RV Parks In Three Rivers, California

For full hookups and big-rig room, the private foothill parks lead: Sequoia RV Ranch has riverside full-hookup sites eight miles from the park entrance and stays open year-round, Three Rivers Hideaway is the closest full-hookup base to the entrance, and Lemon Cove Village RV Park sits in the orange groves near Lake Kaweah. For public, no-hookup camping, Potwisha Campground inside the park (24-foot limit) and the Army Corps Horse Creek Campground on Lake Kaweah are the picks. Most RVers base in Three Rivers and day-trip into Sequoia by car.

Usually not the whole way. The National Park Service advises that vehicles over 22 feet not drive the steep Generals Highway between Potwisha and Giant Forest, and over 24 feet not go past the Foothills Visitor Center. That means most motorhomes and trailers cannot reach the General Sherman Tree or Giant Forest. The standard plan is to park your rig at a Three Rivers campground and drive into the park in a car, a towed vehicle, or a rental. Smaller in-limit rigs can make the climb, but the switchbacks are slow and the lots fill early.

The private parks do. Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, and Lemon Cove Village RV Park all offer full-hookup sites with 30 and 50 amp service and space for big rigs, and several stay open year-round. The public campgrounds do not: Potwisha and Lodgepole inside Sequoia National Park and Horse Creek on Lake Kaweah are no-hookup sites with dump stations, so you run on your own power and water and dump at a shared station. If you want full hookups and a big-rig pull-through, book one of the private Three Rivers parks.

Public no-hookup sites at the NPS campgrounds and the Army Corps Horse Creek run roughly $22 to $32 a night, plus the Sequoia park entrance fee, making them cheap but bare-bones. The private full-hookup parks in and around Three Rivers generally run $45 to $70-plus a night, with riverfront and premium pull-through sites at the top and weekly discounts available. For most big-rig travelers the private parks are the practical choice and worth the premium, since they are the only spots that fit a long rig with sewer and power and sit on an easy road to the park.

For the in-park NPS sites in summer, several months. Potwisha and Lodgepole on Recreation.gov fill quickly for summer and holiday weekends, as does the Army Corps Horse Creek on Lake Kaweah. The private Three Rivers parks are easier but still book up in peak season and on holidays, so reserve early for any summer weekend. Spring and fall are far more relaxed, and the off-season can even offer first-come availability at some foothills sites. As a rule, lock in summer dates as soon as the booking windows open.

Spring is our top pick. The Kaweah River runs high and loud, the foothills bloom with wildflowers and green grass, the waterfalls are at full force, and the brutal summer heat has not arrived. Fall is a close second, mild and quiet with warm days and cool nights. Summer is the busiest and hottest, with foothill temperatures in the high 90s to triple digits, though the high country around the big trees stays cool. Winter is peaceful and green in the foothills, with snow up top requiring chains and closing some high campgrounds.

Yes, in the private foothill parks. Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, and Lemon Cove Village all have full-hookup sites and room to maneuver 40-foot rigs. What a big rig cannot do is drive up into the park, since the Generals Highway is not advised for rigs over 22 feet past Potwisha. So the big-rig plan is firm: base in Three Rivers with full hookups, then tour Sequoia by car. Inside the park, only Potwisha (24-foot limit) is reachable by a moderately sized rig, and Lodgepole, while it fits 40-footers, sits beyond that steep, discouraged climb.

Yes. Potwisha Campground sits just inside the Ash Mountain entrance along the Kaweah River, with about 42 no-hookup sites, a 24-foot RV limit, flush toilets, and a dump station, reservable on Recreation.gov in peak season. Higher up near Giant Forest, Lodgepole is a large no-hookup campground that fits rigs to 40 feet at the sites, but reaching it means the steep Generals Highway the Park Service discourages for big rigs. Both are scenic and central but bare-bones. For full hookups you stay in Three Rivers; for in-park no-hookup camping, Potwisha is the realistic choice.

