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

Thunderbird Group Campground

Thunderbird Group Campground is situated along the Kern River, 6.5 miles north of the town of Kernville. Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities.

Reservable · Recreation.gov3 sites20 ft maxPets okFires okTents only

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Thunderbird Group CampgroundThunderbird GroupThunderbird site 1Thunderbird Group
Photos courtesy of CLM Staff, Local Staff · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Cyrus · 8 mi away · 543 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

group standard area nonelectric3
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

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

SiteEntryFits, ftShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
Group 1Back-in20PartialNo / No30 / 5YesBasic
Group 2Back-in20PartialNo / No12 / 2YesBasic
Group 3Back-in20PartialNo / No12 / 2YesBasic

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 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length20 ft
EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground offers three group sites. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are portable toilets. There is no drinking water available at this facility.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Thunderbird Group Campground40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 2.29 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.39 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.71 inches of precipitationApril: 0.67 inches of precipitationMay: 0.43 inches of precipitationJune: 0.10 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.14 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.07 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.23 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.55 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.35 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.91 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 46.1°F averageFebruary: 48.0°F averageMarch: 51.6°F averageApril: 56.3°F averageMay: 64.1°F averageJune: 73.4°F averageJuly: 80.6°F averageAugust: 79.8°F averageSeptember: 73.8°F averageOctober: 63.5°F averageNovember: 52.3°F averageDecember: 45.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Kern River Ph 3, 2 miles from the campground at 2,703 feet, station USC00044523 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year.

Getting there

From Bakersfield, take Highway 178 east to Lake Isabella. From Lake Isabella, take Highway 155 around the west side of the lake to the town of Kernville. From Kernville, go 6.5 miles north on Sierra Way (Mountain 99) to the campground.

Nearest townKernville, California
Coordinates35.8152° N, 118.4569° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Cyrus

    8 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 stationDump station ↗11.4 mi
Outdoor gearTriple Crown Outfitters ↗23.3 mi
RV sales & serviceLindustries RV Service ↗44.5 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

The Cannell Meadow National Recreation Trail begins just north of Kernville. The trail stretches 11.5 miles as it climbs through mixed pine and fir forest to Cannell Meadow and a historic Forest Service cabin built between 1904 and 1909. Hikers are awarded beautiful views of the Kern River Valley along the trip.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 2.8 mi
    Whiskey Flat ↗
    12.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3.2 mi
    Cannell Meadow ↗
    23.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more · national_recreation_or_other
  • 3.6 mi
    Baker Point
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.1 mi
    Potato Patch ↗
    11.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 4.9 mi
    Split Mountain
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.9 mi
    Bull Run ↗
    5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle 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 →

This campground sits inside Sequoia National Forest.

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.

Natural features

The campground sits within Sequoia National Forest at an elevation of 3,200 feet in an open area with limited shade, overlooking the Kern Wild and Scenic River. Gray pine, scrub oak, grasses and shrubs cling to steep, canyon walls along the river, and cottonwoods and willows dot the riverbanks. Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, is named for the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the forest's lower slopes. The forest comprises about 1.1 million acres. Elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet, creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls.

Recreation

Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities in the Upper Kern River 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 Thunderbird Group Campground?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Thunderbird Group Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Thunderbird Group Campground have?

3 sites, including 3 group standard area nonelectric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Thunderbird Group Campground?

The longest site here provides 20 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 Thunderbird Group Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Thunderbird Group Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Thunderbird Group 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.

Source: Fire nearby

What is the nearest town to Thunderbird Group Campground?

Kernville, California. The Cannell Meadow National Recreation Trail begins just north of Kernville.

Source: Getting there

What if Thunderbird Group Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Camp Three Campground (0.4 mi), Chico Flat Dispersed Camping (0.6 mi, first-come), and Hospital Flat (0.9 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby