U.S. Forest Service · Sequoia National Forest · Kernville, CA

Hobo Campground

Hobo Campground is tucked on the banks of the Lower Kern River, north of the popular Miracle Hot Springs. It sits at 2290 feet elevation on the Sequoia National Forest in the Lower Kern Canyon. The close proximity to the Lower Kern River and the shade provided by the riparian forest make it an ideal summer escape from the heat. It has 23 individual tent only sites and an additional 10 sites across the campground.

Closed for the season Reservable · Recreation.gov 25 sites 17 ft maxPets okFires okTents only

More like this: reservable in California · tent only in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of Stephen E, WaterArchives.org from Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Recreation.gov

1fire
active

Cyrus · 11 mi away · 543 acres

Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only		20
Walk-in		3
Host/management		2

Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

23 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Type	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	Water / sewer	Waterfront	People / vehicles	Fires	Accessible	Rating
1	Walk-in	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
2	Walk-in	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
3	Walk-in	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
5	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –		6 / 1	Yes	Yes	Prime
6	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
7	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
8	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
9	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime
10	Tent only	Back-in	15	Paved	Partial	No / –		6 / 1	Yes	Yes	Prime
11	Tent only	Back-in	17	Paved	Partial	No / –	Riverfront	6 / 1	Yes		Prime

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Campground map of Hobo Campground — Campground map published by U.S. Forest Service on Recreation.gov, credited to Gregory L. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length	17 ft
Equipment	Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Accessibility	Sites 5, 10 are listed accessible

Hobo Campground offers 21 single sites and 2 accessible single sites. All sites are by reservation only. The campground road is paved but not suitable for vehicles and attachments longer than 22 feet due to the narrow road. There is no potable water available for campers. The host site is located near the entrance at site 4. Each site has a table and a fire ring and most are within close proximity of the Kern River. Vault toilets are located in the middle and end of the campground. Additional portable toilets are also available throughout the campground.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Status	Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
Season	Late May to Year Round
Forest	Sequoia National Forest
Fees	$34/Night for single unit, $8/Night for extra vehicle(s)
Rules	Unsuitable for trailers.

Sequoia National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature at S Lake Fs, 11 miles from the campground at 2,654 feet, station USC00048407 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Getting there

From Bakersfield, California travel approximately 37 miles east on CA 178. Turn right onto Borel Road, and drive about 1/3 of a mile until you reach Kern Canyon Road. Take a right onto Kern Canyon Road and continue for 1.7 miles until you see the sign for Hobo Campground, keep right to stay on the driveway.

Nearest town	Kernville, California
Coordinates	35.5745° N, 118.5288° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

Wildfire
Cyrus
11 mi from the campground · 543 acres · 95% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump station	Dump station ↗	6.5 mi
RV sales & service	Camping World ↗	34.2 mi
Outdoor gear	Triple Crown Outfitters ↗	37.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Abandoned Hobo Campground at Miracle Hot Springs. Somewhere Ep. 14 (2023)

Worth a stop

Remington Hot Springs is a free Hot Spring on Forest Service Land located approximately one mile West of Hobo Camppground off Old Kern Canyon Road. White water rafting is a very popular activity on the Kern River, local Rafting Outfitters provide half-day to multi day trips along the Kern River.

0.1 mi
Miracle Hot Springs Picnic Site ↗Day use
8.6 mi
Kissack Cove Day Use ↗Day use
9.2 mi
Tillie Creek Launch Ramp Boating Site ↗Boat launch
9.9 mi
Stine Cove Fishing Site ↗Fishing site
10.8 mi
Cyrus Canyon Shooting Range ↗OHV / range
11.1 mi
Cyrus Canyon Ohv Park ↗OHV / range

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.2 mi
Hobo Fishing
0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse
1.4 mi
Remington Ridge ↗
7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
1.5 mi
Rec. Mine
0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, ATV
1.5 mi
Freeway Ridge 4WD
1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, 4WD
2.1 mi
Kern Canyon ↗
10.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
2.5 mi
Bradshaw 4WD ↗
6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, 4WD and 1 more

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Sequoia National Forest begins about 7.5 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

7.5 mi
Sequoia National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 1,160,053 acres
14.8 mi
Bright Star Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Bureau of Land Management · 8,191 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

Evans Flat Campground

First-come5.8 mi

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

FS · CA

Oak Flat Lookout

Lookout rental10.37226578272118 mi

FS · CA

Poso Guard Station Cabin

Cabin rental17.363090649727393 mi

Natural features

The campsites are mostly all shaded by majestic sycamores, willows, cottonwoods, alders with views of the Lower Kern River close by.The trees show off a dramatic display of yellow, gold, and orange in the fall. The Kern River flows higher in the late spring and early summer months as water is released from Lake Isabella. The river can appear calm but can be deceiving with it's fast currents under the surface. The Forest Service does not encourage swimming in the river.

Recreation

White water boating is popular on the Lower Kern and requires a free Kern River Use permit from the Kernville Ranger Station. A trail also exists at the northern end of Hobo Campground that connects visitors to Sandy Flat Campground. The remains of an old resort can be found in the campground and Miracle Hot Springs area.

Guidebooks for Sequoia National Forest and California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Hiking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Laurel Scheidt, 2022
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Ann Marie Brown, 2021
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon California Camping
Tom Stienstra, 2022
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Hobo Campground?

Sites at Hobo Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Hobo Campground?

$34/Night for single unit, $8/Night for extra vehicle(s)

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Hobo Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Hobo Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Late May to Year Round.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Hobo Campground have?

25 sites, including 20 tent-only sites and 3 walk-in sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Hobo Campground?

The longest site here provides 17 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Hobo Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Hobo Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Hobo Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Unsuitable for trailers.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Hobo Campground?

Sites 5 and 10 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Hobo Campground?

White water boating is popular on the Lower Kern and requires a free Kern River Use permit from the Kernville Ranger Station. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Hobo Campground?

Kernville, California. Remington Hot Springs is a free Hot Spring on Forest Service Land located approximately one mile West of Hobo Camppground off Old Kern Canyon Road.

Source: Getting there

What if Hobo Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sandy Flat (0.1 mi), Main Dam Campground (5.4 mi, first-come), and Pioneer Point (5.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby