Lakeview Motel
Private Campgrounds and Resorts
& Members of the Kern River Valley Chamber
*Note: The US Forest Service contracts with the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company (soon to be branded as ExploreUS,) to manage their developed campgrounds. Visitors will see camp hosts and staff wearing green shirts with the RMRC logo. Questions about fees and payments should be directed to the camp hosts directly.
There are many private residences and cabins available for rent in the Kern River Valley through websites such as AirBnB and VRBO. The KRV Chamber of Commerce does not have an affiliation with any of these providers and cannot currently provide recommendations or advise.
Be sure to plan ahead. Many of our local campgrounds, both private and public, fill up many months in advance for major summer holiday weekends.
Recreation.gov also does NOT provide information about designated wilderness areas, such as the Domeland Wilderness in the Kern Plateau, the Golden Trout Wilderness, and many other areas favored by backpackers and boondockers.
For information about wilderness areas, trails, and the many interesting places to explore in and around the Kern River Valley, visitors are highly encouraged to visit the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce offices during regular business hours, and/or visit the Kern River Valley Ranger District offices or Kernville Chamber of Commerce in Kernville.
AirBNB and VRBO
Dispersed Camping (Boondocking)
Opportunities for dispersed camping, also known as Dispersed Camping, abounds in the Kern River Valley and surrounding area.
Some favored locations around Lake Isabella include Stein Point, Rabbit Island, South Fork Wilderness, and many others.
Still others prefer the more desert-like environments on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. These can include areas along the foothills of the Piute mountains, or in the neighboring Bright Star Wilderness, Kiava Wilderness, or Chimney Creek Recreation Area.
Backpacking - Remote Camping
If you are the type of camper who lives for those days when you can venture away from your car or RV and pitch a tent or "cowboy camp" under a seemingly endless canopy of stars, then you will find endless opportunities to do so in the Kern River Valley area.
Whether it's hiking and camping in remote areas like the Kern Plateau (nicknamed Little Yosemite by some,) and its Golden Trout Wilderness, campgrounds in the Greenhorn Mountain Range like Evans Flat campground
In fact, the Kern River Valley area has a rich history that includes real cowboys driving cattle high into the local ranges and doing exactly that, "cowboy camping." Hey, where do you think that term came from?! Some of those traditions are still alive and well today.
TO BE CONTINUED... (This section still under construction.)
The Public lands and campgrounds in the Kern River Valley are managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Reservations for all US Forest Service Campgrounds* are available through Recreation.gov.
Recreation.gov allows you to search a map of developed campgrounds, filter your search by amenities, such as available RV spaces, and reserve camp sites.

Recreation.gov, however, does NOT show first-come-first-served campgrounds, such as the Auxiliary Dam campground (a favorite RV destination among many,) or other lakeside undeveloped camping areas such as Stine Point, South Fork Wilderness Area, and many others.
Public Campgrounds

