Potwisha Campground

Perfect location and a short walk to the river. Clean flush toilet. A short drive to Sequoia trees and Moro Rock. Some sites are not level and lots of shrub. But there are beautiful sites we saw and will book next time. Yes, coming back. The children enjoyed this campground.

Camped here a few nights during 4th July week and like other reviewers said, this campground is at least 10-15c hotter than at higher elevation at lodgepole. We had a trailer at site 23 and an RV at site 22 close to the entrance. Site 22 is nice and shady but it barely fits our 24 ft camper. Site 23 gets a lot of sun, with shades closer to the trees. No firewood or charcoal allowed while we were there. These sites are close to the dumpster and we heard the garbage truck bright and early at 7am one day. The bathrooms were ok clean. There is an RV dump station across the road but someone cut off the hose connector, fortunately there is a faucet near the bathroom to fill water. Rangers came by every day and people were respectful. I would come to this site again but in the spring or fall in cooler weather. We left the day after July 4th and beware the line to get into the park from hwy 189 was miles long.

Wow, the campground was great, campsites spaced out. No guard on duty. Best you have reservations first. Location to Sequoia National Park not too far but the road is challenging to get here, a lot of curves. Maybe, one of my favorite CG. Just a beautiful area.

The campground itself is pretty cool, we reserved site #20 to be next to the Marble River. What’s not so cool is getting to your “reserved” site to find campers already in place using the site. We had to ask people to leave our site just as every other camper with reservations around us had to. If paying a fee to reserve a site, I’d expect someone to be enforcing it.

Good location, near the entrance and good start to the day to start driving up to Sherman tree and/ or Moro rock. Trail to see the waterfalls is right inside which is very convenient. Bathrooms are well kept and everyone was respectful of the campground rules. You can see the stars and moon at night so well. Very quiet and can hear the river behind you. I personally liked the lower campground number 23.

We have stayed at site 15 for two nights this past weekend. It didn’t feel private and the bees made it impossible to cook at the campsite. On positive note the campground is closed to all main Sequoias attractions.

Honestly this campground kinda sucks. Some sites are basically unusable as tent sites (site 7 & 8 barely have room for a 2 person tent!) and this campground won't cool down compared to others in the area due to its location. I would honestly try to go to any other site in the park.

Camped at site #22. Pretty secluded camp site next to the creek. Wasn’t too close to the other campsites. We tent camped and still had a huge amount of space. Stayed for one night mid Oct ‘24 and there were no campfires allowed which was a bummer. Wasn’t too cold either since we’re at the base of sequoia. Only ever seen a park ranger once when we were packing up to leave. Bathrooms were well maintained and had soap and toilet paper always on deck. Bear lockers were exceptionally large. Its our first time camping in bear territory and we were kind of nervous we wouldn’t be able to fit all our things. It fit our 65 qt and 48 qt cooler + 22 inch black stone with extra room to spare for all our other scented items.

The campground has a great location at the bottom of the mountains near a creek and Marble Falls trailhead. There are actually two restrooms, though one is hidden. No showers but there are dish washing stations at each restrooms. No water faucets except at the restrooms. Bring bug spray as there were a good number of mosquitoes in May 2024. Larger number sites are closer to the loud but pretty creek while lower number sites are quieter and on higher ground.

