SoCal Camping

Unfortunately, our stay was cut short due to several issues. The listing advertised working heaters — one of the main reasons I booked — but none were available. The room was unkept, the bedding appeared soiled, and there was no staff on-site when we needed help. We had nowhere else to go, so we tried to stay warm through the night, but it was extremely uncomfortable and unsafe in the cold. The cabin’s front lights were also missing, making it hard to move around safely. I can tell the camp has good intentions, but it’s not being properly maintained or managed. I was told I’d hear back about this, but haven’t received any response yet. Given the misleading listing and unsafe conditions, I’m requesting a full refund and a review of the property to prevent this from happening to others.

Guiding L.

2 reviews

Recommends

· October 2025

C4 Cabin (5658)

Cool spot and would come again. I've visited at end of the season and found it to be peaceful. It's across the street from the Corral Creek Resort and best to use for your GPS directions.

Jennifer R.

8 reviews

Recommends

· October 2025

With pets ·

Great place to stay along the Kern River. Clean bathrooms and very comfortable beds. I especially appreciated the heavy duty wagons to cart gear to the tent from the parking area. Loved not having cars in the campsites since we were camping with our kids. There is also a well maintained path to access the river side.

Stacy And Cedar C.

3 reviews

Recommends

· September 2025

A2 King Tent (7521)

Great spot by the river with nice setups! Bathrooms are better that most campground bathrooms I’ve seen. Beware of fire ants

Patrick B.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2025

Cabin on the river

With kids ·

Location was great, the tents, bathrooms, and showers were all very clean. The camp host and others were all very helpful and friendly. We loved the close proximity to the river.

Alex R.

4 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2025

Great outdoor experience

With kids ·

It was a great, relaxing and fun experience for all of us, including kids and seniors. After tent camping for 4 years with little kids, these cabins were a nice change and quite the glamping experience. The kids had so much outdoor space to play around in the dirt. The path down to the river from the site is difficult for kids and seniors without aide, but totally doable for the rest. We were pleasantly surprised to find a whole case of water bottles in each of our cabin, which was great and very thoughtful. For me, this place is a must to experience a fancier version of camping. Expecting anything more than that, then you are either in an RV or just a hotel. Nothing beats being outdoors in the night with the stars above you and the absolute quietness of the Sequoia National Forest.

Sarah Kate T.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Family camping

With kids ·

Overall it’s was a good camping experience, it’s not glamping. It’s more camping with very nice spacious cabins. The cabins were clean and nicely kept. Everything inside was well kept. We did have an ant situation on the bed one night. The group site is situated right at the entrance of the campground. But it’s still quiet and peaceful at night and during the day. But having to park across the road was a bit odd. And I wasn’t informed that the showers/bathrooms weren’t working so that was a bummer. Since at that point everything is on the other side of the campground. (Still close, but with kids a bathroom closer would be helpful). But overall my family had a good time, the staff that I encounter friendly and helpful. The river is beautiful and close by. There’s a sandy beach area within walking distance. We had a great time. My only dislike was someone bathing their dog on the washing station. There’s only two and dishes get washed there. It’s a personal thing.

Claudia Veronica R.

8 months on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· June 2025

Terrible Host

With pets ·

Do not book! They messed up our reservations, we booked the group spot with 3 cabins and because of their mistake we only got 1 cabin and they are refusing to give us a refund for the two cabins we never got! Also E1 and E2 have a bull ant nest in front of them so avoid it especially with kids and dogs

Lexie R.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Epic, amazing, showstopping. Do it, do it, do it.

Tenley G.

7 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Can’t wait to return!!

D1 Family Tent (5401)

We were pleasantly surprised by the space, location, and comfort of our stay! Plenty of space for four people to stay comfortably! We love the communal vibe with our two other tents and because we were there on a light weekend we had the five tent section all to ourselves! The host were great and easy to talk to and allow us our privacy! We are right above the stairs down to the river, which made it really nice for everyone in the group. Bathrooms are very clean and spacious and the showers were always hot! All of my guests couldn’t stop raving about how nice they were! Everything was stocked with quality supplies and there was easy access to water and dish, sinks and hot coffee and tea all day long! It’s nice to be right outside the city and perfect for stargazing! We can’t wait to go back!

Steven A.

2 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

A Pleasant Surprise!!

Steven A.

