds where we had to have a whole netted canopy up around us just to eat comfortably, so this was a much better experience. It was windy starting around noon and didn't stop til late in the evening. We secured our canopy with ratchet straps and anchors. It was definitely annoying having everything fly off the table! Single-use plastic cups are a big no-no lol, your drinks WILL fly and spill everywhere. Some of us had larger/heavier plastic cups and those were a lifesaver.. so maybe think about how you can make your trip more pleasurable by preparing for the gusts. A huge "LIKE" about this area is that we could see every single star at night! Even the Milky Way slightly, which was exciting. We took a night walk and star-gazed. Hearing the river and watching space above us was breath-taking and much needed. All in all, our group had a really great time. We may even make this an annual tradition moving forward! So if this all sounds good to you then I highly recommend Sandy Flat. read more

PLEASE read this review before you camp here..There are positives and negatives to Sandy Flat. If I only knew about the negatives I could have planned better or made an informed decision to stay here or not.. The nightmare - Unfortunately if you stay on a Friday don't expect to get any sleep here ( or any other campgroup in California for that matter). Several large groups arived for the weekend and began binge drinking and partying as soon as it got dark. I assumed the loud music and the yelling of profanities would eventually end at some point, but the worst was yet to come. At midnight a large group from Long Beach pulled in already drunk (or on meth?) and they and their little kids began screaming and blasting loud music till 5am.. There was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Sandy Flat is managed by a host that lives up on the hill above the campground. There is no cell service here, no nightly patrolls by rangers. The next morning the host came down and everyone in the campground complained about those scumbags. Tip 1, the host is 100% okay with you waking (driving up the hill) to his cabin at any time of night for noise complains. Make sure you know where the host lives and be prepared to drive to his trailer at night (10pm is quiet time)... So you survived the first night. The campground is nice but there's a ton of broken bottle glass in the sand in the campsites. Make sure you and your kids always wear shoes. Most of the campsites were on a slope of some sort. Keep in mind that Sandy Flats is also a very windy campground. Be sure to bring heavy duty stakes for your tent and popup canopy. They will get blown over ( which is what happened to us).. There are very few sites that are shielded from the wind. High winds + sand isn't fun.. There are no showers here and during my visit campfires were banned because of wildfire risk.. So not ideal, but at least there's a river right? The river - This is highly dependent on environmental conditions. It can be low and stagnant or fast and unswimable. We lucked out as it was perfect conditions. The attached beach (open to the public) is great midweek as you have it mostly to yourself.. On the weekend this small beach is packed. People pitch tents right on the water's edge and block off access...That might be the biggest takeaway from my visit here along the Kern River. People that visit this area are rude and litter bugs. HUGE TIP - If you drive down to Hobo Camp and hike up the river a bit you can find some secluded areas for an amazing private day on the river.. The time we spent on the river made this trip worth it, even with all of the negatives. Other notes - Sequoia National Park is just over an hour's drive north. Great day trip. - Hike the hobo trail right behind the day use bathroom. It goes right along the river. - The hill behind sites 34 and 30 had great views of the river. Perfect for sunsets.. - I think the best site is 23. Close to the river, large site, somewhat private. If you have a small tent 34 has a covered area shielded from the wind. The worst sites were 7 (camping on a steep slope), and 33 which is also on a slope. We stayed on 31 and 29 which were okay. 29 has no shielding from the wind, 31 is shielded if you put your tent behind the rocks and under the tree. - Site host was friendly. read more

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Had a great time here with my family over Memorial Day weekend. The caretaker for the campground was super friendly & kept everything clean, he is a gem. Shout out to him for looking out for absolutely everyone staying here! I saw him driving around & picking up stray trash that had flown away from guests' sites. He was also constantly maintaining the bathrooms which was very much appreciated as not everyone respects public amenities as much as others, if you catch my drift. If you come here, PLEASE do your part and keep everything clean, pick up your trash, be respectful, etc. Each plot has ample space, and a bench which was a plus. Some camping spaces have a ton of shade & others not so much, so be sure to bring a canopy or two. There is a fire pit to keep warm or cook, just be sure to bring firewood & pots/pans. There are restrooms & spouts to wash your hands. The rapids were very strong this weekend so we couldn't go in the water very deep but it was still a great time seeing the wild life & all the beauty nature has to offer. We saw cows, capybaras, and many other animals. I would definitely come here again, and I recommend it to everyone who wants to experience real camping out by the water, NOT glamping. There's no showers, so you make due with the natural water, or bring your own outdoor shower. Also it gets very windy so bring extra heavy duty stakes. Long story short, come prepared! This is nature after all :) read more