Potwisha Campground is probably the worst place I've ever camped at. During the summer months, temperatures can get into the 100s with virtually no shade at some of the campsites. There are flies everywhere, making it a very uncomfortable/unsanitary experience if you're trying to eat or cook. Worst of all, Potwisha seems to attract the most ill-informed and disrespectful campers. You know the type: 1. People who don't respect the quiet hours of 10pm to 6am. On our first night, we had no choice but to listen to a man and a woman having a loud conversation/heated debate with each other for an hour with no regard for the people sleeping around them. The following evening, at 11:30pm, we heard a blood-curdling scream come from the same direction because a woman saw a spider in her tent. I heard several attempts to shush them, but the boisterousness continued into the night. 2. People who think it's cool to blast music wherever they go. We had to endure the sounds of rap music every morning as some person passed by our tent to use the restroom. To me, nature is about tranquility, and I don't understand why you would bring a portable speaker to a national park. At least leave the damned speaker in your own campsite. Talk about trashy. 3. People who walk straight through your campsite to get to the restrooms. The road exists for a reason. Our private space is not your shortcut. 4. People who litter. Perhaps my biggest pet peeve. Sequoia is bear territory, and there are signs posted ALL OVER THE PLACE warning you not to leave food/scented items lying around. When we arrived, we saw an army of squirrels raiding our neighbor's campsite because they left an open bag of trash on the ground. As a result, OUR OWN campsite was overrun with squirrels, who, according to the rangers, are infected with rabies. The following day, the same group of people left another bag of trash on the ground, attracting even more squirrels. The camp host wasn't there at all during our visit. The rangers tried to enforce things when they made their rounds, but it wasn't enough to control the surge of bad behavior. This place is still a one-hour drive from (and 4000 ft below) the best parts of Sequoia anyway, so I would suggest booking one of the better campsites up the mountain instead of this dump.

Ya know, nah? Just wasn't great. A lot of people, flies, sort of clean restrooms. Didn't love it, but would stay again in a pinch.

I'm not an expert camper by any means, but this wasn't an awesome campground, imo. Perhaps 3.5 stars at best. While the bathrooms were fairly clean & conveniently located in relation to our site, there weren't too many other pluses. We went in September. The campground was pretty dry and nothing too exciting to look at by any means. No showers (which is common, of course), and tonnnns of bees. We literally couldn't cook or eat because of it. Someone set up a tent pretty dang close to ours, and we could hear them coughing all night because it was soo close. Lots of fat, cute little squirrels, though, which was the highlight. :P Elevation is pretty low, so no fires when it's warmer. I saw a lot of the different campgrounds and I'd definitely try another one if I get the chance to go again. Overall, it was fine, but really just that - fine.

The park itself is amazing but there are few things that I didn't know until I arrived in the park. This review might help you save some time. 1. No shower in the park 2. They don't sell firewoods in the park, but you can buy them in the nearest gas station. (15min. away). I think I spent $23 for 3 small bundle. You are allowed to pick up woods from fallen trees but note that you need a good size axe. 3. Most of the campsites are too close to each other. The best sites are sites 20,18, and 14. 4. The main attraction in the Potwisha campground is the Marble Fork, 3.9 steep hike to get there. Make sure to bring lots of water and wear a good hiking boots. 5. No phone signal (common thing). 6. Some rangers are helpful and some are not too patient on giving directions. 7.Fill up your tank no gas station in the higher elevation.

I have no idea why this place has such low stars!! I loved it the staff was amazing and helpful especially Nancy and her husband they made my Mother's Day very special! It is a small quiet and clean campground, I'm an avid camper and I've been to some crappy campsites this one is by far my fave. I will go back over and over again!

I stayed here in April 2012 after looking for a lower elevation campsite to stay at and absolutely adored Potwisha. Per Lauren T's review, I wanted to stay at site 23 and it was a very good choice. Being the first site on the campgrounds, I only had one neighbor on one side and open ground on my other, with the Kaweah river running peacefully behind me. The campgrounds were clean and nicely maintained. The park rangers were also very friendly and had lots of great recommendations for hikes to go on, etc. There is also a great little walk across the street from the campgrounds that will take you to the river, a cool old bridge, some Native American drawings, etc. I am looking forward to my next stay here again this spring. Since it is lower elevation, there are no big sequoias in the area, just lots of nice oak trees. That's the only reason I don't give it 5 stars. Other than that, I highly recommend it for a wonderful relaxing time!

We recently stayed at potwisha for three days and it was amazing. Went during spring first week of April and seen seven deer sleeping in the camp ground it was amazing. Didn't see any bears or other animals. The weather was perfect and surrounding neighbors were friendly. The bathrooms were super clean. We stopped at another campground I think buck eye flats and the bathrooms where disgusting. I will for sure stay here again.

