Sandy Flat Campground

I would give Sandy Flat a higher rating because the location was nice right along the river, however, we came on a weekend when a group was incredibly loud well beyond quiet hours. They were breaking all of the rules such as max people and cars per site and were spread out into the common areas of the camp ground. When the host came by to collect fees for an additional car, we brought up the amount of people at the other site and he said this particular group comes a few times a year and although upper management has even gotten involved, this group just won't follow any of the enforced policies. In addition they brought a full on PA system and were bumping house music well into midnight. They refused to turn their music off. At the end of the day, there were several groups of people breaking the various rules and it felt like the site host couldn't do much. Although I liked the grounds, we won't be returning.

Cute campground between Bakersfield & Lake Isabella. It definitely is sandy! Best part is being near the river. It's pretty fast & people go rafting down (I had no idea prior), so don't expect to be able to easily swim. However, there are so nice rocks to lay on with your feet or more in the river & some sandy areas to bring your chair. If you're looking for quiet I'd recommend to go on the weekdays because weekends can get pretty busy. Oh, and it's dry and windy (& hot)! So plan accordingly.

Went with a group of friends this past weekend. I haven't been to this campground in about 7 years, and it was even better than I remembered - largely due to the fact that our sites had some shade and we were better equipped with canopies etc. to keep cool. Kenny, the host, was so sweet! I saw him driving around a few times, and once before nightfall he made a round with firewood for sale. Bonfires are currently permitted, which I was equally as excited/surprised about! We were able to be cozy at night and cooked some smores for the full camping vibe. He also restocked the TP in the AM, but it did run out at night so be sure to bring a roll just in case. The bathrooms are just vaults, which I am terrified of - but I made do and that is no fault of his own. He did his best with maintenance, and overall the camp was tidy!I see the reviews complaining about loud music, large groups, barking dogs - etc. God forbid people take their dogs/children out camping on a weekend in summer! (eyeroll) This is definitely a family/group/fun campground.. if you want solitude then it's obvious that you should go deeper into the middle of nowhere. This camp is a mere 10 min drive from the Lake Isabella town, and just off the highway across the river.That being said, our neighbors across the street had a barking dog walking around the camps, and there were kids laughing and playing in the evening - but we didn't mind at all! Our neighbors played music, but it was at a decent level - I honestly couldn't even tell you what genre they were playing. We also played music, and no one in our immediate area seemed to be bothered it. We walked to the bathrooms down the way (a 20 second walk?) from our camp and couldn't hear ours or our neighbors anymore. Maybe we got lucky, but everyone was friendly and courteous. We even helped our "upstairs" neighbor (above us on the hill) with starting their fire. Overall a nice camping spirit at these sites.. it's summer and we were all there to have a good time!Another warning I hear a lot about is to stay out of the river. And this is mostly true - NO ONE should be "swimming" in the Kern. The water is high and dangerously quick right now. In fact, after our time in the water - we saw ambulances, fire trucks, sheriffs, and a rescue helicopter down at the other side of the campground. I looked it up yesterday and apparently someone went missing in the river from Sandy Flat. Please use extreme caution while in/near the Kern!I would not personally recommend this area as an option for families who want their kids to sit/play in the water. Our group was all adults, and we found a "beach" down a fairly steep hill were we could sit our chairs in the water and hang out. There was no other groups (not even one person) around us either day, which we were surprised about. Maybe there is another spot that gets more packed down the way - but not ours. All weekend we did not go in more than past our waist - which was about 6 feet TOPS from the shore. It was easy to see how just another 2 or 3 more feet out we could be easily swept away by the current. And as the sun fell it seemed to get stronger and closer to us.I got back yesterday and I haven't felt any mosquito bites. A few bees really wanted our pizza, and our camp also had huge red ants. But the bees went away when the pizza did.. and no one was bit by an ant and they most stayed on the floor. Common sense is to always wear shoes and keep your camp cleaned up to avoid pests - so that worked for us. I've stayed at campgrounds where we had to have a whole netted canopy up around us just to eat comfortably, so this was a much better experience.It was windy starting around noon and didn't stop til late in the evening. We secured our canopy with ratchet straps and anchors. It was definitely annoying having everything fly off the table! Single-use plastic cups are a big no-no lol, your drinks WILL fly and spill everywhere. Some of us had larger/heavier plastic cups and those were a lifesaver.. so maybe think about how you can make your trip more pleasurable by preparing for the gusts.A huge "LIKE" about this area is that we could see every single star at night! Even the Milky Way slightly, which was exciting. We took a night walk and star-gazed. Hearing the river and watching space above us was breath-taking and much needed. All in all, our group had a really great time. We may even make this an annual tradition moving forward! So if this all sounds good to you then I highly recommend Sandy Flat.

