Summer is my favorite time of year… and not because the weather is so beautiful in Arizona. 😛 Summer means vacation, and for the last two years, vacation has meant camping in the pop up. If you’ve been with us for awhile, you may remember our two week road trip to Yellowstone last year. If you’re new here, you can find our 2014 road trip here.
This year, our trip had to top Yellowstone, which was pretty hard. I’ve been planning the trip since late last year so I could make sure we kept three teenagers excited and engaged. We visited Sequoia National Park in 2013 and absolutely loved it. That was back when we were tent campers, but it was such a memorable trip that we decided to make Sequoia NP a stop on this trip. Because we had been to Sequoia before, we knew exactly where we wanted to stay.
Lodgepole Campground is a great place to camp if you are visiting the park. Although it is about an hour drive from either park entrance, the scenery is beautiful. It has six loops and over 200 sites available in the summer. You can reserve sites online for $22/night. There are also flush toilets, showers, and laundry facilities. Those are always a must on our long road trips. We had a great tent site in the Logbridge Loop the first time around, but this year, we were bringing the pop up camper. Those secluded campsites weren’t an option, but we were able to find a great spot, site 152 in the Logbridge Loop, right along the Kaweah River.
Our site was pretty large. We were able to back the pop up camper into our space with plenty of room to park the tow vehicle as well. There wasn’t a whole lot of shade, but the campsite itself was very spacious. There are no hookups in the Lodgepole Campground, but potable water is readily available. In fact, we had a water spigot right in our backyard.
Speaking of backyards… how’s this for a view? The Marble Fork of the Kaweah River runs right behind this row of campsites. We had the sound of rushing water to soothe us to sleep each night. An added benefit was that it drowned out any late night noise from the campground. We slept so well during our stay here.
The great thing about Lodgepole is that it is pretty centrally located. It is about 2 miles from the Giant Forest sequoia grove. There is a great shuttle system in the park, and Lodgepole is a major stop. We were able to take the shuttle just about everywhere we wanted to go.
The highlight of this year’s trip was taking the shuttle to Crescent Meadow. We had hiked Crescent Meadow two years ago and gotten terribly turned around. The trail systems can be a bit confusing and are not always well marked. This year, we armed ourselves with a map we purchased at the visitors’ center, something I highly recommend. We were able to hike from Crescent Meadow to Tharp’s Log, which is a giant hollowed out sequoia that was used as a summer home for Hale Tharp in the 1800’s. It’s a short hike from Crescent Meadow to Tharp’s Log, and the scenery is amazing. We even saw a little black bear wandering around the meadow. Tharp’s Log is very interesting and makes a great place to stop for a snack.
We spent most of the afternoon hiking through the Giant Forest sequoia grove. We saw quite a bit of wildlife–including this black bear grazing in Circle Meadow. We were able to observe him from a very safe distance for several minutes. It was so neat. Sequoia National Park is in the heart of bear country. In fact, a good portion of the campground rules relate to interactions with bears. We were careful to hike as a group and make lots of noise along the way, and we didn’t have any issues with bears at all. It was so cool to be able to observe the few we saw from a good distance, though.
Our trail took us to the Giant Trees Museum and, of course, past The General Sherman Tree. The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree (by volume) in the world. It is truly awe inspiring–and quite the tourist attraction. This is our picture from two years ago, because when we visited this summer, it was a madhouse. We couldn’t even get a picture. Be prepared for large crowds if you visit during summer, especially on the weekends!
When visiting Sequoia National Park, I highly recommend you do some hiking. The shuttle makes stops at all the big attractions, and they are often swarming with tourists. I’d recommend taking some of the lesser traversed paths. We hiked from Crescent Meadow all the way back to Lodgepole and had such a peaceful experience. We can count the number of people we saw on the trail on one hand.
Lodgepole Campground is also a short shuttle ride away from Moro Rock. Moro Rock is a granite dome with a steep 1/4-mile staircase to the summit. It is about a 300 foot elevation gain, but you are rewarded with a spectacular view of the Great Western Divide and the western half of the park. We didn’t do it this year, but really enjoyed the view two years ago. I’d highly recommend this hike, too. It is likely to be crowded in the summer, so go early in the morning, if you can.
This year, we made the 45 minute drive from Lodgepole to Kings Canyon National Park. It is home of The General Grant Tree, named The Nation’s Christmas Tree by President Calvin Coolidge. We learned some great park history in the Grant Grove, and we found free WIFI in Grant Village. Score! This was especially nice since we had been without cellular service for a few days. Sequoia National Park is pretty secluded, and we didn’t have any service our entire visit. It was awesome to unplug for a good portion of the trip, but a few minutes of catching up with friends made a world of difference with the kids. It definitely helped keep the peace.
