Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Karen on June 29, 2009 at 9:55pm

I love Sequoia and try to get back a couple times a year. Lodgepole is a great campground right next to a creek with a natural rock water pool to keep cool. However, the sites are super close together without privacy since you're in a National Park. But Lodgepole offers a lot of amenities like a camp store, showers, laundry, ice cream and premade sandwiches, souveniers, etc. When we do camp there, we try to stay in campsites 96 - 105 area as it's right along the creek and has a bit more privacy than others.

The other great campground is Stony Creek and it's in Sequoia National Forest, so you end up with a lot more campsite for your money. They have showers available about a mile away and a small camp store and laundry at the same location Stony Creek Market, oh, and they offer gas for your car. The campsite are right along Stony Creek, which is small, but it's nice to hear the water and keep your feet cool.

These are the first two I would recommend. Dorst is great too, but again, you are close to other campers since you're in the National Park. Dorst is the campground we were in when a bear walked right behind our chairs and sniffed our bear box... then he wandered over to the next campsite. We heard and saw bears in this campground more than in any others. So if an encounter with wildlife is what you're looking for, camp here :).

For an evening view of bears, take a slow drive to Crescent Meadow and take a walk around Meadow Loop. You're sure to see bears along this drive or in the meadow. We have seen them every time we go. We ususally head out after 5:00 or ideally 6:30ish.

Sequoia park is one of my favorite places. It's not nearly as crowded as Yosemite and when hiking, sometimes you feel like you're out there all alone. I hope to retire here one day.

See you around the campfire!
Karen

Permalink Reply by Sandra on June 30, 2009 at 7:27pm

For a hiking trail, try the trail to Tokopah Falls. The trailhead is right in the campground near the bridge and is appropriate for kids -- not a difficult trail. I would also recommend Lodgepole, at least for your first time, because of its proximity to a great store and museum/book store.

Permalink Reply by Carmen Payne on July 1, 2009 at 2:11pm

Thanks so much. Im looking up the info now. I'll let you know where decide to camp. :-)

Karen said:

I love Sequoia and try to get back a couple times a year. Lodgepole is a great campground right next to a creek with a natural rock water pool to keep cool. However, the sites are super close together without privacy since you're in a National Park. But Lodgepole offers a lot of amenities like a camp store, showers, laundry, ice cream and premade sandwiches, souveniers, etc. When we do camp there, we try to stay in campsites 96 - 105 area as it's right along the creek and has a bit more privacy than others.

The other great campground is Stony Creek and it's in Sequoia National Forest, so you end up with a lot more campsite for your money. They have showers available about a mile away and a small camp store and laundry at the same location Stony Creek Market, oh, and they offer gas for your car. The campsite are right along Stony Creek, which is small, but it's nice to hear the water and keep your feet cool.

These are the first two I would recommend. Dorst is great too, but again, you are close to other campers since you're in the National Park. Dorst is the campground we were in when a bear walked right behind our chairs and sniffed our bear box... then he wandered over to the next campsite. We heard and saw bears in this campground more than in any others. So if an encounter with wildlife is what you're looking for, camp here :).

For an evening view of bears, take a slow drive to Crescent Meadow and take a walk around Meadow Loop. You're sure to see bears along this drive or in the meadow. We have seen them every time we go. We ususally head out after 5:00 or ideally 6:30ish.

Sequoia park is one of my favorite places. It's not nearly as crowded as Yosemite and when hiking, sometimes you feel like you're out there all alone. I hope to retire here one day.

See you around the campfire!
Karen

Permalink Reply by Webfoot on July 3, 2009 at 1:06pm

My favorite campground is actually in the Grant Grove area called Azalea. First come first serve, but it rarely fills up. Nice sized spots with plenty of room to move around without feeling like you're right on top of the next camper.

Permalink Reply by Carmen Payne on August 2, 2009 at 12:55pm

Hi Everyone! Well we returned from the Sequoias. Thanks so much for your input we had a wonderful time! We ended up camping at Crystal Springs which is really, really close to the big Sequioias that everyone is there to see. I took the boys on a short easy 5 mile rt hike from Big Meadows Trailhead up to Weaver Lake. Pretty easy terrain and well marked so it was perfect for my 8 year old. Its a great place and cant wait to go back and see more of the mountain and do some backpacking there.

So Crystal Springs was a nice place. $18 per night, bathrooms are close to camp. For showers you have to drive over to another cabin area that has public showers for $1. It was close so not bad but take plenty of quarters because the local shops will not give change.

Permalink Reply by Sandra on September 9, 2009 at 6:52pm

Good to know about Crystal Springs. Glad you all had a great campout!

Carmen Payne said:

Hi Everyone! Well we returned from the Sequoias. Thanks so much for your input we had a wonderful time! We ended up camping at Crystal Springs which is really, really close to the big Sequioias that everyone is there to see. I took the boys on a short easy 5 mile rt hike from Big Meadows Trailhead up to Weaver Lake. Pretty easy terrain and well marked so it was perfect for my 8 year old. Its a great place and cant wait to go back and see more of the mountain and do some backpacking there.

So Crystal Springs was a nice place. $18 per night, bathrooms are close to camp. For showers you have to drive over to another cabin area that has public showers for $1. It was close so not bad but take plenty of quarters because the local shops will not give change.

Permalink Reply by Sandra on October 3, 2009 at 3:18pm

Just got back from Sequoia this past weekend. Besides the Tokopah trail hike, there's a hike to Twin Lakes, which is basically a full day hike there and back, with some spare time at the lake for fishing. Lots of fish, too! The hike is moderate, in places a bit strenuous.

Permalink Reply by Carol Skalsky on October 23, 2009 at 6:57pm

I didn't like lodgepole and our first and only experience was not good. We set up tent and all, and went for a hike at Crescent Meadow. When we came back, they had emptied our bearbox and confiscated our stuff, and rented our spot to someone else, even though our tent was still there! Good thing we had our receipt to prove we had paid, and the other people had to move. the site was also extremely rocky and cramped.

We stayed at Dorst also, which was pretty, but lots of bear activity. The deer however, were also plentiful and fun to watch.

We've also stayed another time at Azalea campground in King's Canyon. Our particular site was really pretty. So far, Azalea is best.

Permalink Reply by Katie Squire on November 1, 2009 at 10:01am

I realize that it is late for this year, but here are two other locations that I have visited. Last year our scout troop drove to Cedar Grove and camped for a weekend. It was a wonderful adventure and since we were late season visitors the views were beautiful. From our campsite we drove to the end of the road and took a great hike following the river. There are a wide variety of hikes that can be taken in the area.

This September we ventured to Mineral King. Friday night we set up a base camp at Cold Springs Campground and then on Saturday part of the troop backpacked into the Golden Trout Wilderness for an overnight adventure. The balance of the group stayed at Cold Springs and we walked the Cold Springs nature trail. We had expected there to be few visitors, that late in the season, but were wrong. We ended up having to use the walk-in campsites. Not really a problem except the crew staying at camp had planned on dutch oven cooking. We certainly worked up an appetite. The road into this area is long and windy, but the vistas are certainly worth the time.