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Good little spot to camp out. I think we were 24. Close to the river and bathrooms. Bathrooms need spring hinges on doors to keep the smell in. Also maybe a sign to keep lid closed on toilet. Otherwise smell kicks up and wind blows at you... River was fun. I can tell why it's called killer kern. Rope swing Tubing Cold water was refreshing on a hot day 102. Bob was a good host. Seemed on top of things. All and all a fun 1 night trip up from LA. Beware the bees and fire ants. read more

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Will be staying here in two weeks first time we catch 3 campsites and the best ones too im excited we will be staying in #22 the best spot there we also have #21 and we reserved #9 just incase dont expect any sleep if u will be here in Sep weekends read more

Sandy Flat Campground - Hope this helps !!!! - Campgrounds Near Me - Lake Isabella, California

A review and also notes for my family so we know where to book next time!!! Campsite #27 & 5: no trees where you would have your tent but ok if you have an Eaz-E-Up with stakes. Decent amount of room from other campsites. Campsite #14: a few trees, tons of fire ants. The suggestion from the ranger was to pour Ajax around out tent & it would not go past that area. Unfortunately, we did not have Ajax. None of us were bitten but our dog was twice on 2 separate days. :( This site is between two bathrooms & close to the river. Campsite #16-19 are against rocks with a small ravine that you can jump to the other side but I would not suggest for those with small children. You're really close to each other...great for large groups. Campsite #20-21 is right by the water; an amazing spot and easily the Boardwalk of the campground. If you're able to book both, do it. If you aren't, the sites are close to one another and it might be awkward to be so close if the other group is rowdy. Overall the campground was relatively secluded from other campers & people in general. You can hear laughing & music but not specific convos. The portapotties all have spigot outside of all of the bathrooms but no soap. (And no sinks.) The bathroom on top of the hill is the cleanest of all three but I overheard that the ranger who runs this campground keeps his area pretty clean. read more

Don't come here if you're looking for peace and quiet. We were in #28, no shade, directly across from a group with a PA SYSTEM!! blasting ranchera music all day long. They bullied other groups who were also trying to play music by turning theirs all the way up. They did turn it off after we complained to the camp host but they still had a loud motor (generator?) running until late night and there were other big groups who were also loud. Other parts of the campground were quieter so we may have just had bad luck. Two stars for the helpful camp host and the refreshing river. We left at 10pm to go to a motel in Kernville, the only place that had an open room, so we could finally have calm and quiet. read more

Sandy flats is a great place to camp. First off the rangers are very friendly, they allowed us to drive in and pick a spot then later them came to us so we can pay our over night stay fee and at least we didn't have to track them down. Campsites we clean and all include a fire pit with grill attached to it. The bathrooms were just a short walking distance from campsite oh they just don't flush but at least they are cleaned daily. There were no spider webs inside the bathrooms :) I do plan to stay here again soon. read more

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We had 2 groups of 6 and the campground was rustic and dry camp we went and we could not have a fire in the camping ring . I was very disapointed about this becasue it was cold at night In November 2020. They had Pit toilets and were OK. the hot springs were about 2 miles away from this one. I would like to be at the other one but it was closed. Probly would not go back due to no fires. read more

It was really pretty loved it but when we got there they didn't have anymore camping spots read more

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Just stayed at this location over the weekend. We arrived on Friday after 3hrs of travel and planned on staying until Sunday afternoon. We stayed in campsite 22. The camp host was decent but that was about it. The campsite had bees which made relaxing and meals not so pleasant. Campsites had quite a bit of trash thrown around and the overall clientele can best be described as sketchy with not a whole lot of camping etiquette. We had numerous people walk through our campsite and in between our vehicles. We ended up packing up Saturday morning and trucking 3hrs back home. I would not recommend staying here if your coming to relax and not wanting to worry about your stuff being taken or weirdos tramping through your site. read more