Yes. Lake Kaweah, the reservoir on CA-198 between Lemon Cove and Three Rivers, has the Army Corps of Engineers Horse Creek Campground with lakeside no-hookup sites, a dump station, and flush toilets, reserved on Recreation.gov. It is a good base for boating, fishing, and swimming and sits about 15 to 20 minutes from the park entrance. Water levels and season affect availability, so check before you go, especially in late summer when the reservoir can draw down. For full hookups, the nearby private parks in Lemon Cove and Three Rivers are the better bet, with the lake as a day-use stop.

Quite a lot, especially in the foothills. The Kaweah River right in town has swimming holes, fly fishing, and spring whitewater rafting; Lake Kaweah offers boating, fishing, and swimming a few minutes west. Three Rivers itself has a small arts scene, galleries, and good local eateries. Inside the park beyond Giant Forest, Moro Rock’s staircase, Crystal Cave tours, and Tunnel Log are highlights, and the Mineral King road (for small vehicles) reaches stunning high country in late summer. Spring wildflower drives through the foothills are a local favorite that asks nothing more than a car and a camera.

The foothills stay open while the high country closes. The private parks (Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, Lemon Cove Village) generally operate year-round, and Potwisha inside the park stays open too, since the foothills rarely get snow. Up the mountain, Lodgepole and the other high-elevation campgrounds close for winter, and the Generals Highway requires chains and can close in storms. So winter camping here means basing in the mild, green foothills and driving up for snowplay among the big trees when the road is open. Always carry chains and check road status before heading up.

Because the public campgrounds inside Sequoia and on Lake Kaweah have no sewer hookups, both the NPS sites and the Army Corps Horse Creek provide dump stations you use during or after your stay. The private Three Rivers parks include full hookups at the site, so you dump and fill directly there. If you are staying somewhere without a dump or just passing through on CA-198, see our companion guide to RV dump stations in Three Rivers for the nearest public and commercial options, including locations, hours, and any fees, so you can plan tank stops around your park day trips.

For full hookups and big-rig room, the private foothill parks lead: Sequoia RV Ranch has riverside full-hookup sites eight miles from the park entrance and stays open year-round, Three Rivers Hideaway is the closest full-hookup base to the entrance, and Lemon Cove Village RV Park sits in the orange groves near Lake Kaweah. For public, no-hookup camping, Potwisha Campground inside the park (24-foot limit) and the Army Corps Horse Creek Campground on Lake Kaweah are the picks. Most RVers base in Three Rivers and day-trip into Sequoia by car.

Usually not the whole way. The National Park Service advises that vehicles over 22 feet not drive the steep Generals Highway between Potwisha and Giant Forest, and over 24 feet not go past the Foothills Visitor Center. That means most motorhomes and trailers cannot reach the General Sherman Tree or Giant Forest. The standard plan is to park your rig at a Three Rivers campground and drive into the park in a car, a towed vehicle, or a rental. Smaller in-limit rigs can make the climb, but the switchbacks are slow and the lots fill early.

The private parks do. Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, and Lemon Cove Village RV Park all offer full-hookup sites with 30 and 50 amp service and space for big rigs, and several stay open year-round. The public campgrounds do not: Potwisha and Lodgepole inside Sequoia National Park and Horse Creek on Lake Kaweah are no-hookup sites with dump stations, so you run on your own power and water and dump at a shared station. If you want full hookups and a big-rig pull-through, book one of the private Three Rivers parks.

Public no-hookup sites at the NPS campgrounds and the Army Corps Horse Creek run roughly $22 to $32 a night, plus the Sequoia park entrance fee, making them cheap but bare-bones. The private full-hookup parks in and around Three Rivers generally run $45 to $70-plus a night, with riverfront and premium pull-through sites at the top and weekly discounts available. For most big-rig travelers the private parks are the practical choice and worth the premium, since they are the only spots that fit a long rig with sewer and power and sit on an easy road to the park.

