$34
Headquarters
Total sites: 42
Available Today: 40 FF*
Available this Weekend: 32
Booking Window: 6 months
Available Today: 40 FF*
Available this Weekend: 32
Booking Window: 6 months
2,780 ft
62°F
45°F
45°F
no signal
Sequoia National Forest › Kern River Ranger District › California
› Kern County
› Kernville
› Headquarters Campground
Headquarters Campground, CA - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map
Headquarters Campground is located in the Kern River Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest (1 hr 52 min southeast of Porterville, CA) with an elevation of 2,780 feet. There are a total of 42 campsites including 13 tent-only sites. The campground is open all year. 27 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 30 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Fees range from $32.00 to $100.00. Activities include boating, fishing, floating sports.
Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)
Campsite Reviews (167)
4.3 out of 5
| 5 star | 58% | |
| 4 star | 22% | |
| 3 star | 10% | |
| 2 star | 7% | |
| 1 star | 4% |
@WilliamP724185 · Camped on Nov 25, 2025 at Campsite #20
Great campground. The grounds were in excellent shape and campground hosts were really great. See you next year!
@RobertR8191303 · Camped on Nov 24, 2025 at Campsite #12
Clean pit toilets and ample water spigots. No trash cans around that I could see, though I was told that guests could dump their trash at the large dumpster at the entrance. Unfortunately, and maybe due to lack of trash cans, their was 'some' unsightly litter scattered through the campground. (I picked up my share of litter, but again there was no trash can to put it in.) And no showers either. Still, you can be right next to the river and with my Lifetime Senior pass I get 50% off reservations.
@ShileneND6A42D · Camped on Nov 7, 2025 at Campsite #14
Scenic off-season campground right on the river! Hosts are helpful & friendly.
@NealBB2058B25E · Camped on Oct 29, 2025 at Campsite #14
Great spot!
@MilesC5559097 · Camped on Oct 24, 2025 at Campsite #36
Camp host, Randy, was friendly and took great care of the campground. I had a really nice site with plenty of space. It was quiet too.
@DonN5971265675 · Camped on Oct 17, 2025 at Campsite #15
Nice campground, great camp site (right on the river).You should know that it is really hot there for months. And there's no fires allowed for months.
@BradleyCB8A6F8 · Camped on Oct 10, 2025 at Campsite #31
Beautiful campsite, relatively easy access to the river and not too far from town for any forgotten supplies. Great spot for kids and older adults to camp.
@JoyA98EF6A67C2 · Camped on Oct 8, 2025 at Campsite #16
Pretty place. The trees need to be trimmed. Even on the main/only road through the campground they scratches my van.
@Elizabeth39763 · Camped on Oct 3, 2025 at Campsite #44
It was beautiful bathrooms were clean and we had a great time only thing I would say is the map of the campground itself is a little off we went with a group and thought we got sites right together but in reality they were across the way not a huge deal just a psa.
@MatthewG245698 · Camped on Sep 28, 2025 at Campsite #23
Host was a gem. Chatted with us about some good sightseeing and fishing. Friendly camping neighbors and clean facilities. Potable water onsite, river front camp and lots of shade made it perfect.
@SueM2034977 · Camped on Sep 17, 2025 at Campsite #7
I love Headquarters Campground and have been going since the 80's. It would be great to see flush toilets installed. Or seal up the very old toilets and make new ones.The camp host is FANTASTIC, keeps up with the toilets.
@ChrisH3497025 · Camped on Aug 30, 2025 at Campsite #42
Nice little campground in Kern Valley. The Host was very helpful. The facilities were decent for pit toilets, with toilet paper and clean. Plenty of water stations. The campsites along the river looked great, and many had shade. Ours was very open, close to the road and no shade, but we had the last pick. I would say campsites 42 and 43 would be the worst to choose.
@PatrickP990407 · Camped on Aug 23, 2025 at Campsite #13
Great campground. Not far from town
@ShaunaL1D73F92 · Camped on Jul 11, 2025 at Campsite #17
Campground was clean as always. My only complaint was that for the past 7 years that I have been camping at Headquarters it has never been an issue to pull into the campsite an hour or two early as long as nobody was camped there and I had the reservation for that night. This time, however I pulled in and parked two hours early and was then charged for an entire extra day. I was told that if I want to show up early, I have to reserve the site for the night prior to my arrival. The problem is that I am not able to reserve the night before and then not actually be in the site that night or else they will give away my reservation for the entire weekend.the website says the site has to be occupied within the first 24 hours of the reservation or the reservation will be cancelled and the site will be opened to walk-ins. Its just a little frustrating to have to spend an additional $40 to arrive at 12 rather than 2 oclock. I get that I cant show up early if someone is there but I feel like there needs to be something that can be done like a slightly discounted rate if I show up just a little early and the site is empty. Otherwise the campground was fine. The river was great as always and we had a very nice time.
@SandraL2332707 · Camped on Jul 6, 2025 at Campsite #33
Space #33 was great, easy access, clean, had lots of Sunny and shady areas, kid friendly, Randy the host is attentive and active!
