RON S
VerifiedAugust 14, 2022 Stayed at: 038, Loop: B
Bathrooms were consisently out of toilet paper. Several of the bathrooms had broken locks.
Helpful
No sites found matching your criteria.
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Site Details
Select a site to view details
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
209 reviews
Fairview Campground offers a beautiful setting next to the Kern River, with clean facilities and friendly camp hosts. Many campers enjoyed the spacious sites and proximity to fishing and swimming, as well as the convenience of nearby amenities like McNally's restaurant. While some noted issues with noise and wasps, overall experiences were positive, with many guests planning to return.
Based on guest feedback
4.2
Based on 209 reviews
Showing 208 reviews
August 14, 2022 Stayed at: 038, Loop: B
Bathrooms were consisently out of toilet paper. Several of the bathrooms had broken locks.
Helpful
August 8, 2022 Stayed at: 035, Loop: C
Trash on the ground, the restrooms stinking to our campsite, not much of a shade. The good thing was a bistro and a store in a very close proximity of the campground. And the river.
Helpful
July 25, 2022 Stayed at: 017, Loop: C
No review
Helpful
July 18, 2022 Stayed at: 012, Loop: A
Loved how close this was to the river! The site was huge. But---- there were boulders EVERYWHERE. Not a single way through camp without a rock in your path.
Helpful
July 16, 2022 Stayed at: 015, Loop: A
We had an issue with our big tent not fitting but we made it work. But overall it was fun and relaxing also, air Jets kept flying by.
Helpful
July 10, 2022 Stayed at: 025, Loop: C
Very popular spot in the summer. Great location next to the river and a food stand and market. Really cool spot.
Helpful
July 6, 2022 Stayed at: 022, Loop: C
we arrived on a Sunday. The camp hosts were accommodating and the river was nice. However, the campsite and surrounding area was very trashy and other campers were riding their E-bikes through out campsite. One of the riders wiped out. ouch! The place is pretty thrashed. the bathrooms are beat up and the door handle barely worked on one of the heads and i thought i might get stuck inside. Dreadful!
Fishing was OK, but water warms up during the day so you should only fish during cooler hours. Give a hoot!
Swimming and floating is nice. took me about an hour to clean up trash around the river and our campsite/surrounding sites. should have done it at the beginning of stay rather than at end. I would have been less bummed!
Like i said, Give a hoot!
Helpful
June 29, 2022 Stayed at: 016, Loop: A
Fairview campground nestled along side the Kern River is probably one of the best campsites down this highway where each and every river spot gives you full access to the rivers beauty. The campsite is very well-maintained and it is such a relief that they also have bathrooms that are fully enclosed. They were clean and stocked with toilet paper however depending on the time of year and how many campers are visiting them I will always recommend you bring your own TP just in case. The camp host was very friendly and accommodating and I will be glad to visit again in the near future. One of the best things about this site is up near the road there is a small convenience store where you can stock up on ice or fishing supplies or even food in the event you forgot to pack some thing. The river is beautiful and refreshing and I did not see neglect or litter anywhere around the campsite . You can tell most of the campers that visit his location are very careful to leave no trace. I absolutely loved it and me and my family were able to create new and long lasting memories at this beautiful campsite. For activities it is great for fishing, swimming and really just enjoying the peace and quiet .
Helpful
June 28, 2022 Stayed at: 011, Loop: A
Clean campground (including toilets), helpful host, large sites.
Helpful
June 27, 2022 Stayed at: 013, Loop: A
We arrived to Fairview Camp to see that our riverfront site 13 was curved and heavily lined with very large boulders. This made it nearly impossible to park our 25 ft trailer and still be able to open a door. It was a site I had booked months in advance. On the Rec.gov website, it says the site accommodates a 30 ft trailer. So, I figured we were all good. We tried four times to get our RV in the spot. We even did it in 4 wheel drive because we had to go over a pile of rocks with the truck to try to get the RV in. An excellent driver may have been able to do it. But, I think the average driver would not. We definitely didn't want to damage our tow vehicle for it. We would have settled to not be able to open the one RV slide-out as long as we could have opened a door with out hitting a boulder. But, no luck on either. Fortunately, the camp hosts had a large spot they were able to offer us. Not on the river - but we were happy to have had the place to park and the help. Please, REC.GOV, re-evaluate where you put boulders and how you "sell" sites. Boulder lining the driveways is unnecessary and the hazard too costly for anyone to have to handle. If you are afraid we are going to park too many vehicles there, come around and tell us or charge us or whatever you must do. We had one trailer and one truck, again, under the size limit. I don't know what we would have done without that backup spot that was available. It appeared all the campgrounds were full and we had driven five hours from home. We are thankful to the camp hosts for being there and helping us get a new spot. We would return now that we have a good idea what the issue is there. I would like to book with more confidence for the other Kern River REC.Gov Campgrounds. Here's a Youtube video I found showing sites at Headquarters camp. It's not ideal to gage feasibility from these pics. But, it may help some people have a better idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP3d3Wv3UJo
Helpful
Po Box 1640, Kernville, CA 93238 United States
Elevation: 1,086 ft
Off of Highway 99 in Bakersfield, California, take Highway 178 east to Lake Isabella.
From Lake Isabella take Highway 155 around the west side of the lake to
the town of Kernville. From Kernville go north on Sierra Way/Mountain 99 for
16 mi to ...
Off of Highway 99 in Bakersfield, California, take Highway 178 east to Lake Isabella.
From Lake Isabella take Highway 155 around the west side of the lake to
the town of Kernville. From Kernville go north on Sierra Way/Mountain 99 for
16 mi to the campground.
Fairview Campground is accessible via Highway 99 and Highway 178. From Highway 99 in Bakersfield, travel east on Highway 178 to reach Lake Isabella, then take Highway 155 around the lake to Kernville.
The closest entrance is: Ash Mountain Entrance Station
Approximate drive: 52.5 mi · over 1 hr (90 min)
Last updated: November 3, 2026