Coy Flat Campground, Camp Nelson, CA

Coy Flat Campground is located in the Western Divide Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest (1 hr 2 min east of Porterville, CA) with an elevation of 4,612 feet. There are a total of 19 campsites. The campground is normally open from the end of May to mid October. 18 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 22 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Fees range from $32.00 to $64.00. Activities include fishing, hiking trails.

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Campsite Reviews (31)

3.4 out of 5

5 star		32%
4 star		13%
3 star		26%
2 star		10%
1 star		16%

@AaronH2375180 · Camped on Aug 29, 2024 at Campsite #3

Spots are small. The whole campground is on a hill. Very remote. Water didnt work in the front half of the campground. And there were yellow jackets in the bulletin board.

@veronicam71483 · Camped on Aug 4, 2022 at Campsite #12

Great experience and awesome weather, just the site wasn't even to camp, other than bvb that great 👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏

@MichaelB697476 · Camped on Jun 7, 2022 at Campsite #6

The campground is more beautiful and has many more trees and has much more shade than it appears in the photos on the recreation.gov website. The grounds were in excellent condition and obviously well maintained. Coy Flats, though not as lovely as the nearby Belnap Campground nor does it have its large trees, is very nice. I don't know if it's common, but when we camped there, one night we were the only party in the campground and the second night there were only two others. It made the experience especially enjoyable. There's a very small general and hardware store in nearby Nelson's Camp, which has a surprising variety of goods. There was no camp host in residence. The only time was we saw a Forest Service representative was as we were preparing to leave a pick up truck came quickly through and picked up the contents of the trash bins. There are no bear boxes provided. We incorrectly believed that the recreation.com inferred that bear boxes would be available and should be used. We did not see any bears and had no bear issues. However, fresh large Mountain Lion tracks were present on the dirt road that adjoins the camp and several deer were spotted. I advise against solo hiking and making noise during hikes. Hwy 190 has is narrow and has many curves and should be driven cautiously, particularly since there are occasional large trucks that barely fit own their lane are present and speeding drivers sometimes cut the corners. My wife advises motion sickness pills for sensitive people.

@LeylaniQ274387 · Camped on May 28, 2022 at Campsite #18

Site 18 is the best! A lot fo reviews for this campground say that the spots are super close to each other, which is true. Except for sites 18, 20, and maybe 17. I stayed at site 18 and it’s got enough distance to other campsites and to one side it’s nothing but trees and you see mountains in the distance which is super nice. It’s very deep in the forest so you can’t walk to nearby trails or places to sightsee. Trail of 100 giants is maybe a 30-40 minute drive as well as dome rock. Bear creek trail and Nelson trail are the closest. Highly recommend Nelson trail, Bear Creek Trail was also very pretty and the closest to the campsite. Only giving 4 stars and not 5 because we weren’t allowed a fire due to recently posted restrictions. thankfully I brought a stove. Good trees to set up hammocks, we had two setup. A good stump to play board games on as well. Had a fire been allowed it would’ve been the best camping experience. But I understand the reasoning behind the restriction, just a bummer. A fire station is I believe north to the campground and in the morning, sirens were going off. Not sure why, but it was very ominous sounding. A bit noisier than other campgrounds I’ve stayed at, became silent by maybe 11pm-12. Water spouts weren’t working!! We brought enough water thankfully and I think most people do anyway, so not a huge deal. 10/10 had a fire been allowed :) book site 18 if you can!!

@VeronicaA79321 · Camped on Apr 15, 2022 at Campsite #19

First time staying here. Campsite 19. Camp host Dan was attentive, and kept everything clean. Plenty of firewood available. No running water and bathrooms were outhouse style. Had an incredibly pleasant stay, other campers were quiet and respectful. Amazing weather even though we got rained on one day so couldn’t do hikes and we had to drive to Springville for lunch, charming small town. Beautiful drive with several spots to pull over go down to the river. Found out Bellknap is another campground nearby and closer to the water. Will surely be staying again.

@FR459 · Camped on Jul 30, 2021 at Campsite #8

Campsites were close together--nice for group camping. The bathrooms were absolutely HORRIBLE (not joking). They smelled awful, and if your tent was near it or in line with it, when the wind was blowing your way, it was pretty bad. There was no water, but brining your own water is easy. You can't have a fire, but it wasn't that bad because it wasn't cold (we roasted smores over our camp stove :) Also, you can bring two vehicles, you just have to pay for the second one once you get there. That was nice, and not mentioned on the website. Overall, this campground was nice (except for the bathrooms), the river was nearby, there was a creek, and there was a great hiking trail. There wasn't too much wildlife, just a rattlesnake and a bear in the campsite (that was so cool to see!). It was dusty, but that is to be expected when you are camping. This was our first time staying at Coy Flat, and we enjoyed our stay there! The reason this rating is a 3 star is because of the bathrooms, everything else was really great :)

@FR8549868 · Camped on Jul 30, 2021 at Campsite #8

@StevenG8234425 · Camped on Jul 29, 2021 at Campsite #15

Cramped, littered, fire restrictions, dirty bath rooms.

@StevenG545 · Camped on Jul 29, 2021 at Campsite #15

Cramped, littered, fire restrictions, dirty bath rooms.

