National Park Service · Kings Canyon National Park · CA

Crystal Springs Campground (CA)

5Heads up3 park alerts · 2 fires, nearest 5 mi
Wildfire
Land fire · 5.2 mi away · 20 acres · updated Oct 11, 2026
Wildfire
Wildfire Training fire · 25 mi away · 0 acres · updated Oct 15, 2026
Information
Weekday Traffic Delays on Generals Highway North of Giant Forest Due to removal of hazard trees along Generals Highway between Highway 180 and Giant Forest, there are traffic delays on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vehicles may experience delays of up to 30 minutes total. There will not be delays on…
Information
Fire Restrictions in Place Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect. Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited at all low-elevation campgrounds and picnic areas. Additional restrictions apply. Click "more" for details.
Information
Mineral King Road Construction Traffic Delays and Closures There are temporary daytime closures and traffic delays on Mineral King Road. A schedule of daily closures and delays can be found on our Road Construction webpage. Click "more" to go there.
Alerts: National Park Service alerts API · Oct 16, 2026
ReservableOut of season, no booking; May 18 opens May 20.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
A night
$32From, per site
Sites
3534 on recreation.gov
41 ftLongest rig
6,620 ftElevation
1,749 ftWater · an unnamed stream
6.7 miE of Squaw Valley, CA
51%Tree cover

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 3 notices

In the agency’s own words

Crystal Springs campground is centrally located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in central California's rugged Sierra Nevada range. This campground is at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The 14 mid-size group sites are available for reservation on the Crystal Springs Campground Mid-Size Group Sites page . Keep reading

Recreation

There are numerous recreation opportunities in the immediate area. From your campsite, you can hike to a Sequoia Grove that includes the General Grant Tree, the Nation's Christmas Tree and only living memorial to our military veterans. Hike to the beautiful Ella Falls, a 50 foot waterfall or to Panoramic Point for a breathtaking view of the high Sierras.

Facilities

There are 35 sites at Crystal Springs Campground. Each site contains a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage box. Flush toilets and potable water are available at the campground. Each site can accommodate 1-6 people. There are also 14 mid-size group sites available for reservation on the Crystal Springs Campground Mid-Size Group Sites page . Crystal Springs campground is located nearby Grant Grove Village where you will find the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, a restaurant, gift store, Post Office and market. Nightly campfire programs are offered at the nearby amphitheater.

Natural Features

Crystal Springs campground is located in a mixed conifer forest of sugar pines, incense cedar, fir and sequoia trees. Summer days can be warm and dry with cool nights. Wildlife is abundant and includes black bear, mule deer, gray squirrel, golden-mantled ground squirrel, and a variety of resident birds, among many others. The dynamic landscape of the park evolves from geologic processes working over millennia to sculpt granite, marble and other forms of rock. Here in the parks are canyons carved by rivers and glaciers, towering rugged peaks and miles of underground caverns. Found throughout the park are thousands of lakes and ponds and miles of rivers and streams. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (559) 565-4357.

Nearby Attractions

Crystal Springs campground is within an hour's drive from the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, home of the biggest tree in the world, the General Sherman, and the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. Fishing is 30 minutes away at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Forest. The national forest also includes Converse Basin and Chicago Stump, where you can learn the history of logging in the area.

Charges & Cancellations

Payment in full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Additional fees will apply for late cancellations All cancellations made between midnight on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival are considered late cancellations and will incur a $10.00 cancellation fee and will also forfeit the first night’s use fee. Cancellations for a single night’s reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. If your campsite remains vacant for 24 hours after your arrival date it will be cancelled and made available on rec.gov. You will be charged for the first night's campsite fee and a $10 cancellation fee, all other fees after that will be refunded. Recreation.gov policies apply to all reservations, cancellations, refunds and date changes. Call (559) 565-4357 if you will be arriving 24 hours after your arrival date so your site won't be cancelled.

What the agency tells you

Rule

If your campsite remains vacant for 24 hours after your arrival date it will be cancelled and made available on rec.gov. You will be charged for the first night's campsite fee and a $10 cancellation fee, all other fees after that will be refunded. Recreation.gov policies apply to all reservations, cancellations, refunds and date changes.  Call (559) 565-4357 if you will be arriving 24 hours after your arrival date so your site won't be cancelled. Upon making a campground reservation: Site occupants agree to follow ALL campground rules. Failure to comply may result in a fine. You are responsible for your guests.