If you're like me, your well into your 20's and haven't been to Sequoia National Park to visit it's infinite beauty. I was super eager to go camping this weekend with some friends and we stayed at the Potwisha campground. Pros: Spacious Bathrooms Bear lockers (to store your food) Great weather! Friendly rangers Cons: Quiet time is at 10 p.m. First campsite in the park so its really low (but that's why the weather was so good) This was a great camp ground to get the camping experience without feeling like you need to get back to civilization to shower. The drive up into the park was beautiful and scenic, took about 30-40 minutes to get really into it but the temperature drops about 20 degrees that high up.

Excellent cg. Pick a site next to Kawaeh river on outer edge if possible. Great sites. Plenty spread out. Dont go in Summer if can help it but sure its decent then too. We went in late Jan- was ideal. Hike to nearby falls is worth it too if you dont mind a little exercise.. giant forest is a drive up the mtn/ not too far..

We had reservations to camp at Lodgepole but there was too much snow there so we were moved down to Potwisha. The gatekeeper ranger was so clueless about the situation and even though we gave him our printed confirmations for Lodgepole, he kept insisting on seeing something with our credit card number on it to make sure we paid for it. Newsflash: confirmation emails are sent only if you PAY!! ugh. Then, he assigned us to sites that were already taken so we had to drive around to see where else we can stay. We finally settled on two sites, side by side. The campground is small but nice. You can walk to the river which is cool. The restrooms were clean as well but there are no showers here! The park ranger definitely had his eye on us because he kept stopping by and bothering us throughout the weekend! He stopped by our site SEVERAL times the first night when it was not even close to quiet time (he stopped by starting from around 6pm-9pm) and asked us to keep it down! There were crying babies and kids screaming and we didn't see him pick on anyone else but us! We did have a group of 11 but we were very respectful and under control so it was really irritating that he kept telling us to keep it down. The next night, he came by at 8pm telling us that if we're not "actively eating", then we need to put all food and drinks away. We were all still eating and trying to enjoy ourselves. All in all, the bad experience came from not the campsite itself but the staff. Not sure I would ever go back. I'd rather wait a few more weeks for Lodgepole to get warmer.

I was so disappointed in this campground. The sites were covered in brush and not well kept. We could not eat outside without swarms of bees surrounding us. The bathrooms were disgusting, as many campers were taking baths in the sinks. Many sites had way more than the max 6 people per site making the place very crowded. And to top it off, being new to the park, I had a few questions and the rangers couldn't answer any of them! You would think they would know basic info about the park. They also said they had no way of controlling how many people slept at each site. I thought a national park would be better kept than a state park, guess that's not the case here.

From the reviews I found on yelp, I expected this campground to be less than awesome. But I was pleasantly surprised. We visited in early March and it was beautiful. The mountain views and the rolling hills can't be beat. The campground was full of lush, verdant grass and the trees were just starting to leaf out. The campground was clean, including the bathrooms. If you want a shady site, try to book around the perimeter, I can see how some of the sites near the middle could be rougher in the summer. Also, if you're concerned about noisy neighbors, book a site by the river. We didn't hear any of our neighbors over the sound of the river. I definitely recommend this campground- it made our winter/spring visit to sequoia even better!

This campsite was not as bad as I expected with the other reviews. My group had campsites 18 and 19. 18 was a lot bigger with space compared to 19. 18 was closer to the river and on the edge of the campground, so maybe that's why it was more spacious. I think the cleanliness of your campsite depends on the previous campers. We didn't notice anyone regulating the campground, but there was a park ranger that came by to tell us he was doing a talk on owls. The bathrooms were fairly clean and I noticed that the soap was refilled on Sunday morning. There is probably someone doing maintenance so the bathrooms are not dirty and are stocked with toilet paper. There are also a few trails you can access within walking distance of the campground. The river runs right through and there's a nice trail across the street to get to the bottom of the river. Also, sleeping next to the river just sounds like a 24/7 air conditioning system blowing.