@SusanD591 · Camped on Jul 28, 2021 at Campsite #7

Coy Flat is a beautiful campground among the trees. A short walk down the road brings you to Bear Creek, a pretty little burbling brook. Kids from the next campsite said they caught a couple of trout there, but too small, so they threw them back. The nearby attractions of Belknap Grove and McIntyre Grove were closed due to damage from the Castle fire the year before. We drove about an hour to the Trail of 100 Giants. The drive took longer than usual because they were working on clearing the fire damage and closed the road for about 15 minutes. (Luckily on our drive back we arrived just as they opened the road so we didn’t have a long delay.) Once we got past the burn area the scenery was spectacular. The kids really enjoyed the Trail of 100 Giants, and getting to see the sequoias up close and personal. This area is much less crowded than the area near the General Sherman tree in the national park, and I think we had more fun because of that. A brief summer rain made the walk even more exciting. “No fires” restrictions were in place while we were there, and there was no water available. We could still use our camp stove with a fire permit I downloaded off the internet, and we had brought plenty of bottled water, so we were fine. We were a little surprised at how muggy the weather was, but it was perfect for hanging out in hammocks. Our second night it rained and I had to close the rain fly on our tent, which made it warm, but the morning was nice and fresh after the rain. There were only a few other campers when we were there midweek in August. Sometimes cars would pass on the road next to the campsite, but otherwise it was peaceful. We saw a deer when we first arrived. This was our first trip to Giant Sequoia National Monument, and we plan to go back to explore more of the area.

@SusanD7512883 · Camped on Jul 28, 2021 at Campsite #7

@DeborahB945 · Camped on Jul 17, 2021 at Campsite #12

This campground site is next to the outdoor post. When we got there and set up camp, the ordor was so pungent, we ended up not being able to stay overnight and just left because the smell was so bad. We tried to power through it, since we already made reservation and paid for the night... but it it was honestly not worth staying... I recommend to book another area/site.

@DeborahB541180 · Camped on Jul 17, 2021 at Campsite #12

@RobertE700 · Camped on Jul 16, 2021 at Campsite #18

We loved Coy Flat. The campground and surrounding areas are quite beautiful. If you drive past the campground about 4 miles you will find several very giant sequoias, just before the entrance to an Indian reservation. What a treat that was!

@RobertE4617436 · Camped on Jul 16, 2021 at Campsite #18

@NatashaS379 · Camped on Jul 3, 2021 at Campsite #11

There is no water at the campsite this year. We had gotten an email about this in April and either didn't see it or forgot, so we weren't as prepared for that as we could have been. Luckily we were able to buy water. The campsite is also very dusty, which didn't help with the no water situation. Overall it was a good experience, but I think we enjoyed the vibe of Belknap campsite better. Also, I don't think there was a dedicated campsite host for this campsite when we went.

@YuvalR569 · Camped on Jun 18, 2021 at Campsite #1

lovely camp site, only thing is that spot #1 is too close to rest room and have bad smalls from the septic tank. Also some people played loud music after 10 pm violating the rules. No super attendant ever visted in the three days I was there, and so there is no enforcements of the laws.

@MaggieS862 · Camped on Jun 12, 2021 at Campsite #16

The campground was pretty, but the lack of water was challenging. Also, there were some loud large groups and the sites were close together. I didn't realize the size of the impact of the Castle fire when planning my trip; large swaths of the Sequoia National Forest are inaccessible/unusable due to the fire and I was disappointed that nearly all the trails I tried to visit were closed. Check with the rangers before you go to see what trails are available.

@BehzadA215 · Camped on Jun 5, 2021 at Campsite #6

After a lot of driving with no sign. We were lucky to find this camping at 10 pm . No light and nothing. Be careful if diving at night

@BehzadA3049879 · Camped on Jun 5, 2021 at Campsite #6

After a lot of driving with no sign. We were lucky to find this camping at 10 pm . No light and nothing. Be careful if diving at night

@MariaR649 · Camped on Aug 16, 2020 at Campsite #8

Campground itself is in a nice spot! But what made my stay unpleasant was the fly infested restrooms! Not to mention the mosquitoes! Even with the repellent we had mosquitoes trying to get to our face🤨. I'm not sure if I would stay here again, and that would be because of the fly and mosquito problem! You don't get much privacy here because campsites are kinda close to each other. There is a creek near the campground you'll see it as you pass a narrow bridge about a mile from coy flat. Look out for the dear! They hang around the area and we even had a chance to take a few pictures. We drove to Sequoia National Park it's about a 2 hr in a half drive but it's worth the drive! We also visited the Kern river in kernville it's a so beautiful! If this will be your first time in kernville and hang around for awhile you might see the super loud jet's that fly low and over the river! It's so cool! But very LOUD!!! I would stay at coy flat if it were my only option but I would definitely recommend crystal spring campground unfortunately it is closed and not opening this season 😔. Oh! and no campfires are allowed for obvious reasons! I'm not sure if all sites but we didn't have a container to store food away from bears. You need campfire permit to cook using a stove and propane tank. Hope my review helps in deciding your stay here, hope you enjoy your stay where ever you decide to camp.

@MarkP937 · Camped on Aug 6, 2020 at Campsite #17

We were in #17 & the site was super small. Our friends booked #16 and it was very large. Super quiet place, great for kids & liked the location as it was secluded. FYI the road from Springville takes 35 minutes and its super slow, full of curves etc. Great place though.

@DebraN502 · Camped on Aug 4, 2020 at Campsite #3

There was a broken branch hanging above our tent. Next Big wind, that’s branch us coming down

@PeterH129 · Camped on Aug 2, 2020 at Campsite #7

Great spot! And easy access to great trails

@TinaO764 · Camped on Jul 28, 2020 at Campsite #12

7/27-7/31. Campsite 11 &12 Rated good based on the fact that the area is beautiful with lots to explore & drive to. As for the sites we had they were completely in the sun and it was HOT-not enough shade. Also they were on an incline. We literally slid down our cots while we slept and were worried we’d fall into our little propane burner because our chairs would tip with the incline. Host was really really nice- although we never saw him until the night before our checkout. Lots of loose dirt on the sites & they are close to neighbors. Definitely not my favorite campground.

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