Rule

Campground Rules and Regulations:   • Food Storage- You are in an ACTIVE BEAR AREA. Black Bears are active day and night. When not in arms reach, you must properly store all food, drinks, scented items, coolers, and equipment used to prepare food, inside provided food storage lockers. These items must be stored day and night. Food storage locker dimensions are 28" high x 33" deep x 47" wide.   • 6 Person Limit- There is a maximum of 6 people per campsite. If you exceed this number, purchase 2 sites and spread your group and equipment out evenly between campsites. This is to preserve the natural resources and minimize noise levels. Reservations can be made in advance to accommodate a larger group size at a group campground.  • Check-In and Check-Out is at 12 NOON- Please be prepared to show a screen shot (limited cell service) or printout of your reservation confirmation email upon arrival to the campground.  Campsites need to be vacated (vehicles and occupants) by 12:00 NOON.   • Parking Pad- Vehicles must be parked with all four wheels on pavement. Vehicles that do not fit on the provided parking pad must be parked in overflow parking areas.   • Quiet Hours 10pm to 6am- Music, talking, and generators should not be audible beyond your immediate campsite. Unreasonable noise is prohibited any time of day.    • Generator Hours- 9am to 9pm.   • Fire Restrictions- Check current fire restrictions at nps.gov/seki. Fires must be attended.  DO NOT build additional fire rings. Glass, aluminum, and food are prohibited in fire rings. Firewood is sold locally. Dead and down wood may be gathered for your campfire. Logs must fit within the fire ring. Chainsaws are not allowed. Fires must be extinguished completely with water and be cool to the touch before leaving your campsite or going to bed.   • Tents- Pitch tents only on tent pads or within campsite boundaries.    • Dogs/Pets- must always be kept crated, caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Pets are allowed in campgrounds and picnic areas. Pets may not be left unattended. Pets are not allowed beyond 100 feet of public roads or parking areas. Pets are not allowed on any Park trails.   • Preserve Natural Resources- Injuring plants or trees by cutting, breaking, or attaching nails or other hardware is prohibited. Driving off pavement is prohibited.   • Bicycles- Helmets required if under 18 years of age. Bicycles are not allowed on any park trails.    • Trash Disposal- Please keep your campsite clean. Place all litter/trash in bear proof campground trash dumpsters. To prevent bears from getting trash please DO NOT forget to lock or relatch the dumpster. Do not leave cigarette butts, bottle caps, confetti or litter on the ground.   • Water Disposal- Do not dump grey-water on the ground or at the water spigots. Bring a tub to wash dishes or to collect shower water. All grey-water must be disposed of at the restrooms, dish sinks, or at a RV dump-station. Used water must not be allowed to run onto the ground.   • Propane Tank Disposal- DO NOT leave in the park. We are unable to recycle your used propane tanks. Please take them home with you and dispose of them properly.

Rule

Tire Chains may be required at any time. Be prepared at any time of year for a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. Check Road Conditions at nps.gov/seki.   Vehicles longer than 22 feet (including trailers) are not advised between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum.   Dangerous Rivers!  Many drowning victims were playing near rivers. Rivers present a far greater danger than lakes or pools. Surfaces may look calm, but strong currents often run below. Be cautious walking near rivers as rocks can be slippery. Getting out of a cold, swift river is often impossible.   Falling Objects- Don't linger under dead, cracked, or broken branches. Run if you hear cracks or snapping from tree roots, trunks, or branches (know that sometimes there is no sound, and very little time to react). Report falling branches or trees to a ranger.  A California state fishing license is required to fish in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and Sequoia National Forest lakes and streams. Fishing licenses may be available at National Park and National Forest markets.

Tents and rigs

Sites
35 · 3 tent-only
Hookups
None
Longest rig
41 ft
Paved pads
30 of 35
Accessible sites
None listed
Pets
Allowed
Campfires
Allowed, barring fire bans
Shade
Every site
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets
Flush Toilets - seasonal
Drinking water
Yes
Stay limit
14 nights
recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Source: National Park Service and agency records

Around the campground

On the water
Waterfall, Lake, River, Creek
Hiking
Hotel/Lodge/Resort Privately Owned
Ranger programs
Visitor center
Night sky · 828th darkest of 1,201 in CA
Bortle 4
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

recreation.gov lists 34 of the 35 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. On May 18, 2027 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 20, 2027.recreation.govAdd to calendar (.ics)
Max stay14 nightsthe facility record
A night$32plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule
A weekend$72DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservation; this campground publishes its own terms toorecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itNational Park ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

Full? Watch it.

One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Tell me when the season opens

Watch for the season to open

One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

We’ll write once, when the season that starts Thu, May 20 2027 is open for booking.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 20

What you actually pay

The sign priceNational Park Service
A night$32
Standard Nonelectric$32
These are next season’s rates, May 20, 2027 to Sep 8, 2027. The campground is between seasons now.
ENTRANCE FEES APPLY: Check Entrance Fees & Passes - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S.
National Park Service) for details.
CAMPING FEES: $32 per night for Regular Camping and $16 per night for valid lifetime Access Pass, lifetime Senior Pass, and annual Senior Pass.
No other passes receive reduced rates.
If your campsite remains vacant for 24 hours after your arrival date it will be cancelled and made available on rec.gov.
You will be charged for the first night's campsite fee and a $10 cancellation fee, all other fees after that will be refunded.
Recreation.gov policies apply to all reservations, cancellations, refunds and date changes.
Call (559) 565-4357 if you will be arriving 24 hours after your arrival date so your site won't be cancelled.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What a stay costs
One nightDerived$40
A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$72

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $32 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.

