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Photo: NPS PhotoCold Springs Campground (CA)
★4.5(102 reviews)
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks · Three Rivers, California🏞️Lake Access🏔️Mountain ViewsForest Setting
Photo: NPS PhotoBest For
Experienced backpackers and alpine day hikers who want a true basecamp for Mineral King's high-elevation lakes and passes. No RVs, no trailers, and a narrow winding road filter out casual visitors — this is for people who specifically came for Mineral King.
40
Sites
No
Hookups
Cold Springs sits at 7,500 feet in Mineral King — the highest-elevation campground in the parks — with direct trail access to alpine lakes and mountain passes. RVs and trailers are explicitly not permitted, and the narrow, largely unpaved Mineral King Road filters out anyone not committed to the detour. This area is not connected to the rest of Sequoia by road, so it operates as its own destination rather than a base for General Sherman visits. No booking window data exists, but Very High demand every day of the week confirms it's as competitive as anything in the park. The 0-foot max vehicle length means if you're not in a passenger car or truck, this campground is simply not an option.
Content from Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks park guide
June through August is peak season with 4,000+ reservations per month at Lodgepole alone and zero site-nights currently available park-wide — if you must go in summer, target Crystal Springs (CA) for walk-up availability or Sentinel for its unusually high 44.5% July last-minute rate. October is the best shoulder-season bet: Azalea shows 35.9% last-minute availability across 1,036 October reservations, and Potwisha remains open year-round for winter visits with 59.3% last-minute fill in December. Avoid September for advance planning — it's the hardest month to book both Potwisha and Azalea, with each showing only 0.3% of reservations planned 6+ months out.
The free NPS shuttle operates seasonally in the Giant Forest and Grant Grove areas and is highly recommended — parking at popular trailheads fills by mid-morning on summer weekends. Private vehicles are required to reach Cedar Grove (Kings Canyon Scenic Byway), Mineral King (a narrow, mostly unpaved 25-mile spur off Highway 198), and the South Fork area. The Mineral King Road is explicitly not recommended for RVs and trailers, and vehicles over 22 feet should avoid it entirely — plan for a 90-minute drive each way from Three Rivers. Cedar Grove Road closes in winter, so Sentinel, Sheep Creek, Moraine, and Canyon View are inaccessible outside the summer season.
Address
Three Rivers, California
Coordinates
36.4521, -118.6122
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia National Forest
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The park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days, covering both Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Nightly camping fees vary by campground — frontcountry sites generally run $22–$35 per night depending on campground and site type. The America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80) covers the entrance fee for the pass holder's vehicle and is worth purchasing if you're visiting two or more national parks in a year. There are no electrical hookups at any campground in the park, and no hookup surcharges apply.
The 14-day maximum stay applies to nearly every campground in the park — Wolverton Stock is the exception at 7 days. Bears are actively present throughout the park and food storage in bear canisters or bear boxes is required; improper food storage is the leading cause of citation and can result in campsite eviction. Three Rivers, California is the nearest town for fuel, groceries, and supplies before entering via the Highway 198 entrance — stock up there, as in-park options are limited to a small market at Lodgepole. Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent throughout most of the park, so download offline maps and park information before you arrive.