Memorial Day Camping Info

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Date: May 23, 2011 Contact: Cody Norris, Public Affairs Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: (760) 379-5646
FOREST SERVICE WELCOMES MEMORIAL DAY VISITORS

LAKE ISABELLA, CA…Forest Service officials are expecting a busy Memorial Day weekend, the
traditional kick-off to the summer season. Officials expect large crowds and warm, sunny weather for
the upcoming holiday weekend.

At Lake Isabella, there are several campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Camp 9
Recreation Area offers several individual and group campsites for overnight and day use camping. This
campground is located off Sierra Way along the northeast shoreline of Isabella. Hanning Flat and Stine
Cove are open for shoreline camping with no fees.

Lakeshore camping is permitted at Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella Road and South Fork Recreation Area
with the purchase of a Southern Sierra Pass. Visitors can obtain their pass at Golden State Surplus,
Red’s Kern Valley Marina, Riverside One Stop and both Sierra Gateway Markets or at
Forest Service offices in Lake Isabella and Kernville. Cost is $10 per vehicle for overnight and day use
or visitors can purchase a $50 annual pass.

Several “undeveloped” camping areas along the Upper Kern River are available free of charge.
Campsites and campfire rings need to be back at least 25 feet from the river’s edge. The setback is
necessary to protect water quality in the Kern River. Visitors need to keep the area free of litter and are
encouraged to use existing sanitation facilities.

On the Kern Plateau, Kennedy Meadows, Fish Creek, and Troy Meadow are open for the season. These
campgrounds are $17 per night. On the west side of the Plateau, Horse Meadow Campground is still
closed at this time due to snow. These campgrounds also operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Blackrock Visitor Information Station located on the Kern Plateau is open for the season. Office hours
are 5 days a week, Thursday through Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the Greenhorn Mountains, Evans Flat, Cedar Creek, and Alder Creek Campgrounds are open, free of
charge. These campgrounds offer vault toilets and visitors should expect to pack out their trash.
Breckenridge Campground is open in the Breckenridge Mountains, with one vault toilet and is free of
charge. Trash receptacles are not provided at this campground. Visitors must “Pack-it-out!”

Fire Safety: Visitors are required to have a California campfire permit to use a portable gas stove,
barbecue, lantern, or campfire outside a developed campground or recreation area. The campfire permit
is valid from the date issued until the end of the calendar year. A campfire permit can be obtained at any
Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management office or by visiting the Sequoia National Forest website
and downloading a copy of the permit at www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia. The Kernville Chamber of
Commerce can also provide campfire and wilderness permits, and will be open on the weekend.

Water Safety: The Kern River is especially dangerous this time of year. River flows are extremely high
and we do not encourage visitors to go into the river. However, visitors need to wear a personal
floatation device at all time when on or around the lake and river. An adult must accompany small
children when near the water’s edge.

For more information, stop by or call one of the following Forest Service offices:

Kernville Ranger Station (Now closed weekends)
105 Whitney Road
Kernville, CA 93238
(760) 376-3781

Lake Isabella Visitor Center
4875 Ponderosa Drive
Lake Isabella, CA 93240
(760) 379-5646

Blackrock Visitor Information Station
Kern Plateau
(559) 539-2607