For the in-park NPS sites in summer, several months. Potwisha and Lodgepole on Recreation.gov fill quickly for summer and holiday weekends, as does the Army Corps Horse Creek on Lake Kaweah. The private Three Rivers parks are easier but still book up in peak season and on holidays, so reserve early for any summer weekend. Spring and fall are far more relaxed, and the off-season can even offer first-come availability at some foothills sites. As a rule, lock in summer dates as soon as the booking windows open.

Spring is our top pick. The Kaweah River runs high and loud, the foothills bloom with wildflowers and green grass, the waterfalls are at full force, and the brutal summer heat has not arrived. Fall is a close second, mild and quiet with warm days and cool nights. Summer is the busiest and hottest, with foothill temperatures in the high 90s to triple digits, though the high country around the big trees stays cool. Winter is peaceful and green in the foothills, with snow up top requiring chains and closing some high campgrounds.

Yes, in the private foothill parks. Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, and Lemon Cove Village all have full-hookup sites and room to maneuver 40-foot rigs. What a big rig cannot do is drive up into the park, since the Generals Highway is not advised for rigs over 22 feet past Potwisha. So the big-rig plan is firm: base in Three Rivers with full hookups, then tour Sequoia by car. Inside the park, only Potwisha (24-foot limit) is reachable by a moderately sized rig, and Lodgepole, while it fits 40-footers, sits beyond that steep, discouraged climb.

Yes. Potwisha Campground sits just inside the Ash Mountain entrance along the Kaweah River, with about 42 no-hookup sites, a 24-foot RV limit, flush toilets, and a dump station, reservable on Recreation.gov in peak season. Higher up near Giant Forest, Lodgepole is a large no-hookup campground that fits rigs to 40 feet at the sites, but reaching it means the steep Generals Highway the Park Service discourages for big rigs. Both are scenic and central but bare-bones. For full hookups you stay in Three Rivers; for in-park no-hookup camping, Potwisha is the realistic choice.

Yes. Lake Kaweah, the reservoir on CA-198 between Lemon Cove and Three Rivers, has the Army Corps of Engineers Horse Creek Campground with lakeside no-hookup sites, a dump station, and flush toilets, reserved on Recreation.gov. It is a good base for boating, fishing, and swimming and sits about 15 to 20 minutes from the park entrance. Water levels and season affect availability, so check before you go, especially in late summer when the reservoir can draw down. For full hookups, the nearby private parks in Lemon Cove and Three Rivers are the better bet, with the lake as a day-use stop.

Quite a lot, especially in the foothills. The Kaweah River right in town has swimming holes, fly fishing, and spring whitewater rafting; Lake Kaweah offers boating, fishing, and swimming a few minutes west. Three Rivers itself has a small arts scene, galleries, and good local eateries. Inside the park beyond Giant Forest, Moro Rock’s staircase, Crystal Cave tours, and Tunnel Log are highlights, and the Mineral King road (for small vehicles) reaches stunning high country in late summer. Spring wildflower drives through the foothills are a local favorite that asks nothing more than a car and a camera.

The foothills stay open while the high country closes. The private parks (Sequoia RV Ranch, Three Rivers Hideaway, Lemon Cove Village) generally operate year-round, and Potwisha inside the park stays open too, since the foothills rarely get snow. Up the mountain, Lodgepole and the other high-elevation campgrounds close for winter, and the Generals Highway requires chains and can close in storms. So winter camping here means basing in the mild, green foothills and driving up for snowplay among the big trees when the road is open. Always carry chains and check road status before heading up.

Because the public campgrounds inside Sequoia and on Lake Kaweah have no sewer hookups, both the NPS sites and the Army Corps Horse Creek provide dump stations you use during or after your stay. The private Three Rivers parks include full hookups at the site, so you dump and fill directly there. If you are staying somewhere without a dump or just passing through on CA-198, see our companion guide to RV dump stations in Three Rivers for the nearest public and commercial options, including locations, hours, and any fees, so you can plan tank stops around your park day trips.

Yes — there are free RV waste disposal options available near Three Rivers.