0
Pull-thru
USFSSequoia National Forest · California
Headquarters
Overview Headquarters Campground is situated along the Kern River, 6 miles north of the town of Kernville.
Sites4240 reservable
Elev.2,792ft
Comf.Jan-Dec10 months
Max rig30 ft
Electricnonesites
From Fresno2h52real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 2,792 ft, Headquarters has a 10-month comfortable window (Jan-Dec). Winter nights average around 39°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 42 sites total: 40 reservable and 2 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 2 peaks.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jan-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
98%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Mar 24
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 25.
71°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Fresno
129 mi
2h52
02
Los Angeles
157 mi
3h29
03
San Diego
293 mi
6h31
04
Sacramento
332 mi
7h23
05
San Francisco
336 mi
7h28
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 5.9 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 42 SITES
Color byShow only
39 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
1
Accessible
0
Prime
42
Sites
★ The standout
Site 012
C.
To neighbor
98 ft
Max rig
30 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
18
Peaks
2
Water & Access
To nearest major road
5.9 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.