The best camping in Sequoia National Park, CA

Gaze up as you walk among some of the largest trees in the world in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Sequoia National Park’s aptly named Giant Forest is where you’ll find the largest of them all—the General Sherman tree—although there are plenty of other sequoia groves to explore. The park is also home to vast marble caverns, waterfalls, meadows, glacial valleys, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails. In winter, snowshoeing among sequoia trees is a magical experience. Campers can choose from 14 in-park campgrounds offering options from walk-in tent sites to RV sites.

• Best for amenities and proximity: The central Lodgepole Campground is near Lodgepole Village, Giant Forest, Kaweah River, and the Tokopah Falls trailhead.
• Best for swimmers: Open year-round, Potwisha Campground is near the park entrance, Foothills Visitor Center, and popular Kaweah River swimming spots.
• Best for Generals Highway access: Set just off the highway and shaded by oak trees, the tent-only Buckeye Flat Campground is near Paradise Creek Trail.

1. From May to September, plan to reserve a campsite as soon as you know your dates. Reservable campgrounds can be booked up to one month in advance. 
2. If you don’t have a reservation, arrive first thing in the morning to grab a site at a first-come, first-served campground.
3. Be sure to check on seasonal opening and closing dates, which vary by campground. Wildfires may cause additional closures.

Summer is the most popular time at the park and park campgrounds. A free summer shuttle takes visitors to highlights such as Moro Rock, while a paid shuttle provides transport to and from nearby towns like Three Rivers and Visalia. A winter holiday shuttle is sometimes available. In winter, the Mineral King and Cedar Grove areas are inaccessible. Visit in spring or early summer for wildflowers and waterfalls, and in early September for the Dark Sky Festival.

• Vehicle size restrictions apply in certain areas. RV hookups are not available, and dump stations are only available in summer, including at nearby US Forest Service Princess Campground near Hume Lake.
• One entrance fee covers access to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, plus Sequoia National Forest.
• Crystal Cave tours are available from May to September, and tickets must be purchased online or at a visitor center at least two days and up to six months in advance.
• Black bears frequent the area. Use bear-proof containers for proper food storage.
• Marmots in the Mineral King area have been known to damage cars in late spring and midsummer.