OutReserve

Headquarters

Headquarters view
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS

About Headquarters

Headquarters Campground is situated along the Kern River, 6 miles north of the town of Kernville. Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities.

Number of accommodations: 40

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Open year round

This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.

365 Days

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

40 Sites Available

Site
Price
002, Loop: Yurt
6 guests · Campfire
Price not available
🚐 003, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
004, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 005, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
006, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
007, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
008, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 009, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
010, Loop: C
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
011, Loop: C
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 012, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 013, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
014, Loop: C
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 015, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 016, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 017, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 018, Loop: C
No Hookups
Price not available
019, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 020, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 021, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 022, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 023, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
024, Loop: A
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 025, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 026, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 027, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 028, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 029, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 030, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
031, Loop: Yurt
6 guests · Campfire
Price not available
🚐 032, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 033, Loop: A
No Hookups
Price not available
035, Loop: B
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 036, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 037, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 038, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
039, Loop: B
10 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
042, Loop: B
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 043, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 044, Loop: B
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (531)

What Guests Are Saying

Headquarters Campground boasts a fantastic location next to the river, providing a beautiful and peaceful setting for campers. Visitors praised the cleanliness of the facilities and the friendliness of the camp hosts, who were helpful and accommodating. While some mentioned minor issues, such as closed restrooms and the need for trash cans, the overall experience was positive, with many expressing intentions to return.

Review Summary

4.2
531 reviews
5
56.3%
299
4
23.0%
122
3
10.9%
58
2
5.3%
28
1
4.5%
24

Brian K

Verified

July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 007, Loop: A

5

Excellent site and campground

Kayla W

Verified

July 12, 2021 Stayed at: 019, Loop: A

4

So much fun. The only recommendation I have is to clean the bathrooms more regularly like you all were doing during COVID =). They were really smelly while we were there this time

Kayla W

Verified

July 12, 2021 Stayed at: 019, Loop: A

4

So much fun. The only recommendation I have is to clean the bathrooms more regularly like you all were doing during COVID =). They were really smelly while we were there this time

sasha v

Verified

July 9, 2021 Stayed at: 024, Loop: A

5

.

Rogelia Z

Verified

July 9, 2021 Stayed at: 006, Loop: A

5

The new host at the headquarters camp site was nice and approachable.

sasha v

Verified

July 9, 2021 Stayed at: 024, Loop: A

5

.

Rogelia Z

Verified

July 9, 2021 Stayed at: 006, Loop: A

5

The new host at the headquarters camp site was nice and approachable.

MARISSA I

Verified

July 8, 2021 Stayed at: 019, Loop: A

2

This spot is right at the t-intersection of that roundabout. It's a large spot and It's a shame that they have a 2 tent limit because our entire group (4 tents) could have stayed in the one spot. We had to rent a second spot because of this policy.

However, despite our best planning and picking a spot we thought would avoid this, we could smell the toilet. There wasn't enough blue stuff so instead of smelling chemicals we were subjected to the worst possible odor.

The toilets were disgusting. It smelled so bad. And what we had to look at was stomach-turning. Assuming that the toilets should be serviced every day as the chart in there indicated, it was not being done. Toilet paper wasn't being replaced, there was poop on the floor and the wall. By the end of our stay, there was toilet paper and beer bottles strewn about; not just down inside the toilet but in the bathroom where the camp host could easily have picked them up.

Are there budget issues with the supplier of the blue stuff? Is it really this much of a problem to adequately provide the one amenity offered? We will never return to this campground.

I have pictures, of the glass bottles in the bathrooms, the poop on the wall and the dusty chart that served only as decoration. If someone contacts me to ask for them, I'll know you're taking my review seriously.

This camping experience makes us want to try the private campgrounds. It's unfortunate, because we always buy an annual pass to support the parks.

MARISSA I

Verified

July 8, 2021 Stayed at: 008, Loop: A

2

This spot is closer to the road than their map indicates; which is pretty loud during the day. And even though there's less traffic at night, the large trucks will wake you as they go by. The spot was decent all by itself. We did have a slanted table. We had to prop our stove up with a cutting board so pans wouldn't slide off.

However, the worst parts were that there were no showers. That's on us, we should have checked - we just assumed they'd have them.

But worst of all, there wasn't enough blue stuff in the toilets and it made a decent camp trip into one where we DREADED having to answer the call of nature.

The toilets were disgusting. It smelled so bad. And what we had to look at was stomach-turning. Assuming that the toilets should be serviced every day as the chart in there indicated, it was not being done. Toilet paper wasn't being replaced, there was poop on the floor and the wall. By the end of our stay, there was toilet paper and beer bottles strewn about; not just down inside the toilet but in the bathroom where the camp host could easily have picked them up.

MARISSA I

Verified

July 8, 2021 Stayed at: 019, Loop: A

2

This spot is right at the t-intersection of that roundabout. It's a large spot and It's a shame that they have a 2 tent limit because our entire group (4 tents) could have stayed in the one spot. We had to rent a second spot because of this policy.

However, despite our best planning and picking a spot we thought would avoid this, we could smell the toilet. There wasn't enough blue stuff so instead of smelling chemicals we were subjected to the worst possible odor.

The toilets were disgusting. It smelled so bad. And what we had to look at was stomach-turning. Assuming that the toilets should be serviced every day as the chart in there indicated, it was not being done. Toilet paper wasn't being replaced, there was poop on the floor and the wall. By the end of our stay, there was toilet paper and beer bottles strewn about; not just down inside the toilet but in the bathroom where the camp host could easily have picked them up.

Are there budget issues with the supplier of the blue stuff? Is it really this much of a problem to adequately provide the one amenity offered? We will never return to this campground.

I have pictures, of the glass bottles in the bathrooms, the poop on the wall and the dusty chart that served only as decoration. If someone contacts me to ask for them, I'll know you're taking my review seriously.

This camping experience makes us want to try the private campgrounds. It's unfortunate, because we always buy an annual pass to support the parks.

Location Headquarters

Address:
Po Box 1640
Kernville, CA, 93238
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 35.7963 / -118.45

Elevation: 850 feet

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: June 4, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service