We had site #19... high up on the hill. #22 looks like the best but this one rocked as well. It has a permanent covering over the picnic table so you don't need your easy-up. It's quiet and private and much less noise than all the other sites. The only complaint is the fire ants... beware!! Bring bug spray and use it! They have a nest right under the picnic table unfortunately. They do go to bed at night so that's a plus. The night sky is spectacular! Bathrooms are fairly clean for what they are and the camp host is a nice guy. Check in when you first pull in so you get your slip from him. Bring your own wood as there isn't any laying around. The Kern is right down the hill from this site and the sound of it at night is lovely. Cows across the river moo-ing in the morning will wake you up with a smile! read more

Good campground along the Kern river just a few miles from Lake Isabella. It's easy to miss the campground from the freeway as it is not marked well. We were there early in the spring, so had no trouble securing a spot. I would expect that has the season moves on, it will become much more difficult to get a spot. The rate is $26/night. It is dry camping. There are several water spouts throughout the park and the restrooms are pit, but pretty clean. Great, level spaces some with awesome views of the river. Plenty of places to climb and explore. I did notice a bit of trash around including the rivers edge. However, I suspect that this is from careless campers rather than lack of park maintenance. The camp host was very friendly and did several patrols throughout the day and night. Look forward to staying again soon. read more

Sandy Flat Campground is found along the Old Canyon Road, about 2 miles West of Borel Rd. It lies directly downstream of a Power Station on the Kern River. I've been to many campgrounds in the Lake Isabella/Kernville area, including Boulder Gulch, Hobo, French Gulch and more, and Sandy Flat is one of my favorite spots because of the rugged, rocky terrain and lack of tourists. The campground is located in a bowl surrounded by low mountains so it has limited sun. This results is slightly cooler temperatures than some of the other camps. It's also off the beaten path somewhat, not being right off of Highways 178 or 155, so it sees less traffic. On top of that, the one-way entrance road down into the park is steep, narrow and winding, which is a challenge for larger RV's and trailers. This translates into fewer RV queens filling the park with kids, generators, TV's, loud stereos and other noise. The largest pull-in sites are 40 feet so large pusher coaches won't fit here. The park rules state that you may only park vehicles on the paved spurs and that's strictly enforced. The pines, sycamores, willows and oaks here are scattered and few campsites provide a true shade canopy. However every site has some shade available. As you move further towards the last campsites in the loop, many of them are in more enclosed and shaded areas. The pines here are very large, healthy and majestic. Also some of the sites near the end of the East loop are walk-in and offer excellent seclusion, views and the sound of the river. Restrooms are typical chemical pit toilets and there are no showers. There's also no electric or sewer hookups, so this is real minimalist camping, as it was meant to be. You used to be able to drive to Boulder Gulch or one of the other lakeside campgrounds to pay for showers, but with the drought, all the showers have been dismantled. Each site has its advantages and disadvantages, so you have to decide whether you prefer a better view, more river access or more seclusion. Number 22 is the large river site, good for large groups. Number 21 is right next to it and also good. #9 and #10 are great if you want more peace, quiet and good restroom access. #27-29 are excellent secluded spots. #15-19 are good walk-in spots, some of which have excellent river views and seclusion. You can make reservations, however unlike most parks, they're not site-specific, so once you arrive it's 1st come, 1st serve. You go in, choose a suitable spot in the size you selected and stake your claim. It would be a lot easier if the Park Service would simply allow site-specific reservations, and I've never been able to get a straight answer as to why they don't... Bringing your own firewood to this park from outside the area is not recommended (because of insect pests) and depending on winds, campfires are sometimes not allowed either. There is an excellent local "Firewood Guy" in Lake Isabella (yes, the name of his business is literally called: The Firewood Guy) who will deliver wood to this park for a reasonable fee. Most of the local firewood is seasoned almond, although pine is common too. Camping near the river is a mixed bag. The easy access for rafting, fishing and lounging is nice, however it comes with more spiders, flies and mosquitoes. The campgrounds up high have better views and fewer insects. The fishing here is also a crapshoot. With water levels being notoriously low over the past several years, there's been nothing to catch. Better fishing can be found downstream near Hobo, where the water is slower and deeper. There is a walking trail between Sandy Flat & Hobo. Rafting is permitted here, and the usual warnings apply. Remember the Kern River is the 7th deadliest river in America. There is parking and a launch site at the West end of the park, with adequate day parking for trucks and trailers. The weather in the bowl can bring very cold temperatures and even snow anytime between late October and May. Daytime temperatures can also be very warm and gusty winds in this low area have been clocked at over 50 MPH before, so make sure your tent and gear are firmly secured. The higher campgrounds near large rocks seem less affected by the winds than the lower ones on the sandy flat. Unfortunately over the last two years, there's been no camp host here. A contract group is used to collect fees and maintain the park. Our last experience with them was hit or miss. They were normally friendly and helpful, but when their website didn't accept credit cards as it normally does, they threatened to have us arrested if we didn't produce cash or a check. That's not a nice way to treat repeat customers... Overall, this is a great park if you're an elemental and prepared tent or small RV camper looking for a remote getaway. If you're a small RV pilot who likes to fish, Hobo is the better camp. If you have a large RV, try Boulder Gulch, French Gulch or Tillie Creek... read more

