Hidden View Campground

First off, I want to say that my 5-star rating only applies if you are visiting between mid-October and mid-April. During the rest of the year (April 15 to October 15), it's too hot to really enjoy camping either here, or at the Corp of Engineer's other campground at H.V. Eastman Lake a few miles to the northwest (Codorniz Recreation Area). The ideal months are probably November and March, especially if you are tent camping: not too hot in the daytime, not too cold at night. In December, January, and February, it's going to be really cold at night, the nights are really long (14 to15 hours), and those months have the greatest chance that it will be raining. If you are tent camping, I recommend that, if possible, you make a reconnaissance day trip in advance, and visit both the Hidden View and Codorniz campgrounds, to inspect the campsites for yourself. When tent camping, you really need the site, or at least the tent pad, to be as flat and level as possible. Both Codorniz and Hidden View are located in rolling hills and not all of the sites offer as much "flatness" as you might want, and it's almost impossible to really tell for sure what these sites are like from the photos on the Recreation.Gov website. Codorniz is not quite as hilly as Hidden View, and has more trees, but that said, the trees in both campgrounds are Valley oak (Quercus lobata), and these aren't really the best shade trees, having very small leaves. They are bare in the winter months and don't even start to develop leaves until late April, so in the winter and early spring, the trees all look dead and there's no shade at all. There are boat ramps and day-use/picnic areas at both Hensley and HV Eastman Lakes, but the lakea are relatively small, compared to Folsom Lake or Lake Oroville, and in the winter and early Spring months the water level is typically so low that the ramps might not even be open. Something to consider is that Hidden View campground is only 75 miles from Yosemite Valley: if you would like to camp somewhere with electric and water hookups that's reasonably priced, and make a day trip to Yosemite, Hidden View is a good choice.

This place is beautiful. The lake right now after all the rains (2017) is super full and just amazing. The place is pet friendly so that's automatically a plus in my book (camp with 3 dogs.) We had site 51 which wasn't bad, it's at the top of the mountain but there is no line of site to the lake because all the trees in bloom...not a bad thing for the site but for the scenery it wasn't a plus. The bathrooms are where it goes down. The women's were not bad but the men's were brutal. I get it's a park run facility but they need to keep the bathrooms up and running...not all of us camp in giant RVs with their own bathrooms! But besides that it wasn't bad. Go in the summer when it's a bit warmer and go swimming, fishing or boating and you'll have a great time. I know my 3 had fun in the water even though it was cold!Know that there are no places to shop for groceries around here so make sure you have everything you need or just forget about it for this trip!

We stayed at group site B. There was no lake view, so look at the map for other sites with nicer views if you can. There was one electrical outlet which was handy and the gazebo had a light. Most of group site B is on a hill. Watch out for rattlesnakes. We went during the summer and it gets very hot, so plan accordingly. It's about 30 minute drive to bass lake and oakhurst and about an hour from Yosemite. The closest bathrooms are basic toilets with no running water. There were other restrooms with showers up the hill. There were swimming spots for kids to swim. Rangers were friendly and gave goody bags to the kid. There are no stores within 15 minutes so make sure to grab your items ahead of time. They only have firewood on-site.

This is the cleanest, neatest campground you will ever stay in. The campsites are large and spaced far apart with a fire pit, picnic table and BBQ. Enjoyed our stay and will be back.

I rated it high for convenience in location to my home. It is a man made lake with great fishing. I usually come for day outings to fish. Occasionally I camp overnight in my travel trailer. It has ac so I can cool off if need be. Do not come expecting mt. Shasta or yosemite. It is good for a quick picnic or outing. I guess someone who wrote so negatively before was expecting more. Kind of hard to compare hensley to yosemite. Take it easy guy. Its gonna be ok

We came here in July l2012. The campground is huge so the campsites are spacious. They are kept very clean. There is not much to do there since no hiking or biking trails. If you don't have a boat or kayak, you could swim in the lake. The good thing is there aren't that many people so you almost by yourself. Has the lake been fuller, it'd have been a magnificent place. It is hot during the day but there are breeze coming from the lake that eases a bit. We drink so much water and the ice melt away so we drive for 16 miles round trip to get water and ice. Overall, it's is an OK place to camp if you can't find a better known park. We'd go again soon. The restrooms are well kept. There are showers with hot water. The sherif patrols the park very often making us feel safer.

Ignore that woman, and that man that posted so negatively about this place. I respect there opinion, because we all have one. Its all good.. But honestly Hidden View at Hensley Lake is one of the best camp sites ive been to this year 2016. We got Loop A campsites 3 and 5. They are spacious and very close to one another. The reason why i booked these were because we went with family and it was for my wifes Bday. So we wanted to be close. They have their own BBQ grills ,and large bonfire pits. This place had great great shade.. Everyone had fun. They have the ranger patrolling the area all day long up until 2:00 am. They don't bother you as long as your being courteous of others. And not being disrespectful. They close the gates at 10:00 pm. Which gave us some kind of security. This place is awesome. The only, and i mean only bad thing i would say about this place, is that if you have kids, and people that loooooooove to swim. You would have to go to the swim beach over to the other side of the camp ground. Which is called Buck Ridge. Its a 12 t0 15 minute drive there. We had to pack up. The truck, then take everything down to the swim beach which is like 900 feet down this hill. Now imagine doing that for 3 days. Maaaaaaan so tiring and frustrating lol. Again you dont have to go to the swim beach, you can swim pretty much anywhere, and fish at designated areas. This is only if you have little ones, and want to feel safer for them. Other than that Hiddenview Campground is pretty nice.

+3 stars for very friendly and helpful rangers and clean bathrooms. This is a very well-kept campground.-1000 stars for visiting in July. I'm sure this is a fine place in March. In July, it's like visiting Satan's favorite county park. It's 110 degrees, the lake smells gross, the bottom is all silty and nasty, and the area where the lake has receded from its high water level is muddy and squelchy. I think this is where parking ticket cops and used car salesman go on vacation. Probably also where those guys whose job it is to deny workers comp claims spend a weekend. Only somebody professionally evil (or a rattlesnake) could love this place in July (and I have my doubts about the rattlesnake.)You could drive 30 mins further and be in the Sierras where it's 20 degrees cooler, the water is clean and clear and doesn't smell like the decaying dreams of a homeless fisherman, and the bottom of the swimming hole is granite rather than a squishy layered lasagna made of the bodies of rotting demon fish. I also really don't get these reviews that are like "the lake is gorgeous." It's a man-made reservoir set in a relatively barren landscape. Yellow hills and oak trees here and there. It looks exactly like what you might imagine "we put a bunch of water in a place only fit for cattle grazing" would look like. This spot is the epitome of "the part of California you drive through to get to somewhere else." Still, it's clean and easy to get to and I recommend it as a stopping point on a road trip if you need one - just not in the middle of summer.

We were there over the memorial day weekend, and we had a group of 40 people and absolutely loved their group site. Their group sites are huge with a huge covered canopy, huge fire pit, big BBQ pit, lots of benches for seating, had several electric plug-ins, vaulted toilets and regular flushable toilets were within walking distance, PLENTY of parking space. It was just perfect for us.

We stayed a night here in January on a clear day. We were the only guests besides the fantastic hosts, Chuck and Jane, who showed us around the area and even spotted a bald eagle for us. This campground is spotless and spacious and even though the reservoir was low, it was a serene, beautiful area in winter. So peaceful that bobcats and coyotes come to visit occasionally. The lake is refilling after the recent rains and there were several day fishermen at the shoreline. A few frisbee golfers had the whole countryside to themselves and there were numerous paths to hike. The rangers are friendly and stop by the collect fees in the late afternoon. Be sure to stock up on supplies before arrival or else Raymond is about 6 miles away for food. Not sure about the summer, but winter was nice on a clear day.