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    Lake Isabella / Kern River KOA

    3.5 (97 reviews)

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    Andria C.

    Stopped here on our way to Kern. Clean campground, clean restrooms with showers. Pool was a good size and not too crowded. They had a bar connected to the camp store where you could get some food. Pizza was good and the service was great. The campers followed quiet hours and it was so nice and peaceful at night. We will definitely stop here again in the future.

    Enjoying the front patio
    Joanne P.

    This was my first ever experience staying at a KOA property. Being from San Diego, yes, I'm aware that there are locations closer to where we live. But, I wanted to venture away from home. To explore some mountains and new sights. I did my research for this property and noticed pets are ONLY allowed in standard cabins (no bathrooms inside cabins). I even called to verify if there are certain breeds not allowed. From my understanding- no specific breeds are prohibited. But, dogs must be on a leash at all times and attended. Owners must pick up after their dogs as well. There's a dog area at the far right corner - but, we didn't utilize it. Just have your own poo bags handy. There's a small fee/ dog. I think it was $10/ day? We had two of our English bulldogs- and basically, this getaway was meant for them. Since our visit was at the tail end of winter- the pool, jacuzzi, splash pad, movie screen on the green wasn't in effect. Please note, in the standard cabin- there are no TVs inside- and I'm pretty sure the same goes for the deluxe cabins. You can go on the KOAs website for the property and view the floor plans for lodging. We enjoyed a two bedroom cabin. The front room had the queen bed, desk/ chair, coat hooks, mirrors, bench, and small shelf. Three windows. I let hubby have this bed because he sleeps with the chubby bulldog. So, I had the second room. Two sets of bunk beds, desk/ chair, bench, window, and the air/ heating units. I sleep with the not so chubby bulldog- he just likes to hog everything. With that being said- it was a tight fit for me and Bronx to sleep on a twin mattress- the first night. The second night- I just removed one of the mattresses from the bunk- plopped it on the floor. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING YOUR OWN LINENS!! And it just worked out! Each bedroom had 4 electrical outlets too. WiFi is very strong- at least in our cabin- 47. It was a good sized porch out front. Porch swing on one side and a bench on the other. Our dogs were tethered. A full size lunch bench/ table and a fire pit is set up at every cabin/ rv/ tent site. With more additional picnic sites on the property. Right next to the office/ store/ pub- there's the Kamping Kitchen. There are 3 stations of stove burners/ sinks. If you look close enough- there's a microwave. This area is well lit all night. I was pretty impressed at how clean and spacious the women's bathroom facilities are. On our day of checkout- we left a few hours before the office opened. And we just dropped our cabin key in the gold mail slot at the office door. One mile away is the James Sierra Gateway Market & Gas station. There is also a VONS 10 miles past this.

    No poop bags means poop isn't going to get picked up.
    Rob V.

    Let me start by saying Stephanie and Sierra are the best. They were such amazing hosts and very helpful. The pizza pub has delicious food and beer. The campground in general looks shabby. The cabins look wonderful. But the individual sites and the area around the sites aren't attractive. The whole place is dirt. Dirt roads and dirt camp sites. This creates a lot of dust and dirt on everything. The electricity and water worked well, but drinking the water is not recommended due to high nitrate levels. The swimming pool area is tidy, nice, and the water is a cool temperature, which I like, but the water is foggy. The hosts tell me this is because of the chlorine they use. The men's bathroom/showers are being renovated, so that was a bit of a headache, but kudos for making improvements. It advertises a dog area, there is, but it looks like no one cleans it, or cares for it, EVER! I picked up A LOT of dried out poop before I allowed my dogs in. The roads and campsites had bits of garbage all over the place. I cleaned about a dozen plastic water bottle caps from my site. These might sound like nitpicking, but the little things make a big difference. The many trees in the campground are beautiful. The dead or broken trees and stumps need to be replaced because it adds to the shabby look. Big, beautiful shade trees are much appreciated during the hot hot summer time. Right next door, on the other side of a chain-link fence, it looks like there's a junk yard. This adds to the shabby look. And takes away from the natural beauty surrounding the place. Maybe put up a non transparent fence or wall to help improve. Finally, the campsites are packed tight like sardines. You are so close to the people in the next campsite that there is no privacy. Although, you do get to eavesdrop on some interesting conversations. I will not be staying here again, but I will stop in to the pizza pub for the food and to chitchat with Stephanie and Sierra again.

    Jamie S.

