Camp James

The setting is stellar, probably one of the best in the area. Camp James is on a reasonably calm stretch of river, with lots of shade at the campsites. The original “lazy river” winds through camp, and it’s back to its full flow this year. So nice that they restored it. Kernville stores are just around the corner. We always have a great, memorable time camping here. It’s family-friendly and quiet, with nothing crazy going on, and the staff are really nice and responsive. This year they upgraded the wifi so it’s faster and allows unlimited use and devices. Much better than the old device limit and what other resorts offer. No one likes poor wifi! We keep coming back year after year, and it’s nice to see upgrades like online booking, especially the tech improvements. It’d be cool if they brought back activities like Bingo or rock painting.

The cabin was just what we needed for a last-minute family weekend away. We arrived late, after the office had closed, but the person handling night check-in answered quickly when we called. She explained how the cabin heating worked and checked that we had hot water. The setting was quaint, and the river was an easy walk away. A perfect little getaway.

Our site, #48, was spacious and right by the water, which made it great for fishing. Everything was tidy when we arrived: the grounds had been raked, the fire pit was empty, and there wasn't trash around. The hookups worked well and the bathrooms were very clean. It was a quiet, relaxing campground, and we'd definitely come back.

The office ladies were sweet, but that was about the only good part of our stay. We paid for three nights and only learned at check-in that there was no parking space assigned to our site. We had to use the shared lot, with no guaranteed spot, so moving the car could have left us stuck if it filled up. They were strict about the one-car rule, too. The picnic area for day use was full of trash. The river is pretty, but it gets crowded, and people claim spots early with chairs and pop-ups. They weren't friendly when we tried to find a place near them. Most campers seemed to be in RVs, and kids rode around on bikes and Big Wheels, making noise constantly. The sites are tiny and packed close together. It felt like they were squeezing people in to make more money. Then, in the middle of the holiday weekend, a campground worker spent 30 minutes weed-whacking right next to us. Couldn't that wait until another day, when the campground wasn't sold out? With all the noise around us, we left a night early. If you want a peaceful nature escape, don't come here. I'll never stay at this campground again.