If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

“A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Additional fees will apply for late cancellations - All cancellations made between midnight on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival are considered late cancellations and will incur a $10.00 cancellation fee and wi…” · this campground’s own terms

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 6

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

35 sites · which ones have room · the site map

The sites, ranked

from 34 mapped sites
56 ftbetween you and the next site, typically
Least roomSite: 02 20 ftSite: 03 20 ftSite: 01 21 ft

All 35 sites

35 of 35 sites located
Standard31Tent only3Type not stated1
SleepsTakes aUp to

Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 35 of the 35 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.

The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 31 of the 35 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.

Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.

Crystal SpringsSite: 01tent only nonelectric22 ft21 ft2,031 ft382 ft
Crystal SpringsSite: 02tent only nonelectric22 ft20 ft2,019 ft396 ft
Crystal SpringsSite: 03tent only nonelectric22 ft20 ft2,003 ft405 ft
Crystal SpringsSite: 04standard nonelectric37 ft64 ft1,838 ft269 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 05standard nonelectric39 ft57 ft1,822 ft288 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 06standard nonelectric36 ft57 ft1,878 ft336 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 07standard nonelectric39 ft85 ft1,850 ft360 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 08standard nonelectric34 ft98 ft1,894 ft452 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 09standard nonelectric28 ft123 ft1,795 ft446 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 10standard nonelectric28 ft62 ft1,694 ft522 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 11standard nonelectric31 ft62 ft1,633 ft520 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 12standard nonelectric31 ft111 ft1,712 ft326 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 13standard nonelectric34 ft78 ft1,588 ft89 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 14standard nonelectric32 ft39 ft1,511 ft120 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 15standard nonelectric36 ft39 ft1,476 ft155 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 16standard nonelectric28 ft63 ft1,413 ft203 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 17standard nonelectric29 ft46 ft1,444 ft136 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 18standard nonelectric25 ft46 ft1,455 ft132 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 19standard nonelectric27 ft91 ft1,547 ft111 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 20type not stated29 ft1,542 ft66 ft
Crystal SpringsSite: 21standard nonelectric37 ft56 ft1,631 ft140 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 22standard nonelectric31 ft54 ft1,640 ft93 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 23standard nonelectric37 ft54 ft1,684 ft145 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 24standard nonelectric35 ft51 ft1,492 ft238 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 25standard nonelectric35 ft51 ft1,442 ft248 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 27standard nonelectric41 ft48 ft1,343 ft393 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 28standard nonelectric27 ft48 ft1,325 ft369 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 29standard nonelectric31 ft32 ft1,264 ft440 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 30standard nonelectric29 ft32 ft1,241 ft440 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 31standard nonelectric29 ft35 ft1,222 ft436 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 32standard nonelectric15 ft120 ft1,272 ft337 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 33standard nonelectric33 ft87 ft1,356 ft229 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 34standard nonelectric33 ft97 ft1,447 ft188 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 35standard nonelectric29 ft75 ft1,559 ft208 ft$32
Crystal SpringsSite: 36standard nonelectric31 ft75 ft1,633 ft227 ft$32

25 of 35 listed

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Coordinate36.74468, -118.96179
The phone559 565 3341
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Getting there

From Fresno, CA, take Highway 180 East for 1 1/2 hours. Vehicles over 22 feet are not advised between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum when entering through Sequoia National Park. Vehicles over 22 feet should use the Kings Canyon National Park Entrance.

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

This Afternoon68°Sunny
Tonight52°Clear
Saturday65°Sunny
Saturday Night49°Clear

NWS forecast for Wilsonia, CA

Typical weather

Typical October night 39°F, day 63°F.

Coldest month of the year: typical February night 25°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.

90°32°20°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: GRANT GROVE, CA (USC00043551), 0.5 miles away and 40 ft lower

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it

Roadless country, and what’s coming for it

Roadless
Kings River52,999 acres · 8 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Who answers for this land

Tom McClintock, official portrait

Crystal Springs Campground (CA) is in California’s 5th congressional district. Its representative, Tom McClintock (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: National Park Service publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate: the number below is the only way to be sure.
Cell signal: the Park Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.
Nearest place of any size: Wilsonia, CA, 0.4 mi NNW (a census designated place). Straight line.