    We just stayed here over the weekend, and though it was quite a drive for us, we really enjoyed it. Among the KOAs we have been in California, this has been the nicest we've stayed in so far for its location. The one thing that stands out to me was the customer service. The Cushmans (the owners I believe) are so extremely customer-oriented. I had a couple of things that needed to sort out about our reservations and they were very quick to respond. We also had very troublesome neighbors at T27 and when I emailed them about it, they were apologetic and sought to find resolution. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: 1.We really enjoyed the fact that we had such a huge tent site. We were able to fit three tents for five adults, and still have a lot of space. If you could, try to get T26 site. It also had a good amount of shade, so our area didn't get hot. 2. Somehow, you will be awakened by loud bird noises. I have no idea what they are, but during the weekend I have been awakened at 5:30 am every time. It's almost as if all the birds are in sync to wake up everyone. BRING EAR PLUGS! lol We will definitely come back the next time we want to explore Kern River

    Tara W.

    Wow, what a fun few days!!! The world is shut down and we were able to come up here and use a full hookup social distance site. We can't wait to come back when the whole site is open. The time here was so sweet and peaceful. We were so grateful for the site host who took great care of us!! Mike was so attentive and was doing a one man show taking care of the site all by himself. We were just grateful to have the opportunity to get to get away. He said the owners just love this place and can't wait till they get to get it completely open again!!!

    LA R.

    I camped here by myself, and felt comfortable and at home. I loved the pool, and the hosts were very nice. The cowboy decor is great and the location is ideal, whether you are on a roadtrip or coming to the area to see the lake/ river/ sequoias

    This was our first camping experience and it was enjoyable.

    This was our first camping experience in our new travel trailer and was enjoyable. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The staff was friendly as well. We met three very nice couples- one was from a small island off Aruba, another was from the San Fernando Valley and the third was from central California. We learned that we needed to do a better job of organizing things we won't use all the time to make room for things we will use more often. It was a great learning experience for our first time camping.

    a lot of stars and a beautiful wooden house

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Lake Isabella / Kern River KOA

    Are there electrical outlets in standard cabins?

    Yes

    Do only locals go here to use the pool?

    I doubt it as everyone gets a wristband upon check-in. You need the wristband to swim in the pool.

    How close is the KIA from lake Isabella?

    The KOA, teehee, is about 3 miles from the lake. The lake is pretty sad looking these days though. It's VERY LOW. :(

    Any good hiking trails nearby the campsite?

    There might be, but I didn't investigate as it was in the 90's and 100'sF. Not good hiking weather.

    Are the dry tent near the river or is it pretty distant?

    The river is no where near this campground. To get to the river we traveled about 20 minutes into Kernville.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Lake Isabella / Kern River KOA

    Since our visit was at the tail end of winter- the pool, jacuzzi, splash pad, movie screen on the green wasn't in effect.

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

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    Camp Kernville

    Camp Kernville

    4.1(192 reviews)
    8.4 mi
    Family-owned & operated
    Discounts available

    We have stayed at Rivernook in the past which is a great RV site also. We decided to try Camp…read moreKernville this year and we were glad we did. The beach was great and the water is much more common in that area so the kids were able to jump into the water and really enjoy the river. The staff was really friendly and the sites, bathrooms, and entire property was well maintained. Definitely going to be our spot from now on.

    Im really sad to write this review. This is my third review, please look for the first two reviews…read moreto show a pattern. We love Camp Kernville, and look forward to our annual trip for Memorial Day Weekend. We have been coming every Memorial Weekend for several years, along with many other campers. Sadly, we did not rebook for next year. We love this campground for lots of reasons, but I refuse to pay over $700 for a weekend of camping. We used to pay about $280ish for the same campsite. While the prices go up, services go down. They claim full hook ups, but there is no water hookup. Water lines were damaged during a major flood. After the flood, they took the opportunity to evict the permanent residents and instead of working to fix the water lines, they blame the city and put that money into rearranging the campsites to make them smaller so they can have more sites. Now you have to drag a hose across the campground every day to fill your fresh tank. No wifi. No laundry room. Don't get me started on the 13 pages of rules and expectations they make you sign at check in. They implemented a wrist band program where ONLY the front office can put the wrist bands on, and they are put on tightly to make sure they aren't removed to sneak visitors in...because also, now they do not allow visitors. My awning would not retract, so I went to the office to ask about borrowing a ladder and I was told I can go to the store and buy a ladder. Don't get me started on Kareoke night. Saturday night we had to listen to hours of kids screaming in a microphone till almost 10pm. Only a couple adults participated and ofcourse the owner was the main star in kareoke night. They put large white canopies at every site and anchored them down with large cinder blocks. A random kid ran through our campsite (during karaoke) and kicked the Cinderella block, tripped and fell into the rocks. The canopies look nice in photos, but in real life, they generate lots of heat and are very uncomfortable to sit under, not to mention the ridiculous way they are installed. While the campground claims to make "improvements" to the property, they increase the rates every time, funding the owners desires while reducing the amenities offered. This place went from being completely booked solid for Memorial weekend, but now they offer discounts to try and fill spots for the weekend. This campground has been in the same family for over 30 years. While I support rate increases to help pay for improvements, over $700 is ridiculous for what they offer. If you book a weekend and rent one of the on site trailers, it will now cost you over $1,800. If you rent one of the remodeled "cabins", up to $400 a night with 4 night minimum. Other campgrounds in the area might be close in price, but they only have a 3 night minimum The ONLY claim to fame here is the location on the river, and "your base camp for outdoor adventures," which you cant afford to so because you just spent $700 on the campsite and $300 is gas. My family is truly sad and disheartened to not be returning, but enough is enough....fairwell Camp Kernville, thanks for the memories.

