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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service group campground

French Gulch

Forest Service group campground in Sequoia National Forest, Kern County, California. 2,638 feet.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Sequoia National Forest
Elevation
2,638 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Kern County

Overview

French Gulch Campground sits 3 miles from the western shores of Lake Isabella, a 27-acre reservoir off the Kern River, in the expansive Sequoia National Forest.

Recreation

Visitors can enjoy swimming, water skiiing and wind surfing at Lake Isabella. There is also excellent trout and bass fishing at the lake and in other nearby streams.

Facilities

French Gulch can accommodate groups of up to 100 guests. A marina and boat ramps are available at Lake Isabella, just to the southeast.

This facility is operated by ExplorUS and comments are welcome; comment forms are available from campground hosts or online.

Natural Features

Located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, the Sequoia National Forest takes its name from 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, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet, creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • picnicking

The land around French Gulch

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 13, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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