Overview Hospital Flat Campground is situated along the Kern River, 6.5 miles north of the town of Kernville. Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities. Recreation Hiking, fishing, kayaking and rafting are popular activities in the Upper Kern River area. Click here to learn more about the area, including safety and permitting requirements and a listing of local outfitters. Facilities The campground offers several single-family sites on a single loop along the river. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are vault toilets and drinking water. Natural Features The campground sits within Sequoia National Forest at an elevation of 3,000 feet in an open area overlooking the Kern Wild and Scenic River. Gray pine, scrub oak, grasses and shrubs cling to steep, canyon walls along the river, and cottonwoods and willows line the riverbanks. Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, is named for 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.
Source: rec_gov · last verified 2026-05-19