There are so many things to see and do in Sequoia National Park, but honestly, our site was so nice that we spent a lot of time in camp. Each campsite has a bear box, picnic table, and a fire ring with a grill. Our site was easily large enough to set up camp comfortably. We were able to fit our camp chairs around the fire ring, and the bear box was large enough to accommodate two coolers and our food bins. Food had to be stored in the bear box, but we were able to store our toiletries inside the cabinets of the pop up camper. We were also able to use the cassette toilet in the PUP without restrictions. There is a dump station not far from the Logbridge Loop, and gray water can be dumped there or in the bathroom toilets. The bathrooms were a tad bit far from our site, and not always very clean, so we often opted to walk across the bridge over the river and use the bathrooms near the D Loop.
Lodgepole Campground is also about 1/4 mile from Lodgepole Market and the visitors’ center. It’s a pretty little walk and an even shorter drive. We enjoyed the clean bathrooms and warm showers at the market. There were plenty of washers and dryers available in the laundry facility, too. Prices for both showers and laundry were reasonable, but make sure you have lots of quarters. The change machines often were not working, and the lines for the cashiers at the market were incredibly long. The market has groceries, souvenirs, and a couple of restaurants. It was a favorite spot for us. After a long day of hiking, the kids enjoyed walking down to Lodgepole Market for warm showers and cold ice cream while I did laundry. 🙂
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Sequoia National Park, and I’d highly recommend visiting. There are quite a few restrictions in place because of the bears in the area, but the trip was well worth the hassle. We were able to see such amazing scenery {and wildlife!} and made memories that I know the kids will have for a long time to come.
Helpful Tips for Pop Up Camping in the Lodgepole Campground
- There are NO hookups, although potable water is available at several water spigots around the campground. There is a dump station, and gray water can be disposed there or flushed down the restroom toilets. If you have a large gray water tank, the dump station will be your best bet.
- Lodgepole Market and the visitors’ center are 1/4 mile from the campground. You’ll find clean restrooms, pay showers and laundry. Bring lots of quarters. 😉
- Each campsite has a bear box, and all food must be stored in it at all times. We were allowed to store our toiletries inside the pop up camper–at our own risk and as long as they were inside a cabinet. We were also allowed to use the cassette potty without restrictions. No food could be stored in the PUP, though.
- If the length of your tow vehicle and camper exceeds 22 feet, you’ll have to enter Sequoia National Park by way of Highway 180. Our GPS didn’t give us accurate directions and kept trying to direct us to the park through Highway 198. Longer vehicles are prohibited on that stretch of Sequoia, so make sure you take note of your route ahead of time.
- Our particular site wasn’t very level. Make sure you’ve got some sort of leveling system, and be prepared to take a little extra time getting the camper set up at the campsite.
Have you stayed in Sequoia National Park with your pop up camper? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below!
New to The Pop Up Princess? Would you like to catch up on our road trip adventures from the past five years? You can find those links here:
POP UP ROAD TRIP 2018
POP UP ROAD TRIP 2017
POP UP ROAD TRIP 2016
POP UP ROAD TRIP 2015
POP UP ROAD TRIP 2014
Happy Camping!
What a coincidence. I’m planning on taking my nieces here in a few weeks and you answered many of my questions.
Do you know how the first come camp site availability is at Lodgepole. I was too late to make reservations.
You have a great site. Love it.
Thanks, Terry. I’m not sure how the first come, first serve works. In the summer, you may have a very difficult time finding a spot at Lodgepole. The good news is that Sequoia has a couple of other campgrounds that work on a first come, first serve basis, so you will have some options if Lodgepole is full. I would definitely call the park and ask as many questions as you can, because Lodgepole is a good 45-60 minutes from the either park entrance. It’s a long way back if the park campgrounds are full. 🙂
Love the Blog/site, very nice work! I too am a camper with a camper and I’m always looking for that “best site here” when I go to new campgrounds. Did you take note of any other sites that you wish you could have stayed in this time or that you would try to get if you came back? I have a similar popup to yours, just a bit longer I think, so your recommendation work for me too.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the sites that back the Kaweah River, Jason. We liked the area of 164-167 in Logbridge, too. We weren’t fond of the sites in the middle of the loop, though. I’d steer clear of those if I could. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you so much for all the info about Sequoia! We are also from AZ and have a pop up camper and are going to Sequoia in June. Your camping spot looked great! I think I might try to get that exact spot. My only question is did you have enough room for your vehicle there or did you have to park it somewhere else?
We had more than enough room for our vehicle and our camper. Now, our pop up camper is on the smaller side. I think we are 21′ when fully extended. We loved that spot, though, and would camp there again in a heartbeat. The sounds from the river were heavenly. 🙂
We are going in August. Was it cool enough to not have electric hook up?
It was really warm when we visited in June. August might be a little warm, but I would think that it would cool down in the evening. It is definitely worth visiting, though–even if it is a little warm. 🙂