Princess Campground

Princess is very close to Kings Canyon NP but in US Forest Service land. It is only about 7 miles from Grants Grove on the road to the Kings Canyon NP valley. Close to Hume lake also.

It is only 90 miles from us but the elevation and environment makes it a world away.

The campground is very well maintained with modern pit toilets. During the summer they even have an amphitheatre program some nights. They have an extra charge for the dump station even if you are staying in the campground, we will pass on that.

The beauty that I find in this campground is that they will take reservations. This is a godsend during the busy times.

NO cell coverage of any type. You have to go back to Grants Grove for WiFi or catch a signal from the valley at a vista point on the road as it goes over a mountains saddle.

Here are a couple blog posts where I talk about Princess:

http://www.casarodante.org/2013/06/13/memorial-day-2013/

http://www.casarodante.org/2011/08/01/a-royal-trip/

i grew up camping at princess campground and absolutely love it. the campsites are all pretty large and not positioned right on top of each other – which makes the stay quite enjoyable. this campground offers clean toilets (not flushable), water faucets, campfire pits, large storage containers for food to keep the bears away, a dump station and even a little amphitheater. one thing i noticed this year versus previous years is they have a trail head leading to indian basin trail right near the entrance of the campground – a nice and peaceful hike if you’re into that sort of thing. this campground is positioned at the base of the mountain going toward hume lake, about a 4 mile drive. in the opposite direction is grant grove general store and gift shop, about 8 miles away. i will definitely be back to princess campground and highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

We reserved ahead of time (+$10 reservation fee so averaged $30/night) about a month out as we needed two sites together (went with friends) and one for our big 29' travel trailer. You will also have to pay $30 to get into Kings Canyon National Park even though this campground is in the Sequoia National Forest. And they now charge a $10 dump fee to be paid by CC/debit card (was told this is new) making the average per night rate $35 for a travel trailer/RV if reserved. Campground was full the second weekend in August.

Arrived to find lots of trees down/debris around campsite since they are removing the dead trees from the bark beetle. Our site was NOT very level making it difficult to get our TT in and parked but we managed. If in a TT/RV, do not recommend sites 29-59 as this is a very hilly section. Our site also overlooked the water faucet so it was quite busy with people washing dishes, hair, teeth, and other such activities. And because our site was on a slope, table/fire pit was BEHIND our travel trailer meaning we had to walk around the trailer/over debris with food items.

Big campground fairly quiet with clean pit toilets. Great meadow next door for star gazing and good location for exploring Hume Lake (~4 miles) and Kings Canyon (~20 miles/45 minute drive).

The campground is awesome!! Easy check-in. There is a walking trail (paved) with a couple of unpaved footpaths. Dump station and fresh water on site. Thes hosts are very helpful. Cell service close by on cherry gap dirt road for ATT and the visitor's for Verizon.

Princess Campground is nested in the well-shaded Sequoia National Forest , where it remains cool even in the hot Summer months. Expect a good 15ºf difference at the campground to the surrounding open space areas. The lower you go in elevation, the hotter it will get. Hume Lake is about 10º difference and even more if you go down into King's Canyon. The campground itself is at 5964 ft elevation according to my GPS, so be prepared to be hauling your rig up a steady long winding highway if you're coming from Hwy 180 from the West. I would not advise coming up Hwy 198 unless you want the scenic drive if you're coming from the Southern part of the state. It's best to take the longer route through Hwy 99 N, then go Hwy 180 E into the park. It is not incredibly steep, but may be a challenge for larger rigs or smaller tow vehicles. Be mindful in the Summer temps can be around 100º f if you're taking Hwy 180 from the Fresno, CA area, as there's always a potential to overheat your rig or tow vehicle. (Tip: If this is/may be a problem, try arriving prior to noon to avoid any extreme heat. Once you get into the park it will get cooler.)

Arrival was pretty easy. We had reservations from Recreation.gov, so we simply drove straight into our designated campsite, which was already ready with our reservation tag on the site number. The camp host comes by in the evening to take any funds needed, such as the cost of an extra vehicle or if you're in a First-Come First-Serve site. The road through the campground is narrow, but no overhanging trees to worry about for larger rigs. That being said, I didn't see many rigs over 35 ft long. Be mindful of your campsite, as it seems some of the campsites are not angled with the direction of traffic.

