Potwisha Campground

Beautiful campsites close to a running creek. Many uneven sites on multiple loops. Some pull thru. Toilets through out the camp. Level open sites nearest the creek. Large herd of deer in the site. Okay to use generators from 7 am until 9 pm. Bear boxes, picnic tables and fire rings at all sites. Would stay here anytime visiting the park. Also able to receive and make cell phone calls from the campsite.

This is a typical National Park campground. The kind run by the park and not necessarily outsourced to concessions. An actual Park Ranger checked us into site 36 when we arrived a day early of our reservations. The following day we moved to site 37 into our reservation. Campground has two restrooms with flush toilets and a sink outside to wash dishes. Recycling was available onsite. A bear box, picnic table, and fire ring is provided at each spot. We were cautioned by the ranger to use the bear box because a mamma Black bear and her two cubs have been breaking into cars. There was car glass on the ground at site 37. We never saw the bears.

The park offers a shuttle from just outside the campground up to the Giant forest which is located up in higher elevations. There is also a vehicle length restriction of 22 feet between Potwisha campground and the Giant forest due to the curves and narrow road. We drove up to the Giant Forest and then used the shuttle to get around to the different areas. We also paid extra and took a tour of the Crystal Cave. Tickets for this are sold at the visitor centers and was worthwhile.

Seeing the Sequoia trees was amazing. But my kids' favorite memory was swimming and sliding down natural smooth rocks in the river near the campground. From the campground cross Generals Hwy to the large gravel parking lot. Go to the river and follow the trail on the left until you reach the bridge. The sandy spot below the bridge is it! Fun!

I would hesitate to camp here again during the summer. This campground is in the foothills and the temps during the day climbed to 102 degrees. We had to place our cooler into the bear box where it baked all day. We made daily trips back into Three Rivers for ice. It did cool down enough at night to sleep, but over our 3 days there were 3 different loud groups up late into the night. Flies and yellow jackets made cooking and eating outside miserable. With the reported bear activity I was concerned about having any food inside a pop-up tent camper. We had another night reserved but left early.

In the summer I would stay at a private RV park in Three Rivers with electricity for AC. Or I would camp in the park at a higher elevation. I would try Potwisha campground during the spring or fall before the temps got so hot.