PLEASE read this review before you camp here..There are positives and negatives to Sandy Flat. If I only knew about the negatives I could have planned better or made an informed decision to stay here or not..The nightmare - Unfortunately if you stay on a Friday don't expect to get any sleep here ( or any other campgroup in California for that matter). Several large groups arived for the weekend and began binge drinking and partying as soon as it got dark. I assumed the loud music and the yelling of profanities would eventually end at some point, but the worst was yet to come. At midnight a large group from Long Beach pulled in already drunk (or on meth?) and they and their little kids began screaming and blasting loud music till 5am.. There was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Sandy Flat is managed by a host that lives up on the hill above the campground. There is no cell service here, no nightly patrolls by rangers. The next morning the host came down and everyone in the campground complained about those scumbags. Tip 1, the host is 100% okay with you waking (driving up the hill) to his cabin at any time of night for noise complains. Make sure you know where the host lives and be prepared to drive to his trailer at night (10pm is quiet time)...So you survived the first night. The campground is nice but there's a ton of broken bottle glass in the sand in the campsites. Make sure you and your kids always wear shoes. Most of the campsites were on a slope of some sort. Keep in mind that Sandy Flats is also a very windy campground. Be sure to bring heavy duty stakes for your tent and popup canopy. They will get blown over ( which is what happened to us).. There are very few sites that are shielded from the wind. High winds + sand isn't fun.. There are no showers here and during my visit campfires were banned because of wildfire risk.. So not ideal, but at least there's a river right?The river - This is highly dependent on environmental conditions. It can be low and stagnant or fast and unswimable. We lucked out as it was perfect conditions. The attached beach (open to the public) is great midweek as you have it mostly to yourself.. On the weekend this small beach is packed. People pitch tents right on the water's edge and block off access...That might be the biggest takeaway from my visit here along the Kern River. People that visit this area are rude and litter bugs. HUGE TIP - If you drive down to Hobo Camp and hike up the river a bit you can find some secluded areas for an amazing private day on the river.. The time we spent on the river made this trip worth it, even with all of the negatives.Other notes - Sequoia National Park is just over an hour's drive north. Great day trip.- Hike the hobo trail right behind the day use bathroom. It goes right along the river.- The hill behind sites 34 and 30 had great views of the river. Perfect for sunsets..- I think the best site is 23. Close to the river, large site, somewhat private. If you have a small tent 34 has a covered area shielded from the wind. The worst sites were 7 (camping on a steep slope), and 33 which is also on a slope. We stayed on 31 and 29 which were okay. 29 has no shielding from the wind, 31 is shielded if you put your tent behind the rocks and under the tree.- Site host was friendly.

Don't come here if you're looking for peace and quiet. We were in #28, no shade, directly across from a group with a PA SYSTEM!! blasting ranchera music all day long. They bullied other groups who were also trying to play music by turning theirs all the way up. They did turn it off after we complained to the camp host but they still had a loud motor (generator?) running until late night and there were other big groups who were also loud. Other parts of the campground were quieter so we may have just had bad luck. Two stars for the helpful camp host and the refreshing river. We left at 10pm to go to a motel in Kernville, the only place that had an open room, so we could finally have calm and quiet.

Good little spot to camp out.I think we were 24.Close to the river and bathrooms.Bathrooms need spring hinges on doors to keep the smell in. Also maybe a sign to keep lid closed on toilet.Otherwise smell kicks up and wind blows at you...River was fun.I can tell why it's called killer kern.Rope swingTubingCold water was refreshing on a hot day 102.Bob was a good host.Seemed on top of things.All and all a fun 1 night trip up from LA.Beware the bees and fire ants.

Will be staying here in two weeks first time we catch 3 campsites and the best ones too im excited we will be staying in #22 the best spot there we also have #21 and we reserved #9 just incase dont expect any sleep if u will be here in Sep weekends

A review and also notes for my family so we know where to book next time!!!Campsite #27 & 5: no trees where you would have your tent but ok if you have an Eaz-E-Up with stakes. Decent amount of room from other campsites.Campsite #14: a few trees, tons of fire ants. The suggestion from the ranger was to pour Ajax around out tent & it would not go past that area. Unfortunately, we did not have Ajax. None of us were bitten but our dog was twice on 2 separate days. :( This site is between two bathrooms & close to the river.Campsite #16-19 are against rocks with a small ravine that you can jump to the other side but I would not suggest for those with small children. You're really close to each other...great for large groups.Campsite #20-21 is right by the water; an amazing spot and easily the Boardwalk of the campground. If you're able to book both, do it. If you aren't, the sites are close to one another and it might be awkward to be so close if the other group is rowdy. Overall the campground was relatively secluded from other campers & people in general. You can hear laughing & music but not specific convos. The portapotties all have spigot outside of all of the bathrooms but no soap. (And no sinks.) The bathroom on top of the hill is the cleanest of all three but I overheard that the ranger who runs this campground keeps his area pretty clean.

We had 2 groups of 6 and the campground was rustic and dry camp we went and we could not have a fire in the camping ring . I was very disapointed about this becasue it was cold at night In November 2020. They had Pit toilets and were OK. the hot springs were about 2 miles away from this one. I would like to be at the other one but it was closed. Probly would not go back due to no fires.

Had a great time here with my family over Memorial Day weekend. The caretaker for the campground was super friendly & kept everything clean, he is a gem. Shout out to him for looking out for absolutely everyone staying here! I saw him driving around & picking up stray trash that had flown away from guests' sites. He was also constantly maintaining the bathrooms which was very much appreciated as not everyone respects public amenities as much as others, if you catch my drift. If you come here, PLEASE do your part and keep everything clean, pick up your trash, be respectful, etc. Each plot has ample space, and a bench which was a plus. Some camping spaces have a ton of shade & others not so much, so be sure to bring a canopy or two. There is a fire pit to keep warm or cook, just be sure to bring firewood & pots/pans. There are restrooms & spouts to wash your hands. The rapids were very strong this weekend so we couldn't go in the water very deep but it was still a great time seeing the wild life & all the beauty nature has to offer. We saw cows, capybaras, and many other animals. I would definitely come here again, and I recommend it to everyone who wants to experience real camping out by the water, NOT glamping. There's no showers, so you make due with the natural water, or bring your own outdoor shower. Also it gets very windy so bring extra heavy duty stakes. Long story short, come prepared! This is nature after all :)