Camping at Hume Lake in California’s Sequoia National Forest

Looking for more fun things to do in and around Hume Lake?
Check out my Explorer’s Guide to Hume Lake and One Amazing Day in King’s Canyon National Park.

AMENITIES

• Flush toilets (bring your own soap)
• Drinkable water, with spigots placed throughout the campground
• Picnic tables and fire rings at every campsite
• Bear lockers at every campsite – please store all food and scented items in the lockers
• NO showers
• NO electrical or water hook-ups
• Dead wood can be gathered to use as firewood, or firewood can be purchased from the store at Hume Lake Christian Camps — please verify that fires are allowed first
• Camp host on duty

ABOUT THE SITES

• Hume Lake Campground has 74 campsites.
• Campsites cost $32 per night ($64 for double sites).
• The campground is open from mid-May through mid-September.
• Sites vary in size, so check the site description when you book. Our site, #9, and the neighboring site, #10, were two of the smallest. Many sites, but not all, can accommodate RVs.
• Most campsites are shady and forested, although a few (like ours) are more open. I recommend shade, as it can get quite hot at Hume Lake in the summer. If you have a sunny site, bring a shade canopy if you can.
• It’s also very dusty at Hume Lake Campground, as there is little ground vegetation around the campsites. There are no paved parking pads (at least none that I noticed), so plan for dirt. While I don’t normally promote disposable products, wet wipes are great for washing off filthy feet before stepping into your tent or trailer.

• Our site was #9, located in the “Dirty Gulch” loop. It’s a small site, with just enough room to park our trailer. It’s also situated on a slope. There was barely enough space to pitch our three-person dome tent in the only semi-flat area of the campsite.
• Please keep your campsite “crumb clean”! It’s exciting to spot a black bear from your car while driving the Generals Highway, but not in your campsite! Keep the bears away from Hume Lake Campground by storing all food and scented items in your bear locker (not out in the open, in tents, or even in your car) and making sure all garbage and recycling goes into the bear-proof bins placed around the campground. Keep a clean, crumb-free site to protect yourself, your fellow campers, and the bears.

FUN STUFF

• Take a hike! A trail circumnavigates Hume Lake, and you can join it directly from the campground. Walk through the campground toward the lakeshore to find it. The trail is 2.8 miles long, and takes you through Hume Lake Christian Camps, Sandy Cove, and behind the dam. In some places, you’ll walk along the road, while elsewhere you’ll follow beautiful boardwalks or lakeside trails. Food and treats are available at Hume Lake Christian Camps, and there are restrooms at Sandy Cove and at the end of the road near the dam.
• Swim and paddle in Hume Lake. While Hume Lake Campground doesn’t have lakefront campsites, it is within walking distance of the day use area on the lake. There’s also a parking area near the lake so you can bring your boat or paddle board down to the water (non-motorized boats only). A vault toilet is available. Please note that there’s no real “beach” here, or any boat docks. Look for an open space among the trees to set up your beach blanket and launch your boat. Don’t have a boat of your own? Rent one nearby form Hume Lake Christian Camps.

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• Hume Lake Christian Camps is a hive of activity in the summer. This is the place to go to fill up your gas tank, restock your cooler with ice, and feast on burgers and milkshakes at the Snack Shack. And no, you do not need to participate in one of their camp programs to make use of these amenities. This is the only gas station for miles around, which is a big deal if you’re spending multiple days exploring Kings Canyon. The casual eateries and coffee shop (yes, coffee!) are incredibly popular. They also rent boats and paddle boards.
• Sandy Cove is the place to go for a real beach experience on Hume Lake. It’s extremely popular, so go early or late to escape the crowds.
• Kings Canyon National Park practically surrounds Hume Lake. Drive north to Highway 180, then turn right to head into the canyon, or left to visit Grant Grove. Amazing hikes, waterfalls, and giant sequoias — Kings Canyon has much to explore, and Hume Lake Campground is a great home base.
• Mist Falls was our favorite hike during our trip to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Located deep within Kings Canyon National Park, it’s an hour’s drive from Hume Lake Campground, but well worth the trip.
• Boyden Cavern lies just outside Kings Canyon National Park in Sequoia National Forest. It’s about a half hour drive from Hume Lake, and perfect on a hot day, as the cavern remains 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Be sure to reserve your tour online in advance.
• Sequoia National Park lies to the south of Hume Lake. While the campgrounds in Sequoia or Grant Grove are better located for exploring the park, it’s still an easy day trip from Hume Lake Campground. More amazing hikes, viewpoints, and majestic trees await!

