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

Limestone Campground

Limestone Campground sits in an area dotted with oak and gray pine along the Upper Kern River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, at an elevation of 3,500 feet.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov19 sites40 ft maxPets okFires okTents only

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Upper Kern RiverUpper Kern River
Photos courtesy of Share the Experience, Gary Ananian · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Cyrus · 19 mi away · 543 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only19
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

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

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
001Back-in20PavedPartialNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
002Back-in20PavedNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
003Back-in15PavedNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
004Back-in20PavedPartialNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
005Back-in25PavedPartialNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
006Back-in20PavedFullNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
007Back-in40PavedPartialNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
008Back-in35PavedPartialNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
009Back-in20PavedNo / No6 / 1YesBasic
010Back-in40PavedNo / No6 / 1YesBasic

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 length40 ft
EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground, located 16 miles north of Kernville, has 19 paved sites. Picnic areas, vault toilets are provided.

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

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonApril to October
ForestSequoia National Forest
BookingThis site can be reserved by calling 877-444-6777 or online at Limestone Campground, Sequoia National Forest - Recreation.gov.
FeesCampsite fees range from $34/night for single unit, $8/night for extra vehicle. Maximum trailer length 30’
RulesNo camping or campfires within 25 feet of the river's edge.

Sequoia National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Limestone 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, 13 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

Off of Highway 99 in Bakersfield, California, 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 north on Sierra Way/Mountain 99 for 16 miles to the campground.

Nearest townKernvilleя, California
Coordinates35.9628° N, 118.4773° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Cyrus

    19 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

Outdoor gearTriple Crown Outfitters ↗21.1 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.6 mi
RV sales & serviceLindustries RV Service ↗49.2 mi

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

Explore

Video

Limestone Campground | Tour Camp Site’s | Kern River | Sequoia | California

Worth a stop

The campground provides a good base for day trips to the Sequoia National Park Trail of 100 Giants. The Giant Sequoia Mercantile offers a wide variety of books, maps, gifts, local art, camping supplies and other merchandise.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.6 mi
    Kern River Upper ↗
    5.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Elephant Knob
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Packsaddle
    2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.6 mi
    Whiskey Flat ↗
    12.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3 mi
    Tobias Creek ↗
    7.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3.1 mi
    Flynn Canyon
    3.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from 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, and 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. At various points along the river, gray pines, scrub oaks, grass and dry climate shrubs cling to steep canyon walls, while cottonwoods and willows line the water's edge.

Recreation

Whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Upper Kern River are popular activities.

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 Limestone Campground?

Sites at Limestone Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. This site can be reserved by calling 877-444-6777 or online at Limestone Campground, Sequoia National Forest - Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Limestone Campground?

Campsite fees range from $34/night for single unit, $8/night for extra vehicle. Maximum trailer length 30’

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Limestone Campground?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Limestone Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season April to October.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Limestone Campground have?

19 sites, including 19 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Limestone Campground?

The longest site here provides 40 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 Limestone Campground?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Limestone 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. No camping or campfires within 25 feet of the river's edge.

Source: Fire nearby

What is the nearest town to Limestone Campground?

Kernvilleя, California. The campground provides a good base for day trips to the Sequoia National Park Trail of 100 Giants.

Source: Getting there

What if Limestone Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Brush Creek Dispersed Camping (0.1 mi, first-come), Fairview Campground (2.5 mi), and Long Meadow Group (6 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby