Any Kings Canyon or Sequoia CG Recommendations?

[SCMatthew]

Hello All
We are hoping to go camping in Kings Canyon next month.
Any favorite first come-first serve camp sights? Looks like the reservations are all full.
Thank you!

[bemerritt]

I am heading up into the Sequoia NF next weekend and would love to hear some as well.

My plan is to head to lower peppermint dispersed campground and use that as a starting point to head up the river and find some dirt roads that hopefully lead to a good spot. Upper Peppermint is the backup backup spot that seems like there should be no problem finding a spot there.

[ryanweaselsmom]

We went camping near Kings Canyon, in the Sequoia NF last year on Labor Day weekend and found some really cool, free dispersed camping spots. We set up camp in one area where we only saw a couple of passing cars and felt like we had a patch of the forest all to ourselves. We were able to let our dogs off leash and our kids ran amok. It was amazing. We also found out that on Labor Day they have an open house at Buck Rock Fire Lookout, which was pretty close to our campsite and it was a great event to attend. We found out about the dispersed campsites by asking the rangers at the visitor center and they gave us a dispersed camping map. We also got a really cool, free camping map from another ranger station in the area, that shows all the backroads. I will try to look up the exact info and post again here. There are definitely spots available if you don't mind boondocking and they are pretty awesome. Much better than camping in developed campgrounds with a few hundred other people in an area that looks like a refugee camp with clothes on makeshift clotheslines all over the place and lots of noise. I'm thinking about possibly heading out this weekend and exploring some dirtroads along a local river and maybe even a swimming hole. Still doing my research and open to any suggestions, LOL.

[ryanweaselsmom]

Okay, I have a map called "Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument," which is available at the ranger station. The ISBN is 978159351509-6 and it was printed in 2011. The place where we camped was east of the Grant Grove Visitor Center and the King Canyon Overlook, off of General's Highway. We were close to Horse Camp and Buck Rock. There is a lot of dispersed camping available in that area and it's beautiful. Some areas are a little more crowded than others. But you should be able to find lots of dispersed camping in that area, even on Labor Day weekend and even a more secluded site. For the Buck Rock Lookout open house, check out their flyer at: http://www.buckrock.org/Labor%20Day%...0pdf%20(1).pdf. Good luck and have a great time!

[ryanweaselsmom]

Bemerritt are there good river access spots by the lower peppermint dispersed campground?

[86Scotty]

Don't pass Princess CG on the way in without checking for availability! It's one of my favorite campgrounds in the nation. Amazing nature walk just next to it too with lots of cool logging history.