Some site are paved and some are hard packed dirt. Regardless, plan on it being pretty dusty and dry during the Summer. (Tip: Bring mats. Both for your RV and for cooking areas to mitigate dust.) The sites are not very level, so ensure you have enough leveling blocks if you have an RV/Trailer. The campground layout is good where the majority of sites give you decent privacy. The sites are wide for most rigs and plenty of space with a bench, fire pit, and even more room for your tent(s). Water, garbage, and (vault) toilets are easily accessible from any campsite.

The campground itself is surrounded by tall trees and some parts accessible to the large meadow. At night, you can still see the stars through the opening of the tree tops. It's wooded enough to give you space and shade, but not dense where you miss out on the beautiful night sky. Princess is within the Sequoia National Forest known for it's large unharvested Sequoia groves, including General Sherman Tree and General Grant Tree, which you will pass on your way up to the campground. 3 miles down the road is Hume Lake, an old Christian Camp community that is normally very busy during the Summer. This year it was busy with vacationers as the camp was closed due to COVID-19. You still have access to the lake where you can pretty much enjoy every water sport there is, as long as it does not have motor. It's not a big lake, so SUP, kayaking, and canoeing are more appropriate. There is also fishing available. You're also about 15 miles up from the King's Canyon, where you can explore the river and fly fish. Be mindful of the rushing water, as not all places are appropriate to wade in.

One of the best things about this campground are the host. They're incredibly helpful considering how busy they are. Every time we had an issue, they helped resolve it for us quickly. We had a family that was not respecting our space with their kids and dog walking though out site and they handled it. When the toilets needed some help, they took care of that too. We had a group try to fit 10+ people and 4 cars into a small site. When they saw 4 tents (and more being set up) and all their cars they relocated them next the host sites, because they were not being truthful to how many people they had. Read: They wanted to keep an eye on them. They ensured the quiet times were observed and never did I hear anything after 10 pm. I believe one of the greatest reasons we had a great time was their ability to serve the campers and keep order so everyone had a great time.

Getting connect was pretty much "none". In my experience, we had no connectivity with AT&T and Verizon. There was no signal to be boosted, so our booster was useless. The only reception we were able to get was at the Visitor Center back up the mountain (~6 miles) where we could get Verizon.

Pros:
Camp hosts were amazing and helpful.
Access was good, but still double-check your site sizing.
Well-wooded campground.
In most cases, good privacy between sites.
Access to the Hume and other tourist locations.

Cons:
Dusty. Bring mats for your RV entrance and around your table. Dust gets everywhere.
Vault toilets (may not be an issue for you, but I'm particular)
Busy during Summer months. Reserve early otherwise FF sites only.

Overall, I would recommend this campground. As with most campgrounds, the only "real" negative thing I would say would be other campers. That being said, the camp host kept a good handle on things and made our experience a wonderful one.

No complaints about this campsite! We were so glad we randomly chose this campground. Really happy to be closer to King’s Canyon NP. Way less crowded than sequoia NP, and enjoyed our hikes even more. Easy route in from Visalia for campers. Close to Grant Grove Village which has a nice market and visitor center. Our site was not too close to others, and the kids had a great space with lots of trees and stumps to play on. But as I read other reviews, there are a lot of big, party groups here and NO rules or quiet hours seem to be enforced at all.

Lots of water spigots. Lots of restrooms (never went in one).
Lots of families.
Our site had an asphalt pad and pretty level. Great for keeping dirt out of the coach.
Not all the sites had a paved pad. Some sites are very angled.
Nicely maintained.
No Cell service.
Short drive to Hume Lake. (there is a nice walk around the lake)
Great easy walk around a looped path called Indian Basin Grove. Short walk from our site. Pretty flat, and probably handicap friendly.
The dump station is fee (credit card). Is not included with your stay.

$16.00 with senior discount. Other reviewers have described this campground very well, so I am only addressing the dump station. First, yes there is one, however it’s use is not included in your camping rate. It is an automated pay facility with a credit card requirement. $10.00 to dump with a 15 minute limit. There is also fresh water available at the end of the pull through.

Such a nice site. Stayed at site 23 which was really great. Good clean toilets. Potable water literally next to the site.
Firepit with grill.
Bins with Bear safeguards on.
The camp hosts came and introduced themselves and you could see there was a love for what they do. They care for the property and take their job seriously. Was a great stay. Highly recommend.

The Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the Forest's lower slopes.The Forest comprises about 1.1 million acres, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet, creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls.