Headquarters view
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS
HEADQUARTERS

Featured amenities

Picnic Table Picnic Table
Restrooms Restrooms
Fire Pit Fire Pit

Available sites

40 total sites

About Headquarters

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

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

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Picnic Table Picnic Table
Restrooms Restrooms
Fire Pit Fire Pit
Site Setup and Access

Site Setup and Access

  • ADA Accessible
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
  • Restrooms
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Picnic Table
  • BBQ
  • Fire Pit
Missing information?

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 Yurt
6 guests · Campfire
🚐 003, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 004, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 005, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 006, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 007, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 008, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 009, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 010, Loop: C Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 011, Loop: C Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 012, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 013, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 014, Loop: C Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 015, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 016, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 017, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 018, Loop: C RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 019, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 020, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 021, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 022, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 023, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 024, Loop: A Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 025, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 026, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 027, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 028, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 029, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 030, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
✨ 031, Loop: Yurt Yurt
6 guests · Campfire
🚐 032, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 033, Loop: A RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 035, Loop: B Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 036, Loop: B RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 037, Loop: B RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 038, Loop: B RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 039, Loop: B Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 042, Loop: B Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 043, Loop: B RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 044, Loop: B RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In

Reviews (576)

What Guests Are Saying

Headquarters Campground offers a charming and family-friendly atmosphere, with clean facilities and attentive hosts, particularly Candace, who enhances the camping experience. Many families cherish their time here, enjoying the beautiful river access and the peaceful surroundings. While there are some concerns about water quality and restroom conditions, overall, visitors appreciate the campground's beauty and are eager to return.

Review Summary

4.2
576 reviews
5
57.6%
332
4
21.7%
125
3
10.8%
62
2
5.6%
32
1
4.3%
25

jesus c

Verified

May 19, 2026 • Stayed at: 025, Loop: A

5

Great location. Right next to the river which cools off the area a little bit. Will definitely be back.

Jennifer L

Verified

May 22, 2026 • Stayed at: 033, Loop: A

5

Really pretty campground with lots of access to the Kern River and a short drive to Kernville, Many people and families fishing. Excellent welcoming hosts helpful and they keep the entire campground very clean. There is a lot of sun so you may want to bring a canopy or shelter.

Taylor C

Verified

May 27, 2026 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: A

2

I’m someone who uses the satellite to pick a site and this site was way too close to the road for our family with little kids. Another site was basically where our site is on the website map. We spend a lot of time at the site so I’m very careful when choosing and I was disappointed. Otherwise the Kern River area is a blast. Loved the Trail of 100 Giants.

Elia S

Verified

May 30, 2026 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: C

5

I like to come here at least once a year i love how the river is so close and its pet friendly!

Dean M

Verified

June 5, 2026 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: C

5

Dean M

Verified

June 5, 2026 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: C

5

Dean M

Verified

June 5, 2026 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: C

5

Mark A

Verified

June 7, 2026 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: B

5

Camp hosts were awesome. Beautiful campground next to a small quite river off shoot from the main kern. Quiet at night and fell asleep to sounds of the river.

Mallory K

Verified

June 19, 2026 • Stayed at: 022, Loop: A

5

Great campsite, can't wait to come back again!

Alyson Z

Verified

June 20, 2026 • Stayed at: 011, Loop: C

2

A lot to complain about but will narrow it down to a few points. There was a lot of feces (I apologize for the details but it looked too large and familiar to be from an animal) and trash strewn about and around our site (bottle caps/tabs especially). The smell from the bathroom hit our campsite hard during intermittent breezes. There was very little shade at our site (my fault for not considering that when selecting). Most importantly we didn’t receive any notification or communication there was a fire restriction (we called a little less than a week before to verify) until we got there and had already purchased firewood and food that required it to be prepared. The ranger told us when we arrived (perhaps seeing all of our charcoal etc) that it had been put in place on Wednesday (we arrived on Friday). Despite the disappointment we obeyed and respected this but were really angry to find that several of the campers around us blatantly defied it…with huge charcoal fires…and absolutely no enforcement or oversight (the only time we ever saw management was to tell us about the fire restriction during the day and giving us a hard time about parking slightly off the asphalt. No one was doing rounds or monitoring after sunset). After the trip, I received an email with this information from res.gov, days after it had occurred and our trip was over. All around frustrating and disappointing trip. We’ve camped here numerous times over the last few years and have always enjoyed our time at the river. But this will be our last in terms of camping.

Location & Directions for Headquarters

Po Box 1640, Kernville, CA 93238 United States

Elevation: 850 ft

Nearest town

Kernville, CA - 3.9 mi

About 8 min to downtown

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 20, 2026

Message us

Need help?

Our team is here to help you find the perfect spot for your next adventure.

Message us

Replies within minutes

Explore Kernville, CA

Population: 857

Nearby larger city

Porterville, CA

Approx. 37 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 2,661 ft

USDA Forest Service Logo
Managed by the USDA Forest Service