THE VERDICT

Hume Lake Campground is quite popular, and it’s easy to see why. It’s the only public lakeside campground anywhere near Kings Canyon National Park. As such, it makes a good home base if you want to break up your explorations of Kings Canyon with some lakeside relaxation. In fact, that’s exactly why I picked it. A day spent playing by the lake makes any vacation better! Only non-motorized boats are allowed on the lake, and the water is pleasantly cool on a hot day. It isn’t the clearest lake, but it’s reasonably clean and great fun for swimming and floating.

Our campsite at Hume Lake was admittedly small and dusty, but still a cozy home for four nights. To be fair, ours was one of smallest sites in the whole campground. I noticed that many other campers were there in large groups, booking up multiple sites for multiple days. This is likely one reason that sites here book up fast. If you want to stay at Hume Lake Campground, plan to book six months in advance, especially for a weekend stay. We ended up at campsite #9 simply because it was the only one available when I booked, and I’m lucky it could accommodate our trailer.

Even with the groups, Hume Lake Campground wasn’t overly loud or busy. It definitely had a different vibe from Azalea Campground in Grant Grove, where we spent the previous five nights. At Azalea Campground, people come from far and wide to experience the grandeur of the Sierras. Hume Lake, on the other hand, feels like family summer camp at a local lake, especially when you consider how easy it is to drop in for a burger or coffee at Hume Lake Christian Camps next door, or head to Sandy Cove for a day on the beach. I sensed that most campers come to Hume Lake to simply hang out with family and friends and enjoy time on the lake.

The road around Hume Lake doesn’t see much traffic, so is fairly quiet. In the evening, however, sounds from outdoor events at the Christian camp would travel across the water. Fortunately, that always ended by 10pm. Amenities at Hume Lake Campground are sparse (don’t forget to bring your own soap!), but the restrooms were generally clean and the camp hosts were friendly and helpful. With all the services available at Hume Lake Christian Camps (practically everything except, alas, showers), if there’s anything you need, you’re likely to find it.

For our family, staying at Hume Lake was a great place to unwind after hiking and touring in Kings Canyon National Park. With swimming, kayaking, and even the chance to pick up a real cup of coffee on the day of our departure — staying at Hume Lake Campground was a treat.

Although we were a bit sad to leave Azalea Campground in Grant Grove, we were simultaneously excited to see what Hume Lake Campground had to offer. We didn’t have far to go. In fact, Hume Lake Campground is only a half hour drive from Azalea. For once, we could set up camp in broad daylight and still have time left to enjoy an afternoon by the lake.

Well… you know what they say about “best laid plans”. Without going into too much detail, I’ll say that as soon as 7am hit, all Lodgepole campsites were booked in less than one minute. This is not an exaggeration. I checked Dorst Creek Campground, my second choice. Nope! Also completely booked. After referring to my guidebooks and doing a few online searches, I discovered Azalea Campground. Previously, Azalea had been first-come, first-served only. Now, to my great joy, they were accepting reservations. And they had campsites still available.

I knew in advance that our site would be small, as that had been noted when I made our reservation. Sure enough, there was just enough room for us to park both our trailer and car off the road. The rest of the site was comfortably sized, but, similar to our campsite at Azalea, it was also noticeably slanted. One small patch of dirt was comparatively level, and it was there that we pitched the tent for the boys.

Once camp was set up, it was time to explore. We drove first to Hume Lake Christian Camps to fill up the gas tank and treat ourselves to delicious milkshakes. Back at Hume Lake Campground, we drove to the day use area by the lake. The parking lot was packed with cars, but we managed to find a space to call our own along the lakeshore. I spread the picnic blanket, and we all changed into our swimsuits, eager to test the waters. The lake bottom was a little mucky in spots, but out in the open water the swimming was lovely.

We ended the day with hobo packs roasted over the campfire. As they had at Azalea Campground, the kids foraged wood. Dead wood wasn’t as plentiful here, but was still pretty easy to find. One good thing about visiting in June was that no fire bans were yet in effect. Come July, that would quickly change.

We spent the next few days exploring Kings Canyon National Park. From Boyden Caverns to Zumwalt Meadows to Muir Rock and Mist Falls, there was much to see and do. On the final full day of our stay, we took the day off from driving and instead walked down to the Hume Lake trail from our campsite. With no big agenda to follow, we ambled along the trail, stopping for lunch at the Snack Shack, then continuing on to the beach at Shady Cove. After an afternoon rain shower, we headed back to the day use area by Hume Lake Campground for an easy-going paddle and swim.

That evening, it was time to start packing up. The next day was a long one that would take us north to Mt. Shasta, where we had reservations at Fowlers Campground on the McCloud River. Before we left, I drove to Hume Lake Christian Camps one last time to fill up on gas and pick up coffee and cinnamon rolls to go. Our four nights at Hume Lake Campground had been wonderful. Now, with a tank full of gas and cups full of coffee, we were ready to take on the journey ahead.