Photo: USACE, Sacramento District Public Affairs OfficeTule
★3.8(257 reviews)
High DemandSuccess Lake · Porterville, California🚛Big Rig FriendlyLake Access
Photo: USACE, Sacramento District Public Affairs OfficeBest For
Best for RV campers and anyone who wants electric hookups — it's the only campground at Success Lake with 30amp and 50amp service and a verified 80-foot vehicle limit. Also the right pick for anyone who wants a data-backed booking experience, since all of Campsite Tonight's reservation analytics come from Tule's 5,064 reservations.
101
Sites
Partial (27 electric, 74 non-electric)
Hookups
Tule is the main campground at Success Lake and the one with real infrastructure: 27 electric sites with both 30amp and 50amp service, 74 standard non-electric sites, and a vehicle limit generous enough for the largest Class A rigs. The lake access here supports boating, kayaking, and fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, and bluegill. Booking pressure is modest — 59.6% of reservations are made within a week — but July tightens noticeably, with last-minute share falling to 45%. Weekdays are consistently Medium demand every day of the week, so midweek visits in spring or fall are your best bet for a relaxed stay. The 3.8 rating across 257 reviews reflects a functional but unpolished experience: don't expect ranger-curated amenities, but the lake itself is the draw.
Content from Success Lake park guide
October and November are the sweet spot at Success Lake: demand is medium, last-minute bookings run at 67% and 61.4% respectively, and foothills temperatures are far more comfortable than the hot summer months. May through July sees the highest reservation volume — May peaks at 754 reservations — and July is the only month where last-minute availability genuinely tightens to 45%. January and February are extremely open, with 79.6% and 73.0% last-minute rates, making them ideal for impromptu winter escapes when crowds are minimal.
Success Lake is a drive-in campground complex accessible from Porterville, roughly 8 miles to the west via Lake Success Road. There are no shuttle requirements or permit-based vehicle restrictions like those found at larger Sierra parks. The 80-foot vehicle limit at Tule makes it one of the most RV-accessible campgrounds in the Central Valley foothills, and road conditions are generally suitable year-round at this low elevation.
Total reservations in October 2023: 391
Address
Porterville, California
Coordinates
36.0803, -118.9022
Very high demand - sites typically fill up immediately when the booking window opens. Plan to book the moment reservations open.
Success Lake
Success Lake
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
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Success Lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, not the National Park Service, so the America the Beautiful annual pass does not cover entrance or camping fees here. Tule Campground has both standard non-electric and electric hookup sites — confirm current nightly rates on Recreation.gov when booking, as Army Corps fees are set independently. There is no day-use entrance fee structure equivalent to a national park; fees are per-site, per-night.
The 14-day maximum stay limit applies across all three campgrounds. Porterville, 8 miles west, is the nearest town for fuel, groceries, and supplies — stock up before heading in, as there are no camp stores on site. Cell service and shade data are not on record for any of the campgrounds, so treat connectivity as unreliable and plan accordingly. Pets, campfires, and generator hours should be confirmed with the Army Corps of Engineers field office before your trip, as those policies are not published in the current dataset.