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

Patrick S

Verified

February 22, 2021 Stayed at: 035, Loop: B

3

Very pretty campsite and area.

Garry C

Verified

February 9, 2021 Stayed at: 037, Loop: B

5

Headquarters was very quiet during my stay, so quiet I was the only camper on the B Loop. (Can't beat that!) My campsite was clean, near the water and provided everything I needed...I have to say, though, $30 a night is a little steep for a pit toilet.

Garry C

Verified

February 9, 2021 Stayed at: 037, Loop: B

5

Headquarters was very quiet during my stay, so quiet I was the only camper on the B Loop. (Can't beat that!) My campsite was clean, near the water and provided everything I needed...I have to say, though, $30 a night is a little steep for a pit toilet.

Jay K

Verified

February 7, 2021 Stayed at: 015, Loop: C

4

Quiet and clean, Good host

Jay K

Verified

February 7, 2021 Stayed at: 015, Loop: C

4

Quiet and clean, Good host

Robert C

Verified

December 14, 2020 Stayed at: 025, Loop: A

4

Nice campground. I went off season, so it wasn't crowded and was more enjoyable. Space tested my trailer parking ability a bit, but not too bad. River was very low due to lack of rainfall so trout bite was almost nonexistent; but good scenery and photo ops.

Robert C

Verified

December 14, 2020 Stayed at: 025, Loop: A

4

Nice campground. I went off season, so it wasn't crowded and was more enjoyable. Space tested my trailer parking ability a bit, but not too bad. River was very low due to lack of rainfall so trout bite was almost nonexistent; but good scenery and photo ops.

Ellen F

Verified

December 6, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: C

3

Campground is very close to the road, some sites back directly too the road without tree or anything to block road noise. Campground hosts did not seem to be around (or at least I never saw them) and there were some people playing loud music and running generators during quiet hours. The river is great though, really beautiful. There was trash around the river and campground.

Ellen F

Verified

December 6, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: C

3

Campground is very close to the road, some sites back directly too the road without tree or anything to block road noise. Campground hosts did not seem to be around (or at least I never saw them) and there were some people playing loud music and running generators during quiet hours. The river is great though, really beautiful. There was trash around the river and campground.

Tamara A

Verified

December 5, 2020 Stayed at: 015, Loop: C

4

We enjoyed our stay at Headquarters. Spent 2 nights during Thanksgiving weekend with our pups and a camper van. Campsite #15 was great, right on the river near a short trail that led you down to the water’s edge. Fortunately it wasn’t too crowded so we didn’t experience anyone walking through our site to access the trail, though I could see it being potentially annoying during the spring or summer months. Neighboring campers were very polite, I was also glad to see a few that wore masks. Unfortunately we did notice that was a bit of trash left over from previous guests, very frustrating seeing that there was a very large container at the entrance for everyone to offload their garbage. Bathroom was very clean, well stocked, and having access to water from the spigots was also helpful. We were relieved to find out that we could have campfires (according to the fs.usda.gov site it looked like there were restrictions in place), so on the second night we picked up some wood just up the road. Cell service was pretty much zero for us (T-Mobile), but being off grid was actually pretty nice. We would definitely return to Headquarters, though we’d like try out other sites and maybe a yurt or two.

Location Headquarters

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

Latitude & Longitude: 35.7963 / -118.45

Elevation: 850 feet

Nearby Campgrounds

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Last updated: June 3, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service