NPS · Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks · Three Rivers, CA

Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park

Dorst Creek Campground is located in the breathtaking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in central California's rugged Sierra Nevada range. The campground is perched at an elevation of 6,700 ft. on the banks of scenic Dorst Creek. Several meadows surround the campground and a number of small streams flow through the site. A handful of popular day-hikes begin from or near the campground, including the trail to Lost Grove, a 57-acre grove containing 15 beautiful sequoias.

More like this: reservable in California · big rigs in California · pets allowed in California · group sites in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Lost GroveLost GroveSite 193, shady, near creek, near meadow, near roadwaySite 10, Partial Shade, Near Meadow and Restrooms
Photos courtesy of NPS-JH, NPS · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups147
RV, no hookups25
Walk-in24
Tent-only4
group standard area nonelectric4
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

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

204 sites in 9 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
AGroup SitesGroupPavedPartial25 / 11Yes
BGroup SitesGroupPavedPartial25 / 10Yes
CGroup SitesGroupPavedPartial50 / 15Yes
DGroup SitesGroupPavedPartial40 / 17Yes
001Loop AStandardBack-in38Paved6 / 2Yes
003Loop AStandardBack-in45PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
005Loop ARVBack-in24PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
006Loop ARVBack-in35PavedPartial6 / 2YesYes
007Loop AStandardBack-in38PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
008Loop AStandardBack-in39Paved6 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length133 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Tent padsYes
FeesENTRANCE FEES APPLY: Check Entrance Fees & Passes - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service) for details. CAMPING FEES: $32 per night for regular camping and $16 per night for valid lifetime Access Pass, lifetime Senior Pass, and annual Senior Pass.
AccessibilitySites 006, 011, 172, 173 and 4 more are listed accessible

The campground is very popular with tent and RV campers alike. It has paved roads, flush toilets, and drinking water, but no electricity. Picnic tables, fire rings, and bear food storage boxes are provided at each site. A free dump station is located on-site. Lodgepole Village is nine miles away, offering a visitor center, nightly Interpretive Ranger programs, a market, deli, snack bar, gift shop, post office, coin-operated showers and laundry facilities.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 8.72 inches of precipitation, 42.4 inches of snowFebruary: 7.87 inches of precipitation, 61.5 inches of snowMarch: 6.42 inches of precipitation, 37.1 inches of snowApril: 3.24 inches of precipitation, 22.2 inches of snowMay: 2.05 inches of precipitation, 6.0 inches of snowJune: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 1.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.65 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.27 inches of precipitation, 3.4 inches of snowNovember: 3.65 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowDecember: 6.87 inches of precipitation, 35.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.3°F averageFebruary: 29.7°F averageMarch: 33.6°F averageApril: 37.8°F averageMay: 45.7°F averageJune: 54.0°F averageJuly: 61.0°F averageAugust: 60.0°F averageSeptember: 54.6°F averageOctober: 45.0°F averageNovember: 35.0°F averageDecember: 27.3°F average0 in20 in40 in60 in80 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lodgepole, 5 miles from the campground at 6,735 feet, station USC00045026 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 43 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 220 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Both roads leading to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks approach from the west. They are open all day, every day, depending on weather. From the east, no roads reach the park boundary. The main park road, The Generals Highway, connects the north and south entrances. Winter storms may cause temporary closures from Grant Grove to Lodgepole.

Nearest townThree Rivers, California
Coordinates36.6361° N, 118.8097° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

  • Payment in full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Additional fees will apply for late cancellations.
  • For individual campsites: All cancellations made between midnight on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival are considered late cancellations and will incur a $10.00 cancellation fee and will also forfeit the first night’s use fee. Cancellations for a single night’s reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply.
  • For group campsites: All cancellations made within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date are considered late cancellations and will incur the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply.
  • If your campsite remains vacant for 24 hours after your arrival date it will be cancelled and made available on rec.gov. You will be charged for the first night's campsite fee and a $10 cancellation fee, all other fees after that will be refunded. Recreation.gov policies apply to all reservations, cancellations, refunds and date changes. Call (559) 565-4404 if you will be arriving 24 hours after y

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Land

    9 mi from the campground · 20 acres

  • Prescribed
    Grant Grove Fall Rx

    12 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Grant Grove Rx Spring

    13 mi from the campground · 15 acres

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

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗5.1 mi
Outdoor gearSportsman's Warehouse ↗36.6 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗40.3 mi

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

Explore

Video

Dorst Creek - Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park (CA)

Worth a stop

The inspiring Giant Forest Grove, General Sherman Tree, General Grant Tree, Moro Rock and Tunnel Log are just 9-17 miles away, as well as the informative Lodgepole Visitor Center and Giant Forest Museum. Colorful Crescent Meadow offers views of vivid summer wildflowers and access to Tharp's Log, a cabin in a fallen sequoia. Tours into Crystal Cave, one of hundreds of marble caves in the park, give visitors an interesting view of rock formations, fossils, rare minerals and unique wildlife. Tickets are required. Tickets may also be purchased same day, if available, at the Lodgepole Visitor Center. Tickets are not sold at the cave entrance. The Crystal Cave is about a one hour drive (21 miles/34 km) from the campground. Vehicles longer than 22 feet long are prohibited on the narrow winding Crystal Cave Road.

  • 2.5 mi
    Stony Creek
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.5 mi
    Jennie Lake ↗
    5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.5 mi
    Jo Pass
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.8 mi
    Weaver Lake Cutoff
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.9 mi
    Weaver Lake ↗
    6.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 5 mi
    Fox Meadow Access
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trailheads within three miles

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-Kings Canyon Wilderness.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Lodgepole pine, red fir, and shrubs forest the campground, while towering groves of giant sequoias and craggy granite peaks dot the landscape. This region is characterized by warm days and cool nights in the summer and deep snow and cold days in the winter.

Recreation

Dorst Creek lies in the Giant Forest region of Sequoia National Park, where forty miles of trails invite visitors to immerse themselves in the majesty of the ancient groves. Several additional popular hiking and wilderness trailheads are close by, including the Big Trees Trail and the trail to Moro Rock, a granite dome with spectacular views of the Great Western Divide and western half of the park. Tokopah Falls Trail is an easy walk along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, leading to an impressive 1,200 ft. waterfall. Fly-fishing is a popular activity on Dorst Creek and the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River.

Guidebooks for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

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

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Sites at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park 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 Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

ENTRANCE FEES APPLY: Check Entrance Fees & Passes - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service) for details. CAMPING FEES: $32 per night for regular camping and $16 per night for valid lifetime Access Pass, lifetime Senior Pass, and annual Senior Pass.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Payment in full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation.

Source: Charges and cancellations

How many sites does Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park have?

204 sites, including 147 standard sites without power, 25 RV sites without hookups, 24 walk-in sites, and 4 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

It has paved roads, flush toilets, and drinking water, but no electricity.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Yes, pets are allowed at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 3 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Sites 006, 011, 172, and 173 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 8 sites in all. 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 Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Dorst Creek lies in the Giant Forest region of Sequoia National Park, where forty miles of trails invite visitors to immerse themselves in the majesty of the ancient groves. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park?

Three Rivers, California. The inspiring Giant Forest Grove, General Sherman Tree, General Grant Tree, Moro Rock and Tunnel Log are just 9-17 miles away, as well as the informative Lodgepole Visitor Center and Giant Forest Museum.

Source: Getting there