2 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

With kids ·

First time trying this out with my family, it was awesome from location to the cabins restroom, showers great My kids had a great time in the river and with the games they’ve provided, super friendly staff thank you 🙏🏽 We will see you soon

Miguel B.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2025

Wonderful camp! The tents are almost brand new and very well taken care of. Right on the River. Carrie the camp host is lovely. Can’t wait to come back!

Melanie P.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· November 2024

C4 Cabin (5658)

I loved our site, we were right next to the river and it was so beautiful. we stayed in November which i would not recommend — it was definitely cold and with the minimal insulation in each tent/cabin, the heat would g

Karina M.

1 year on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· November 2024

C3 King Tent (8945)

Insulation for the tent/cabins and a better heat source for the winter months. It was below 30 degrees which is pretty rough for campers who are expecting glamping. Other than that we had a great experience in a beautiful camp.

Chelsea S.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2024

With pets ·

I had such a great time at SoCal Camping. The views and access to Kern River were incredible, making it feel remote while still being just a 15 min drive from Kernville. The tents were great, clean, comfortable bed and pillows. Having access to the bathrooms and showers with hot water was also a big plus. Would definitely stay here again when I come back to the area!

Stacey T.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2024

Beautiful River Access

A4 King Tent (6672)

SoCal was an awesome stop over. The tent and bed were super comfortable. I loved how Rachel set up the area for river access, bathrooms, and outdoor showers. She was also super helpful for the area and things to do. The closet sequoias was a hike called 100 Giants about an hour away. Kernville is a cute town to grab breakfast and McNallys Burgers was an inexpensive and tasty meal.

Sam W.

1 year on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· September 2024

Great views, a little crowded

A2 King Tent (7521)

Overall, the space was really beautiful! The tents are right along the river, giving you space to walk down and soak in the river among all the wild life! I really appreciated the simplicity and beauty of the set up, and loved the outdoor shower. Especially in 100+ weather. We stayed during Labor Day Weekend, so it was crowed and got a little messy with trash bins super full and clogged toilets. I recommend staying here, but not during a holiday weekend if you are looking for something more serene and peaceful.

Carla T.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

will

great location and immaculate views. so relaxing and only a minute walk to the shore of the kern river. Also close to the local town where there are restaurants, brewery, gas and camping supplies. the campus is very nicely spaced out between the various cabins, easy to navigate, nice amount of light at night, and great bathroom/shower setups.

Jay J.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

Relaxing before a rafting trip

Group trip ·

B1 King Cabin Canvas Tent (8697)

Had a wonderful stay with the family. Very comfortable beds and the bathrooms and showers were a huge hit with my 20 year old daughter and wife.

Michael K.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2024

C5 Cabin (9804)

It was the most beautiful spot in the middle of the Sequoia National Park. Loved it.

Natanya S.

2 reviews

Recommends

· July 2024

With kids ·

The location was pretty good I would recommend . The weather was really hot but other than that it was a good trip

Nimitt S.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2024

E4 Tent, Do your research.

Group trip ·

Before looking for glamping site, first define what is Glamping to you. For my group, we were looking for a place with a bed, hot shower, toilet, and internet but still feel like camping and Socal Camping had it. After doing research, we read that electricity is not available at our site (E tents), so we made sure to bring battery pack(s), especially in this technology era where devices had became a necessity. That being said, there are outlets in the common area by the coffee station (hot water available, covered sitting area, table, benches, and corn hole). Outlets are first come first serve. The tents have solar powered outdoor mood lighting, we highly suggest to bring lamps if you require more light. Has a fire pit and you are able to purchase fire wood from the host or at the lodge across the street (make sure to bring cash, ice also available at the lodge). We brought our own kitchen wares, cooler, and stove as the listing said its not provided. We brought extra table. You are able to cook on the fire pit, however the grill on our pit is mangled so we recommend to bring your own if you plan to do some grilling. No shade in the E area, some other tents have (closer to the bathroom). 4 toilets, 3 showers, and alway kept clean and stocked. Cart provided to move things around as dirt parking is across the street, loading/unloading is near common area. If camping in summer, bring fan or extra shade. All in all we had a great time and the hosts were nice to us.

Sarah C.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2024

Tent D5

With kids ·

Hello the tent was clean, the beds and pillows were super comfy! The bathrooms and showers were great! Nice hot water, great water pressure and bathrooms were well maintained. Towels were offered and clean! This tent has a California king and a twin. Perfect for 3 people, it me, my partner and my 8 year old daughter.

Crystal E.

