Frazier Mills :: Mountain Home State Forest

We finally made it out to Frazier Mills and it was well worth the wait. We went the Thursday before Labor Day weekend and we stayed till Saturday, hoping to beat some of the holiday crowds.  To our surprise, on Thursday night only 3 or 4 out of the 46 sites were occupied. The campground is spread out so we really felt alone. It was one of those rare quiet nights, the only sound was coming from the small nearby creek. So rarely we do experience quietness on this level that it was a little jarring, a little unsettling. But it was so lovely at the same time. Not only was it quiet but it was pitch black dark because the thick Sequoia canopy, we felt hemmed in by the thick darkness that surrounded our fire.

Friday night was a different story, a lot of people showed up, and a few really loved their music and wanted to share it with the rest of the campground late into the night.  We have learned that camping in busy spots, or on busy weekends, usually means we're going to enjoy the beat of music to our fire. (We really DON'T understand what posses a person to play LOUD music while camping?!?!) Luckily, the site we picked didn't have any close neighbors, so even though we could hear the people across the creek we couldn't see anyone and we still felt secluded. Unfortunately we were "hearing" them well past 2am! Such bad camping etiquette..

Back in June when we were first trying to make it out this way we read that all campgrounds in Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest were free to the public. But as of August 1, 2011 there is a $15 fee to camp at all the campgrounds. At first we were bummed about the fee, but in talking with the camp host at Frazier Mills it might be a good thing after all. The camp host, who has been camping at Frazier Mills since the 60's, said that the place was becoming a spot where people knew they could party all night because no fee meant that there was no one patrolling the campground. With a little more regulation the campground is less of a "free for all" - which is good for us, a camping family.

The camp host, Dave, is really a friendly guy. He knows tons about the forest and the area, and he even gave us a map of the area which was really helpful. He told us about a spring that had really good water and, I kid you not, it is the best water we have ever tasted. And on top of that great piece of knowledge he told us where to pick wild blackberries - a magical experience to say the least.

The camp host, Dave, and his wife. Great people. (Don't ask about the confederate flag... we don't know the story!)

This is Greg, one of our neighbors on Thursday night. He is part of a nomadic religious family who strives to promote peace and love between humanity, the environment and God. It was a treat meeting him.

The best kitchen.

Everyone we met here was really friendly and the majority of people we met had been coming here for years, even decades. Since learning about Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest I have asked people if they've heard about it, and no one has!  And by talking to people who have been coming for years it seems to have been over looked by the crowds, who are drawn just north to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks. The people we met on this trip were really great people. The campground has a real friendly vibe, even when it got busier everyone stilled waved and said "hi" and it was real easy to start a conversation with fellow campers. 

The campground itself is broken up into three loops. The "E" loop is the loudest and most crowded loop. The "D" loop has the best campsite separation. And the "B" loop has some great sites, but definitely not as secluded as the "D" loop. We stayed in the "D" loop and found a really nice spot right on the creek with no other sites near by, perfect for little JW who can get a little loud in the middle of the night.  The campground is scatted with Giant Sequoias, with just as many huge fallen giant stumps. Some of the best Sequoia viewing is right there in the campground.  One of those trees IN the campground is the Nero Tree (below). It's a hollowed out HUGE stump that you can crawl into.

There is a lot to do in the area , but didn't do everything while we were there, so we are excited to return and explore some more! We've truly found a gem!

Another spot we liked tucked in the trees next to a small creek, site D1

Our site, D6, looking up from the creek.

This amazing stump marks the entrance to the campground

Dirty, dirty JW. He had a dirt mustache and dirt in his eyebrows. These days he isn't liking the confines of his pack and play. He prefers to get out and crawl around in the dirt. I think we are going to have to start bringing a bath tub.

JW and Justin inside the Nero stump. You have to crawl through that hole to get it!

Inside the Nero Stump

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A great shot of our campsite, it had a pretty mean slope but the sleeping area was perfectly flat. No neighbors within sight!

To get to Frazier Mills Campground:
From LA area take the 5 North
99  East towards Bakersfield
Take the 190 East toward Porterville
Pass through Porterville and Sringville
and make a left on top Balch Park Road
(look for a sign to "Mountain Home State Forest")
It's about 22 miles till you get to the campground.

Mountain Home State Forest

Wow, Mountain Home State Forest. Have you heard of it? We hadn't until recently.

Back in June we planned a camping trip with some friends who requested a place within five hours of LA and with lots of trees. Frazier Mills Campground in Mountain Home state forest is what we found. But back in early June the main road was CLOSED because of snow! We ended up camping at Belknap near Camp Nelson (Amanda wrote about it here) and it was amazing but a couple weeks ago we finally made it up into Mountain Home State Forest and we are so glad we did.


On the way up to the Sierras we drove through the outskirts of Bakersfield, through oil fields, pomegranate fields and ranches.  From Bakersfield you take the 99 to the 190 and once you get to Springville you take Balch Park Road up to MHSF. Blach Park Road is a beautiful drive through winding roads of oak groves. Somewhere in between the oak groves and the pine forest there are blackberry bushes EVERYWHERE and in the late summer it's the perfect time to pick some (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).

From Balch Park Road you can either continue on that road all the way to MHSF or you can make a right on Bear Creek Road and it will also lead you to the same place. We chose to take Balch Park Road on the way up and Bear Creek Road on the way down, both are beautiful drives. Balch Park is narrow and winding, and Bear Creek Road is steeper but a wider road.


Once you get up to MHSF you are suddenly in a forest were the ferns and Giant Sequoias rule the land.  There is something magical about seeing a giant sequoia's red bark through through the trees, dwarfing the massive pines that surround it in this old growth forest.

The campgrounds are all within an hours dive of each other so we recommend checking out more then one campground before you set up the tent. We stopped at the first one we came upon because JW was done being in the car after four and a half hours. But it worked out great, in fact we loved it.  But exploring the next day showed us that there were other great options.  There are six campgrounds (Frazier Mills, Hidden Falls, Moses Gulch, Shake Camp, Balch Park, Hendrick Pond) in the area that offer different things, some are by stocked fishing ponds, some are by streams (only one camp has no major sources of water around). There is also a seventh campground, Methuselah group that is reservation only. Methuselah is also one of the drier campgrounds.

There is a lot of great history in the area. John Muir quoted the area as being one of the finest Giant Sequoia groves in the Sierra. In 1946 in an effort to conserve the area the state purchased the land from a logging company by legislative action, and thereby created the first California State Forest.  There are many giant stumps in the area, and in some places just as many stumps as live trees. But the stumps themselves are so enormous that they are still quite inspiring to see.  Not to mention the archeological site with evidence of humans inhabiting the place for over 8,000 years.

One of the great things that MHSF offers is that there is PLENTY to do. We are excited about going back next year because there is so much more to do than what we fit into this trip, and we did a lot this trip!

There's the Hercules Tree, the Adam tree, several meadows and the Memorial Meadow (a memorial to a place crash), there are ponds for fishing, there's Hidden Falls and all it's swimming holes, Moses Gulch also has fishing and swimming holes, there is a museum, a native American archeological site (8,000 years old), an amazing-tasting fresh water spring, black berry picking, and lots of hikes.

The Hercules Tree

An impressively sized room was carved out of the middle of the tree

This is the road to Memorial Meadow, directly across from the Hercules Tree

We hiked the road for a bit to Memorial Meadow, but didn't make it there. You can also drive there, no 4-wheel drive necessary.

When we come back THIS is where I want to camp

There aren't many sites, they are all walk in AND they are a short distance from Hidden Falls

The water is FREEZING but you should definitely try to get in anyways. It's too beautiful to pass up!

We only explored a small area of Hidden Falls, there is definitely so many more amazing spots to explore.

When we asked the camp host at Frazier Mills what his favorite campsite was he said Moses Gulch was the best. Some of the sites are right next to the Tule Rive, near lots of great swimming holes and with great fishing.

One of the upper campsites, a little walk from the water

This is one of the ponds that is popular for fishing. There were definitely more people around the ponds compared to the rest of the forest. But it was Labor Day weekend, people were to be expected.

The amazing spring. This water is magical people. We were tempted to make a quick run back up the mountain just for this water.

This place was really neat to explore, lots of Tulare Native American history.

If you come at the right time of the year be sure do to some berry picking!