    Photos
    Camp Kernville - 3rd Annual Family & Friends Trip.  Thanks Camp Kernville for an AMAZING Time!!

    3rd Annual Family & Friends Trip. Thanks Camp Kernville for an AMAZING Time!!

    Camp Kernville - The office

    The office

    Camp Kernville

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    Rivernook Campground - Big daddy rapid... I think

    Rivernook Campground

    3.7(280 reviews)
    8.8 mi

    Just went this past weekend with the wife for the first time. Her and I both agree that this was…read morewell worth the trip and we will be back again. TLDR; Great time, nice campsites, friendly staff, clean bathroom and showers Check in is at 3pm but we got caught up in some traffic on the way there and couldn't arrive until 6:45. Got an email and text message with a picture of where our envelope with our information would be that contained the gate code, campsite, and a map of the campground. Very nice. We pulled in and as I was grabbing the envelope a man named Scot who was working there greeted me and asked if I needed any help. Told him that it's our first time here and he offered to show us to our campsite and lead us in his golf cart. When we pulled into the campsite it was clean and the ground was even raked! Which was perfect for us to immediately start setting up our tent. Even the fire pit was raked and clean, there was shade galore which my wife with sensitive skin greatly appreciated. Full cell service with T-Mobile Noticed that the bench at our site could use some TLC, looked like someone put too hot of a pot on it and burned a pretty decent divot into it and it was leaning. Still useable and not a deal breaker for us. There were 2 water spouts to fill up the bucket we used to put out our fire and clean our dishes very close by our site with good pressure. The river was a stones throw away from our campsite which provided great white noise to fall asleep to. One of the rules is that Quiet time is at 10pm. I've been camping elsewhere with the same rule but never have I've seen it enforced unless you call and complain. Staff would drive by around 9:30 on the golf cart, I assume to see who is still playing music, and then again at 10. Which was great. They didn't announce the rule or even say anything as they drove by, but just making their presence known was very professional and reassuring. Since we didn't get to check in properly we had to go back up to the main office/ general store to submit a registration card, that was in the envelope I picked up, to finish checking in. The woman checking us in was nice, friendly, quick, and efficient. She suggested we stop by McNally's further up about 40min drive if we were looking for something to do or eat. 11/10 suggestion. It was all n all a great time. We will be back. Worth the money.

    It was an amazing place to stay at Kern River was so awesome (check out Big Daddy, it's so…read morebeautiful). The customer service was okay. I personally felt that they were treating my group and I like we were stupid or something. We had a big wasp problem at our campsite and though they did help us by putting up a trap, they acted like it was completely up to us to fix their problem. That only happened one night but the wasps did resurface the next morning so we left as soon as possible. We also had a big skunk problem at our site. We couldn't relax at the campfire because the skunks would come up to us every couple of minutes and we would have to shoo them away. They would also rummage through our stuff which was covered and put away to our best extent. They thankfully didn't mess with the tent but they did spray a bit when we were trying to sleep. This was both nights. If you're someone who is willing to look past that and persevere definitely try this place it is so worth it. I would maybe come back, as long as I wouldn't have to deal with the wasps again lol. I will say the restrooms and showers were very clean so that does encourage me to not be shy on coming back.

    Photos
    Rivernook Campground - Shore

    Shore

    Rivernook Campground - Dusk

    Dusk

    Rivernook Campground

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    Lake Isabella / Kern River KOA - campgrounds - Updated June 2026

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