The Sandy Flat Campground was just okay. We made reservations months in advance for specific spots, but in the end, the man overseeing the campground just told us to pick from any of the available spots. All spots near the river were taken, and the spots all seemed insanely close together compared to what I'm used to. Our group chose 3 spots. Two were near each other, and one was across the road. Two had partial shade, and one had absolutely none, and it was pretty hot and kinda windy. Setting up the tents was hard because there was hard rock underneath the spots we had chosen, so it was hard to put the stakes in. Sleeping was terrible and I could feel the hard rock underneath me as I slept, everyone else complained about this too. The river was nice, and it wasn't too cold to swim in. A lot of people had brought floaties and tied them because the current got really strong at parts. Swimming in the river was great. At night, I saw my first shooting star here, which made for a memorable experience. We were also able to see the band of the milky way here, which was a pretty unique experience. Lots of stargazing here! The main issues we had included that the area was under severe fire restriction, yet people still had campfires and the rangers didn't do anything to stop this. Also, the road was extremely narrow and people got into a drunken car accident near our campsite. At night, everyone was really loud and blasting music in Spanish. This got annoying pretty fast. The worst part of the trip was the privilege one family thought they were entitled to. Apparently, they had reserved the spots we had months ago. We told them to talk to the ranger and that we didn't receive the spots we had either, yet they still insisted on attempting to back their car into our spot which our car was already parked in. A lot of yelling ensued, but eventually they went and talked to the ranger and left us alone... but not after a whole lot of yelling, cussing, and displays of anger in front of their young children. read more

Sandy Flat is a fun campground because of the river. There are some sites with absolutely no shade and some have trees. We were on 17, wide open no trees. Wouldn't choose it again. Site 16 has 2 huge trees, good for a hammock. In fact, sites 15-19 are all very close together and good for groups. Sites 21 & 22 are closest to the water and swimming, but it's not a bad walk. It did get very exhausting walking back and forth in the heat though. The folks at those sites were pretty taking up the entire beach...we could have joined in but they were super loud and had all of their really big toys ...so we just chose a little spot up river a bit and plopped down there under a few trees. The river feels amazing! Bring something to tie up and float :) We also used noodles/floaties and did short stints floating down the rivery by walking all the way up past campground and floating down to the campground beach area. We explored this route very cautiously. My experience camping in So. Cal. has been if you go on the weekends it's like deciding to go to Ikea. It sounds like a great idea at first, and the price is right. Then you get there and it's pretty chaotic. I find camping during the week and off season to be a little bit more relaxing. It just depends what you want. We had a great time, but it's more like a party. Everyone plays loud music at their campsite, so if you don't bring your own music it just sounds like a bunch of different radio stations. We were next door to hip hop, up the way from Spanish station and just down from classic rock dudes. At one point we decided to play our own tunes, and it was better. At least it drowned out all of the sounds and gave us one thing to focus on. I personally prefer to be outside enjoying the sounds and stars, but many people do not. Lots of folks bring really bright lights and their music and live as if they hadn't left home. Just remember if you go camping on the weekend, esp. in summer ...it's going to be a big party. You'll have to go really deep, longer drives & hikes.... where people can't drive in all of their things...to find peace and quiet. read more

