
Success Lake Camping
Success Lake sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills 8 miles east of Porterville, offering lakeside camping with boating, fishing, and kayaking in a low-elevation setting that stays accessible year-round. The three campgrounds — Tule, North Tule, and South Tule — together offer 101 sites ranging from standard tent spots to full electric hookups for rigs up to 80 feet. Competition for sites is modest by California standards, but July is the clear pressure point: only 45% of July reservations are made within a week, meaning planning ahead does matter in peak summer.
Sold out? Sites at Success Lake open up when campers cancel.
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At a Glance
We analyzed 5,064 reservations across Success Lake's campgrounds to surface the exact booking windows, cancellation hours, and seasonal patterns that give you a real edge.
Campgrounds

Best for campers who want a quieter, less-trafficked corner of the Success Lake recreation area and don't need electric hookups. No detailed site data is available, so it suits flexible campers comfortable with some uncertainty in the booking process.
North Tule Campground is part of the Success Lake recreation area but has no site count, hookup data, or rating on record. It shares the lake's boating, fishing, and kayaking access, and the 14-day stay limit applies here as it does across the complex. Because reservation analytics aren't available for North Tule, campers should check availability directly and treat it as a secondary option if Tule's sites are full. If you need electric hookups or a confirmed large-rig site, book Tule instead.

Best for tent campers or small vehicle campers looking for an alternative footprint within the Success Lake complex. Like North Tule, it suits visitors who are flexible and don't need hookups or confirmed rig clearances.
South Tule Campground rounds out the three-campground complex at Success Lake but similarly lacks published site counts, vehicle limits, or review data. It's part of the same recreation area with access to the same lake activities. Without booking analytics on file, the best strategy is to check South Tule alongside Tule when searching for availability — if Tule's 101 sites are booked out, South Tule may have openings, particularly in the lower-demand months from October through March.

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.
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.

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.
Planning Tips
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.
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.
Success Lake camping FAQ
How many campgrounds are at Success Lake?
3 campgrounds at Success Lake near Porterville, California.
Are there campsites available at Success Lake this weekend?
No. Success Lake is fully booked this weekend (October 16). Cancellations occur daily—set alerts to get notified when sites open.
How hard is it to get a campsite at Success Lake?
Difficult. Book 1-2 weeks ahead, or even last-minute.
What are the busiest months at Success Lake?
Jul. July is the hardest month at Success Lake — only 45.0% of 634 reservations were last-minute, the lowest rate of any month in the dataset. Easier booking: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.
When is the best time to camp at Success Lake?
October through November
What should I know before camping at Success Lake?
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.
What are the camping fees at Success Lake?
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.
Where is Success Lake?
California, near Porterville. 3 campgrounds with reservable sites.
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