7 years on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· September 2023

Inaccurate description of the tents

A4 King Tent (6672)

We were in tent A4. Yes, the grounds are well-kept, and the bathrooms are clean. However what they didn't disclose is that there are a few tents that do NOT have a firepit, nor is there wifi available in parts of the grounds. Our tent had shoe prints all over the inside walls. The screen window had a huge tear in it where bugs could get in, and the flaps to keep the entrance open were ripped and broken. We were right underneath a utility pole with a transformer. Our view was the back of another tent cabin... despite what they say, there's no USB or outlets in the tents - we asked others with the same problem. Our lights didn't work, either. We asked to be moved to a tent that wasn't underneath the utility pole and where there might be wifi and we just got a "nope sorry." All the pictures of cabins and tents on the grounds do not accurately reflect their condition, location, and amenities. Very disappointed with our supposed "glamping" experience here.

Greg L.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2023

With kids ·

A5 Family Tent (2717)

Very clean, well organised and comfortable. Lovely view across the river.

Serena T.

2 reviews

Mixed feelings

· August 2023

Pretty Setting, Slightly stressful

With pets ·

D4 Family Tent (8898)

The setting is beautiful and clean by the Kern River. The showers and bathrooms are kept very clean and stocked with supplies. The tent was very comfortable and linens were spotless. There are a few drawbacks in the heat of summer, there aren't any shade structures on the property where you would be cooking and eating. Our tent's fly screen was broken so it was hard to air it out to cool off. We were in one of the lucky units that has a fan though so that was helpful. One major drawback is that there is no parking on the property and we did not know this ahead of time. It was just our group of three families while we were there and we still had to park across the street and with kids it's really hard to keep having to go back and forth in that heat to get things from the car. Some of the tents have trees around but ours did not so we had to leave every day to go someplace cooler to hang out/relax. One other draw back is that the people that live on the property/manage it are pretty stressed it seems. The owner monitors them via cameras and then they would come complain to us about where our cars were, why our kids were playing on a dirt pile (ummm, they are kids) etc. I would not go back with kids as I don't think they are used to having them onsite. There is one shaded cooking area on the far side of the property and a lounge but if the property is full it would maybe make it hard to access if someone else was there first. It's a great spot location. Maybe eat out.

Jeiran L.

3 years on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· July 2023

No Shade, bad parking

With kids ·

A5 Family Tent (2717)

The bathrooms and showers were very clean. The entire facility is well maintained. However, the people who work there were more interested in telling us what to do than in customer service, as if the guests are obstacles to getting their work done. I was barked at because they had not updated a change I made to a reservation several weeks ago. As the host seemed frustrated with me, when I arrived she did not explain anything about the site, any rules, where anything is located. She did not mention that I could have access to an electrical outlet in my tent (I did not know until the last day), or offer a fan, or tell me that I needed to move my car across the street because there is no parking anywhere near your tent. Not a deal breaker, but would have been helpful to know in advance (i.e. in the listing) and then before I was yelled at for not knowing where to move my car. It is always very hot in this area during the summer and there is almost no shade. It would not cost much to put up some shade sails, especially near the large tables where our group made meals and ate. Only 1 of the bbqs was usable, but the grills didn't fit properly, so bring your own camp stove.

Marisa W.

2 years on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· July 2023

“Wait, this is glamping…?”

With pets ·

E4 does not have any shade whatsoever. In the hotter months, expect to feel like you are existing on the surface of the sun. Nights are unbearably hot and stuffy. There’s no electricity in the Es so you cannot plug in a fan. The water and bathrooms are about 100 yards walk. Grates for cooking were mangled and inside the fire pit so cooking on them would be hard. 2 grills near a friend’s tent were decoys with no working innards. The coffee station is nothing but old water with dead bugs. Some pictures can be misleading, nothing is provided for food prep or tableware. (We figured this and brought our own.) Swarming yellow jackets and fire ants make cooking and eating outside very unpleasant. The camp hosts were very unfriendly and seemed very annoyed by our presence in general; however, they worked hard to keep the bathrooms and showers clean, which they were and that was welcome. There were only a handful of tents occupied while we were there so wondered how 4 toilets would be enough if the place is ever fully booked. The reservation makes it seem the property address is in Kernville, near town. It is not. You must click on the “written directions” to see that it’s a further 15 minute drive. The reservation states 3:00 pm check in but the directions (which are oddly hard to access - doesn’t come up every time, and when it did I had to decipher through lines of code) say 4:00 pm check in. In short, aside from having beds, this does not feel like glamping.

Susan L.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2023

8/10 American experience