Bear Wallow Camping Area
Located along north side of the Kings River on a large sandy flat area. Take a day hike on the Bear Wallow trail located just west of the campground. Great place for camping in spring and fall. Very hot during summer months. Please pack out all garbage. No cell phone coverage in the area. Pay phone is available at Balch Camp.
More like this: first-come in California · free in California · tent only in California
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | No fee |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Season | Open all year |
| Forest | Sierra National Forest |
| Fees | No fee |
| Rules | Maximum stay = 14 days Maximum vehicle length = 25 foot Maximum group size = 50 per site When fire restrictions are in place, (usually during summer months) no campfires or charcoal fires are permitted. Camp stoves are permitted. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 36.8589° N, 119.0904° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedGrant Grove Fall Rx
10 mi from the campground · 466 acres
- PrescribedCy26 Snf Rx Support
24 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Shaver Lake Sports ↗ | 21.3 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 22 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 44.7 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Video of Bear Wallow Camping Area, CA from Cody E.
Worth a stop
- 1.3 miHermit's Hole Day Use Area ↗Day use
- 3.5 miKings River Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 7.6 miChicago Stump Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 9.1 miCherry Gap Ohv Staging Area ↗OHV / range
- 9.4 miMillwood Ohv Staging Area ↗OHV / range
- 10.9 miPowder Can Picnic Area ↗Day use
Show all 8Hide
- 11.1 miHume Lake Fishing Pier (North) ↗Fishing site
- 11.4 miHume Lake Fishing Pier (South) ↗Fishing site
Trails nearby
- 0.6 miBear Wallow ↗7.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.1 miRogers Ridge ↗5.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.5 miLake2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.7 miKings River NRT ↗6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
John Muir Wilderness begins about 0.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 0.7 miJohn Muir Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 652,903 acres
- 2 miSierra National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,418,790 acres
- 10.1 miSequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness ↗Wilderness · National Park Service · 768,222 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Gamlin CabinBuilding · Wilsonia · 10.1 mi
- Wilsonia Historic District (Additional Documentation)Historic district · Wilsonia, Kings Canyon National Park · 11.3 mi
- Dinkey Creek BridgeStructure · Dinkey Creek · 14.8 mi
Guidebooks for California
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Bear Wallow Camping Area?
No. Bear Wallow Camping Area is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Bear Wallow Camping Area?
Nothing. Bear Wallow Camping Area is listed as free. No fee
Source: Forest Service
Is Bear Wallow Camping Area open right now?
Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season Open all year.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Bear Wallow Camping Area?
Bear Wallow Camping Area is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Bear Wallow Camping Area is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Mill Flat Campground (0.4 mi, first-come), Green Cabin Flat Campground (0.7 mi, first-come), and Camp 4 Campground (0.9 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby