Lake Isabella / Kern River KOA

As we first drove in we were SHOCKED at how small and empty this KOA was. We were actually dissapointed in the activities for kids, the worker did try to make it fun but it wasnt organized or well thought out games. Most reviews were so good and thats why we booked, but again we were dissapointed. The deluxe cabin for 8 was small, but brand new. Although brand new, they didnt have it very clean when we checked in. Food in freezer and fridge from previous vacationers, blinds were filthy, bugs on ever window seal, floors dusty, toilet not cleaned, just basic stuff that should be cleaned that wasnt. Such a nice new cabin but kept so dirty. Pool was cloudy all 4 days we were there. Kitchenette by office was disgusting, game room was tiny and dirty, laundry room also dirty with tons of flies in it. I know its camping and you cant be too picky about things but how hard is it to keep this small campground clean, it really wasnt that busy! Thank goodness we found white water rafting in Kernville and the Trail of 100 giants to keep us busy during the days.

I need to update my review to a full blown five stars.
The issue we had with the noise of the bar patrons was resolved by a quick chat with the management.
Frankly, everything else is wonderful. Especially the staff.
OK…I have one small complaint: The sites are so well shaded that our solar lights don’t get enough sun to fully charge!
Highly recommended.

We stayed here last weekend and again this weekend. The first time we stayed here, it was great. We got a spot that was completely shaded. The only complaint that I have is that the fire pits were too close to our tent space. That was probably due to the fact that we were given an RV spot and not a tent spot. So this weekend I asked for a tent spot with no hook ups. It was 100% better. We were able to have a campfire for smores.
During the summer, Fridays they host an ice cream social where they serve ice cream. you take your bowl and serve you some deliciousness. Saturday night they have movie night. The screen is located at the playground. Sunday mornings they have a pancake breakfast. Last weekend we had pancakes and sausage. This weekend we just had pancakes.
We didn’t cook at the community kitchen, but we did wash our dishes at the sink area. I love the idea of the kitchen area!
The bathrooms are clean and showers are free. There are mirrors and plenty of sinks for us women. :)
There’s a small playground for small children and a tether ball pole/​ball & volleyball for the older kids.
The general store has a lot of items that you might need in case you forgot something at home. Try their cappuccinos. They’re delicious. Oh, they also have ice for sale if yours melts.
The pool is a nice size. There’s a shaded patio and more space for the sun enthusiasts. There are plenty of chairs. The sign said «heated pool», but I don’t think it was. We went swimming late at night and it was cold, but felt good because it was still in the 80’s.
There’s a space for your 4legged, barking friends. Kamp K9. It’s a small enclosure for your pups to play around. We brought our dog camping and he loved it.
All in all, we enjoyed out stays here. The staff was extremely friendly. We will be back.

Stay away if you are coming for the lake and fishing. They stopped stocking the lake because the lake is pretty much gone. As to koa, it is on the smaller side compare to other koa i been to, but got everything (store, bar, kids playground, pool and dog playground). We stayed at site T27 and it was a good size dirt tent site with table, fire ring, power outlet, water and shaded with trees. Parking is right at the site. They had free ice cream on Fri night, movie night on Sat and pancakes breakfast on Sun.
The reason why I give it a 2 stars is because of the cockroaches infestation at my site and few other next to my site T 27. The cockroaches were everywhere and run under my tents foot prints at night. I understand that we were tent camping and ok with bugs like flies and spiders, but not really with hundreds of cockroaches. I told the stuff after i found out how bad the cockroasch issue was in hopes that they can do something the next day, but i returns to my site next night with the same situation. I didnt bother to talk to them again as I found that other sites next to me also had the same problem.

Stayed here for 2 nights. The kids really enjoyed themselves. The staff were friendly and helpful. They organized relay/​water balloon races with the kids, a movie night, ice cream social, and free pancake breakfast on Sunday. The pool was fun for the kids, and it has a kiddie pool attached that is about 18″ deep. Perfect for toddlers.
The store is well equiped with essentials, including pool noodles, snacks, food, pots/​pans, and stove rental (and things you may have forgotten to bring). There is an adjacent bar.
Next to the store is a community kitchen that offers a microwave, 5 stove tops (only 3 seemed to be working), outlets, sinks and countertops. This made it convenient to cook.
The park was fun for the kids, but in direct heat. There is not enough shade there, so we were only able to use the park super early in the morning or in the evening. They have a couple slides and cute lilttle wooden buildings, that look like a western town. They also have huge rope spider web to crawl on.
Each site has a fire pit. There is not a lot of lighting at night so definately bring lanterns and flashlights. There is a gas station 1.6 miles past the KOA, and a market/​deli.
At the back of the KOA is a dog trail, where you can walk the dogs and let them do their business.
The cons were that the KOA is right off the main highway and has the feeling of sleeping in a parking lot, rather than the woods. The bathrooms are EXTREMELY hot due to the showers being inside. It feels like a suana when you have to use the bathroom, and there are a ton of bugs inside as well. The water from the shower drains onto the bathroom stall floors and makes it really slippery, so wear water shoes.
The river is about a 20 minute drive up.

We stayed here with 4 kids this weekend, they had a blast. It was very hot, but that can’t really be helped in the summer. The store employees were really nice and helpful. The pool was cold, not heated, but it felt good in the summer heat. They had movie night on Saturday after relay races and a free pancake breakfast on Sunday. The kids had tons of fun. We made s’more at our campsite and cooked at the communal kitchen that was very clean and easy to use. Lots of bugs there– that was the worst part. The bathroom is also the shower area, so the floor was usually wet and there were bugs on the faucets, the floor, the walls. Wear shoes! I wish I would have noticed the splash pad, that probably would have been fun too. We were a little close to the street, causing the cars to sometimes wake me up a few times during the night. Nice time.

We (family of 4) stayed here for two nights, on two occasions, at the beginning and end of our trip from San Diego to Yosemite. Originally, I booked it to have a pitstop on the way to/​from Yosemite, but quickly found that this was a great destination by itself! Super kid friendly with a splash pad, kiddie pool attached to the main swimming pool (open till 10pm!!!), mining trough, huge playground with little wood play houses and a huge rope spider web, swings, and movie night on Saturday night. They also offer a free pancake breakfast, which was very tasty, and ice cream social on specific days/​nights. The staff was super friendly and helpful. They clearly take pride in providing a great experience for all the campers. I’ve stayed at KOAs all across the country and this is definitely one of the best I’ve experienced. My only draw backs were the bugs and the heat, which come with the territory during CA summer :)

we drove almost 3 hrs to get there, hopeing to jumping a lake. the lake is 90% gona and you cant even see it from the campground so don’t get ecxited about that, however this little campground is as good as it gets! it was super hot so we went from their splish spleash to the pool and back all day… outdoor movie at night for kids, great playground, horse show game, bar, store,…very clean very friendly! had a great weekend even without the lake oh and bring your dirt bikes! dirt bike heaven!

This place is actually quite small compared to other KOA. We stayed in sites 126, 127, and 128 and they were bigger and had more shade throughout the day. The problem with 128 though is it is right next to a big group tent and a walkway right through the site so kind of annoying on that regard. There is water and electricity on the sites. No grass, just dirt sites. It gets windy so make sure you got plenty of stuff in the tent otherwise it will blow away. The bathrooms are nice with free showers. Well kept and clean. The game room is small and a bit run down. The pool was supposed to be heated but it was ice cold. The kids didn’t stay long at all. Another factor from giving it a 5 star was our kids never got a wristband for kids activities and my son made a sad face when he was playing at the playground and they were handing out stuff. He wasn’t able to join cause no wristband. He was able to have the amazing pancake breakfast and ice cream social but kind of sad to see his sad face. Small yet effective store and very friendly service.

The staffs were very nice and friendly, a plus. We car-​camped in the RV campground. The campground was nice and clean, shaded trees, but were too close to the neighbors. The women’s showers need some work as 2 out of 3 showers have no water pressures; also need to install hooks to hang clothes. Security definitely needs work as 2 of our coolers, packed with food, were stolen while we were out exploring. The staffs were great; they ordered pizza and chicken wings for us, but regardless, we preferred to have our cooler not stolen.

We LOVE this place! Been there 3 times, once on motorcycle. Rented a cabin. Pretty cool. Next time tent camping! Had a Blast. This month we took our new travel trailer and grandson & daughter. So many activities and fun things to do. Very comfortable & Clean. The Entire staff was amazing. But the owners, Brian & his Beautiful wife make every visit there the best time ever. The pride they take in the campground is very evident in all they do. My Grandson loved his «minion» pancake. They go out of their way to make camping a Truly Memorable time for everyone. Can’t wait til our next trip! Thanks to All at KOA Weldon!

We had a decent experience at this KOA location. It’s still at least 20 mins away (minimum) from any points of interest but the drive is not to bad. The camp ground is decent, the photos are pretty accurate on the Unilocal site. My main complaint is with the trash, there was plenty of trash behind our cabin and the managers trash sat outside the entire time we were there. Someone did go around and pickup some trash, not sure how they missed the trash out side the managers cabin but appear animals started to eat through the bags. The pool is not heated as stated. The showers in the public restrooms could use new hardware. The hot water was inconsistent the shower heads could be replaced too. The WiFi is not very good but if you LTE from Verizon then you’re golden. The children’s playground could use some repairs, the swings were broken and left on the ground; some of the other play areas were broken too and not to safe for children. The staff is very polite and helpful, it would help if they were more familiar with the area and points of interest. The cabins looked fairly new but could use more attention. Overall it was a decent camp ground but could use some more general cleaning and repairs around the area.
On another note, it’s crazy how fast Verizon’s LTE connection is available in this location. You’re in the middle of no where and the connection is faster than my cable at home:

Nice location and very affordable. Super friendly staff. Clean bathroom and showers.
Great swimming pool. The kamper kitchen was a great touch. Made it easy to cook and clean for large groups. The camp site is well maintained with lots of shade.
Close to the Kern river and the lake.
Definite recommend.

Ahh yes the KOA in Weldon. Perfect driving distance to Lake Isabella and Kern River. The grounds were well kept, wonderful helpful staff. The owners make their rounds letting you know of the days activities. In our case it was relay races and movie night in the park Saturday, Sunday was free popcorn with various seasoning. And Monday was free pancake breakfast. Super kid friendly with the playground, pool, mini-​water park, mining box all for free. The banana bikes are very popular and affordable to rent.
If you’re looking for a wonderful camp ground in the area this is the spot.

very clean bathrooms and great customer service! will def come back!!! :)

Megan did a fantastic job in making our stay comfortable. She is full of information and so sweet and helpful. There are a few campgrounds in Kernville, but this KOA is worth the short 15 drive from town. They are kid friendly with a play area, outdoor movie night, indoor arcade, and ice cream social on Fridays (free). There is an outdoor kitchen area which was helpful as well as a microwave (a little dated). The pool appeared clean and the right temperature. The bathroom are cleaned daily and the mini-​market and pub are reasonably priced.
Even though the spaces are next to each other, everyone was polite and respectful of each other’s privacy. The only issue was a large party that rolled in Friday night after 10:00pm and stayed up until midnight loud and noisy. Megan did a great job informing them about quiet hours and asking them to keep the noise down. However, a few minutes after she left, they started up again as if it was daylight. Saturday night we had enough so we firmly and loudly educated the rude group on the definition of quiet hours. The kids and dogs from the other families were well behaved and quiet at night. Kudos to those parents/​owners. They could have taught the adults from the large group on proper camping etiquette.
To those new to camping, quiet hours are usually 10:00pm — 6:00am. That means extinguish the fire, go to bed and whisper if you have to communicate. Most campers get to bed early so they can get up early. A campground is not your backyard so be respectful to others. If you want to talk and party around the fire past 10:00pm then rent a vacation home and pitch tents in the backyard, or find an campground far away from other sites. Voices/​noises carry at night because no one else is making any noise. To allow your kids to bounce off the walls until midnight is just plain rude and ignorant.
Not much in Weldon, but Megan and KOA made our stay comfortable. we would recommend this campground. Enjoy! Thanks again Megan!!!

I was very pleased with my stay at the KOA. I made the reservations for our high school mountain bike team. We had several spots and they were very accommodating to making sure our spots were together. The staff was very helpful and polite. The bathrooms and showers were clean and maintained. They also have a Kamper Kitchen (community kitchen) which made cooking for a large group easy to do! We will definitely book here again next year.

Spent 5 days and 4 nights with entire family for Thanksgiving. 7 adults and two kids under 5 yrs.
To begin with, the young lady I spoke with on the phone was very helpful and made sure my whole 3 campsite party was right together and that we were close to the playground. Great activities for the kids, they were able to buy small bags from the store and «mine» pretty rocks and fossils, there was turkey hat craft time, tie dye t-​shirt time, movie night under the stars, and a caravan drive out to the trail of 100 giants, which my 4 year old loved. There was literally something fun to do every day, if you wanted.
The bathrooms were clean, and always stocked, and since it was rather chilly it was extra nice that they were warm! The staff came by with trash bags and delivered ice and firewood when we purchased them, instead of lugging it across the campground ourselves. The staff was super helpful and very kind, the owner even made my daughter a mickey mouse pancake on the complementary pancake breakfast Sunday morning.
There was pretty valley right behind us and trails to take the kids out on. One day we drove into Kernville and had lunch in a little park next to the river. We wouldn’t have known about the park if we hadn’t asked at front desk.
We really enjoyed our time there, it was relaxing and fun for the whole crowd!
Many thanks Lake Isabella KOA Staff!

Was a guest of a guest. Good store. Good pool. Clean. Nice owners. Always supplied trash bags, ran ice over, and helped out.

We came here for a multi family 2 night stay. We tent camped and our cpsite was 20 feet off of the highway. The traffic on hwy 178 does not decrease at night time. We were awakened at 7am by a concrete mixing truck parked 40 feet from our tents. They were pouring concrete to repair the men’s showers which had been out of service since our arrival. The broken mens showers caused the women’s restrooms to be coed throughout our trip. We were sorely disappointed when we asked the office staff where the trail of 100 giants was and where the natural watersides were that they advertised on their KOA website as nearby attractions. We were informed they were an hour to hour and half away from the campground. The pool was nice, the splash pad was also clean and functioning, and the Kamp Kitchen was useful but filthy. The bathrooms were nice but layered in gnats an inch deep by morning. Nobody cleaned the bathrooms until after we had used them. It is an ok place to stay… a short drive to the lake but hardly worth the fee that a KOA charges for the supposed upgrades.