Belknap Campground

This campground is not closed. It's normally open from the middle of May to the middle of October. I am the camp host for this summer season and am doing my best to make campers feel welcome here.This is situated in a Sequoia grove, with a creek running thru it and a river next to it. There are 4 hiking trails close by. The campground is a mile from Camp Nelson. Two small grocery stores and two restaurant/bars are near. Residents are quite friendly and helpful. No cell service so it takes maps to find anything up here. Most importantly, the temperatures tend to be 20° cooler than in the valleys below.

We loved this campsite! The sites are well-spaced, the campground is clean, and quiet (We reserved #9 & #10). The creek that flows through the campground is ice-cold, and makes for a beautiful hike (My husband even caught a small trout)! The bathrooms were kept relatively clean for pit toilets, and clean water is provided from a spigot (to rinse dirty dishes, or kids!). There is a super convenient little general store in Camp Nelson, which is the closest town. Just a beautiful place, with Sequoias sprinkled throughout! You will wake up every morning, glad you're there. The camp host (I believe his name is Dan), was super chill and very helpful when we asked about local sights, and hikes. The only con right now is the fire restriction in effect for the whole area, so that means NO campfires (I got a Campfire Permit beforehand, which is required, but was not inspected).It's a very shady campground during the day, and it gets pretty chilly at night, not to mention very dark. Just make sure you have a propane stove/grill/firepit, and some lanterns/headlamps/flashlights you'll be good to go! *Trail of 100 Giants is a must see, though it's a 22 mile winding drive from the campground*

Belknap Campground is absolutely gorgeous! It is filled with beautiful tall trees along with a few stunning sequoia trees! Our site was right next to the camp host, usually we don't care for that but this time it was completely different. Dan is the coolest and most easy going camp host I've ever met! He's very informative and has all kind of cool tips! He made our stay so comfortable and safe. We will most definitely be back and we plan to stay much longer to fully enjoy this little gem! Thank you Dan for being so attentive and for being so genuine with us!

As of 6/29/17 this campground is open. Beautiful site nestled in belknap sequoia grove. Huge trees throughout the campsite with a creek that flows through and nearby tule river which is easily accessible from a couple hiking trails nearby. Camp host was pleasant and overall the sites were clean. Vault toilet and water faucets throughout the site. FYI, no cellular reception in or around this area for miles.

I can't tell you how much I love this area. First time back in 25 years and I wasn't disappointed at all. It's so incredibly beautiful, and I won't be so long between my next visit.We stayed at site #13 and arrived with the sun setting quickly. The camp host was very friendly, answered our questions we had about the hours of the local markets. We bought nice bundles of wood from him at $7 each. We were able to make that last for two modest morning and evening fires. The campsite was GORGEOUS. We were so excited to get a spot right on the river. The site was fairly clean, a few bottle caps here and there, it could have been swept up a bit, but it was no trouble to pick up the few things that others had left. There is a water spigot next to our site which made things a whole lot easier for us. The bathrooms are a short walk up, standard pit toilets. It totally grosses me out so I try not to go unless I really have to, but they were clean for what they were and it's the end of May and still pretty cold so there weren't a whole lot of flies. There are no showers at this campsite.Bring headlamps! We were there during the week so there were only a few of us in the campground so it was VERY DARK. The Nelson General Store down the road has basic supplies, MUCH nicer than the Pierpoint store. If you absolutely need to shop on the way up to camp, I recommend hitting the Vallarta in Porterville on the way up. There isn't much past that. There are NO BEAR LOCKERS. Be prepared to store your food in your car or in a tree. No bears had been spotted yet this season and nobody seemed concerned. But I have seen bears in this area. And I have seen them destroy cabins looking for food. It's best not to take chances. I debated writing this review because this place is so incredibly beautiful. I wasn't sure if I wanted to share the secret!

This campground is located 5,000 feet high in the mountains of Sequoia National Park. The drive is long and windy and scary at night. We arrived to the camp site after dark so I would recommend NOT doing this! We arrived and it was painfully dark. There was a man sitting in an illuminated screened tent with a desk, computer, etc. He seemed jovial however not interested much in welcoming us. He didnt check us in. I asked him if there was a barroom near by ( it was so dark) and he said "yup" and went about his business. I said "great, soooo can you tell me where?" and he pointed off into the darkness. I said " over there?" and pointed into the dark. He sighed, picked up a flashlight and pointed it to a shed.The bathroom. Oh. My. God. Know, I know that camping is "roughin it" but good grief. The room was Swarming with flies! Open he toilet lid....hundreds of flies fly out. Imagine sitting on the toilet...having flies land all over your body. It was the single worst camping / bathroom experience ever. Truly scarring.However, past all of this, lively fun atmosphere. Camp fires, people, fun. Large trees, a babbling river near by. A fun, atmosphere...not for anyone looking for a quiet place to rest.

The Belknap Campground is an awesome place to camp. The host, Dan, is friendly, helpful, and full of knowledge about the area. The site is well-maintained and has easy access to several trails and spots of interest.

This campground is a jewel! Our camp host Dan is incredibly awesome, informative, and so very accommodating. Cleanest vault toilet I've ever had the pleasure to use. My dog had so much fun swimming, my boyfriend had so much fun fishing for trout, and I had so much fun taking scenic pictures. Many trail hikes to venture, wished we could stay another day! Thank you Dan for making our stay comfortable. Highly recommend.

We loved our visit and the campground was well groomed and ready for us. The place was really clean and I loved listening to the creek running through; slept better than I have in years. The bathrooms are kept clean and painted. Really loved the area, beautiful sequoia and redwoods. Dan (there are 2 Dans, we met the summer Dan) keeps everything tidy (extremely) and shipshape. The flies don't bite, and the bees normally are present at every campsite in CA that I've been to. They don't usually bother you, they just want your food.

This campground was absolutely perfect for what my boyfriend and I were looking for. It was very quiet, not packed (for a weekend!), and beautiful. We had site #14 which I think is probably the best site- right next to the river and secluded from other camp sites. There were a lot of bees present, and I, being allergic to bees, was a little nervous, but they didn't bother us. We made a day trip to the Sequoia National Park which took about 3 hours but was worth it to see the General Sherman Tree. I will recommend this campground to anyone and will definitely be here again soon!