To me this place was okay. This was really our first tent camping trip so I do not have much experience to judge it as compared to other places. Pro's: I liked that we could reserve it ahead of time. You can't reserve a specific spot but at least you know you will have a site available. The river was very nice, no bugs, cold enough to feel good but not freezing. A pretty strong current in the middle but nice places to swim and not worry about it. Most sites were shady Pretty much family oriented clientele Con's: We went in late July, very hot and very windy. Sand and trash were being blown every where. Pit toilets were clean enough but still very stinky and lots of flies. Loud music at night, pretty much stopped around 10-10:30. read more

This camp ground was great. The bathrooms always had toilet paper and were clean for campground vault bathrooms. Bob was awesome. I loved being able to walk down to the water. Just a few miles down the road is natural Hot Springs and you are only 4 miles from Lake Isabella if you need anything from the stores. We will be going back for sure to this camp ground. read more

Cool spot for the family. Unfortunately, if your plan is to get away from society, this is not the campsite for you. Its very big and theres people everywhere at all times. Plus the weekend I was there, there happened to be a big event inaugurating the river.. so sheriffs, and all newstations were there. Definitely not relaxing. read more

if the camp host clean the bathrooms it would have been alright, but I had to bring my own toilet paper

Ken is awesome!!! He is a great help and is really nice. Beware no showers. Campground is about 15 mins away from small town shopping stores, so if you forget something, no big deal. Also fairly close to Lake Isabella. read more

I've stayed here three times usually in the fall around October November each time I've stayed at night a pack of coyotes come through your camp , strange both years I've been there .people with small dogs should keep them put up .the fishing is great ,there's a hike over to hobo campground and from there on to some Hot Springs it's a good winter or end of summer camping spot. read more

Sandy Flat Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Lake Isabella, California

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Went over memorial weekend. Made reservations ahead of time. Campground was full, but not overly crowded. Enough space between campsites for me to enjoy my space, yet not feel completely secluded. I have a strong aversion TO port-a-potties, yet these were very clean! Not even one fly in the restroom! In fact no bugs or fly's in campsite, that I saw, which made me very happy. Loved this campsite and will stay here again. felt safe and fun! 20 min drive into kernville from campsite and fun for a day. DO NOT miss White Water River Voyages, which I will YELP in separate review. Worth every penny! Super fun, local trip, good for all ages. read more

I love you sandy flat I wont tell you what campsite we stayed in cause its a secret sorry lol..

we stayed at camp site 19 &21 very shadyyyy. Close to water. BUT very rocky our kids kept falling and tripping.

Good mix of trees for shade and open space. Bathrooms were cleaned daily. Camp host was super nice but also not intrusive and pretty much left us alone. NO FIRES right now but some people were being dumb and had fires... it is super windy in the afternoon which kinda sucks but you cannot blame the campground for that. There is a nice little beach area in the day use area that was perfect for tying tubes too to relax. Easy to get in and out, parking at your site. Pretty clean overall, very little trash for after the 4th of July weekend. read more

Awesome campground and even wifi access! It is a bit outside the park but considering you can actually reserve a campsite near J tree and it has wifi? Big win read more

I was freaking out that i wouldn't be able to find a campsite because i didn't make reservations, so i prepared myself and left early Friday to find a spot. I originally pulled into the Hobo campsite to find that there was no vacancy, plus a very unfriendly host who repeatedly raised his voice at us. We left and found the next nearest campsite Sandy Flat we pulled in to be greeted by a wonderful host WHO was extremely busy but helped us efficiently and kindly. She showed us to the perfect campsite under a BIG Shady tree and was very knowledgable about what things we could do on the river. It was right on the river and we had a great time, i plan on coming back to this site for the next years. THANK YOU SANDY FLAT for giving us a wonderful time to relax and enjoy nature. read more