@EmilyM5280790 · Camped on Jun 27, 2025 at Campsite #11
The camp was very nice
@AndyL5725873 · Camped on Jun 27, 2025 at Campsite #20
Really enjoyed our time at Headquarters campground. The host was friendly and knowledgeable of the area. The river was clean and not to strong at the time so we were able to swing and relax in the water. Most of the bathrooms were clean but there were a few that were not so clean. One important thing to note is the main dumpster for the trash is by the front entrance, it took a while for me to find it at night since i did not notice it on the drive in. There are a ton of gnats at night that are attracted to light so a screened canopy is highly recommended if you want to eat in peace lol. Would def stay here again.
@JoseH026C1578D · Camped on Jun 20, 2025 at Campsite #15
Camp Host Was a nice guy!
@BramV89A0B929D · Camped on Jun 16, 2025 at Campsite #31
The host/ranger Randy was awesome during our stay!It's a nice location situated right next to a big river (in spring/summer time). Very nice to drive upwards the river and expolore, or find a slow spot to clean yourself up. The Yurt was a very nice experience, as long as you aren't afraid of small animals entering the Yurt.
@KeithSCA603B87 · Camped on Jun 14, 2025 at Campsite #32
Over. I'd go back
@AdamH5439817 · Camped on Jun 13, 2025 at Campsite #35
Campground is great - especially if you have a spot along the river. Please also note that there are no flush toilets.
@JaimeM8021700 · Camped on Jun 13, 2025 at Campsite #44
campsite is poorly maintained. bathrooms are atrocious. very big range in quality of individual camp sites, do your research before you pick your site. some sites have no shade and are swarmed by fire ants, others are nice.
@MarcosHD144AA7 · Camped on Jun 13, 2025 at Campsite #16
Clean campsite! Nice host! Beautiful views!
@JackM3712712 · Camped on Jun 10, 2025 at Campsite #36
We spent (3) nights at the Headquarters Campground. Shortly after we arrived, the Host, (Randy) greeted us and was very attentive to answering our questions. His knowledge of the local area, hikes, activities, etc. was excellent. Randy maintains this campground in excellent condition. The trash area is clean, and the campsites are free of debris. Fire rings and bear boxes were empty. The pit toilets are well maintained and stocked with paper. We observed Randy checking the grounds frequently, throughout our stay. Randy also made it very clear that he takes maintaining the guest's safety a priority. We have stayed at other campgrounds. Headquarters stands out above the rest, because of Randy!
@AdamB5828811 · Camped on Jun 7, 2025 at Campsite #10
Someone set up into our reserved camp spot and didnt even pay to camp there. The campsite manager couldnt do anything to make them leave, but they were able to get us another spot at a different campground overall OK experience.
Other Campgrounds Nearby
We track all the sites so you don't have to.
Reservation Systems
Campsites Tracking
Campsite Reviews
Available Tonight
Available this Weekend
Cancellations Today
PRO $2.50/month
You're in Control. We never save credit card information or auto-renew subscriptions.
- Availability Map Search
- 3000+ Interactive Campground Maps
- Campground Virtual Tours
- Save Your Favorite Campsites
- Favorite Campsites Availability
- Campground Mobile Speed Test Maps
- National Parks, Forests & Ranger District Layers
- Wildfires & Air Quality Map Layer
- Satellite View Map Layer
- Campsite SMS Cancellation Alerts
- Rent your Property & Cabins
- Love's & Super Walmart Map Layers
- Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro Shop Map Layers
- Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) Layer
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Map Layer
- RV Propane, Parking, Dump, Water Map Layer
Pro is FREE for 7 days. (No credit card information required!)
Thanks to all our Supporting Members
@ChazInSoCal - CA
I just used PerfectCamp.com to book six consecutive August nights at the most popular campsite in one of the most popular campgrounds in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. That is not anything I could have accomplished anywhere else with the ease I did here! Thank you, PerfectCamp! I LOVE this site! You will find me on several other camping sites but the design, format, functionality, and personality of this the best. It’s fresh and clean.
@Wondering - Oregon
Wow! Woke up this morning to a notification that a favorite had opened at Paulina, and when I went to check, it was there. This membership just paid for itself in the first 24 hours I owned it. Couldn't take the site it conflicted with a trip already set, but it truly was there. Thanks Tons.
map icon in the lower right corner.
Map Settings
Reset
 Satellite |
 Wildfires |
 National Forests |
 National Parks |
 Air Quality |
 BLM |
 OHV MVUM |
 Love's |
|
Dump Stations
|
Water
|
Propane
|
RV Parking
|
 Super Walmart |
 Cracker Barrel |
 Bass Pro Shops |
| Price*: |
| Length: |
| Amps: |
| Elev: | feet |
| Temp: | °F |
| Down: |
| Up: |
*Earn our Leave No Trace badge to see our free camping sites.
🎉 Earn +5 marshmallows for adding your first favorite.
Use your earned marshmallows to enter our monthly giveaways or to get a Pro Subscription.
Show your commitment in keeping our forests healthy and protecting our public lands by earning the Leave No Trace badge.