My friends and I camped at Potwisha in April 2004 and again in April 2009. It's a great place, especially in the spring when the weather is nice and it's less crowded. Its a small campground, only 40 or so sites, quiet and spacious. Try to get a site that is along the edge because they are much larger. Site 23 in particular is awesome, a very short walk from the river. There is also another site on the other side of the grounds that features a gigantic rock which can fit at least 10 people hanging out on top of it. Potwisha is also close to some really great hikes. Speaking of hikes, the last time we were here I had a dehydration/recreational drug induced freak-out while on a hike and the rangers were really cool about it. They made sure I was ok and were really understanding when I'm sure they could have been dicks and reprimanded me or involved the authorities. Yeah...no more wacky snacks for me.

Wow I really was expecting the worst after reading all these negative yelp reviews prior to going and was pleasantly surprised. I stayed in campsite 18 which is right along the river. Others mentioned that there was no shade in this campsite, however, we pitched our tent right under a large oak tree and hung a hammock in the shade without feeling like we were encroaching on someone else's campsite. I was surprised at how quiet the campground was. All the neighboring campsites were either small parties or far enough away that we didn't hear them over the roaring river below. A group of four next to us was questionably attempting to hack down a tree with an ax in their campsite and the host immediately scolded the individual and took care of the situation which was good to see. A garbage truck came early Friday morning which was annoying but obviously it has to be done at some point, that isn't really the campground's fault. Also, the lack of bugs was shocking! We weren't bothered by bees or mosquitoes, just some annoying flies. The only major "con" is that it is a long drive up to the main part of the park, however, it was a beautiful drive and still nothing to really complain about. I would not camp at this campground in July - August when it is really hot in the foothills, but in the beginning of June the weather was perfect. Highly recommend!

Potwisha SUCKS. Such a sad excuse of a sequoia campground. Don't listen to the Rangers at the gate if they say you can't go up to another campground, you can! Just don't waste any time at potwisha!

I very much enjoyed my time here. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The Good: -Large camp sites -Close to the river -Clean bathrooms -Very friendly staff -It's in the Sequoia national park ($20 per vehicle for a week btw) which has amazing hikes and things to see and do. The Bad: -It is not very elevated so it is warmer and no fires when it is a fire-danger time -There are no Sequoia trees at this campground but it is a short drive away Good/Bad? -The river is loud. For me, it is actually relaxing and it cancels people's noise. But if you don't like loud water sound, you may not like it. And btw, most sites will not be affected by the dump site across the street. It's not at all like being close to a dumpster or anything.

Stayed here at the end of July, 2013. Due to a very dry year, the river flow was pretty low and there were fire restrictions in place. We knew the elevation going in, but keep it in mind if you're new to the area. It's hot in the summer. Fortunately, the river is within walking distance. There are spots where people congregate to swim and play, but you can find quieter spots, too. Campsites that back up to the river are the best. Otherwise, sites are very close to each other. The good - flush toilets and a wash sink for your dishes. Most sites have shade (you'll need it). Less than an hour drive to the Sequoias, Morro Rock and the General Sherman tree. Rangers are helpful, and the price is right. The bad - many of the people here are not your typical camping/outdoors crowd. Loud music at 6:00 AM, loud conversation until well after 10:30, people walking through your campsite! I saw one guy who brought his full-size propane grill (the kind you keep on your patio). There's supposed to be a limit of six people per campsite, but that definitely wasn't enforced. Also, the garbage truck comes every day around 6-6:30 AM, so you are going to be up whether or not you want to. We wanted to get into Buckeye Flat, but it was full. We took a drive through and found that the sites are even closer to each other, but there are no RV's. It's also 800 feet higher and has more shade. I'd go there if I had to pick between the two.

very spacious campsites around the outer ring. flush toilets clean and power outlet in restroom.

What a joke, yeah let's stay at the first campsite in Sequoia at 2500ft where there are no Sequoias and it's hotter than Palm Desert. Oh yeah there's a dump site across the street, so you get to hear dump trucks beeping in reverse picking up dumpsters. Awesome. Did I even leave the city?

Beware fifth wheel height , length and width restrictions not posted. Many trailers had trouble fitting into the shots. Low limbs and turning radius restricted by rocks close to pavement. What a nightmare.