Introduction:
Three Rivers Hideaway offers a perfect location for exploring Sequoia National Park, but it can be a challenge for bigger RVs or people looking for any amount of space.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 2.6/5
Price per night / Discounts: $59.00 / None
Campground website: Three Rivers Hideaway
Our Site #: 26
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
2.0/5: Sites are lined up right next to one another and there is very little spacing between them. There are a couple trees, but nothing of significance. Also, between tourists visiting the national park and locals who come on weekends, the campground is basically packed every day during the Summer. So, if you come to this campground during high season, prepare to be right on top of your neighbor.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
4.0/5: For access to Sequoia NP, you can't get any better than this campground. It is just a mile or two from the southern entrance to the park. Additionally, it's located right on the Kaweah River, which gives visitors access to a beautiful river right from the campground. So for all those purposes, it was very convenient. If you head west from the campground entrance, you can find some small markets, shops, and restaurants. Bigger grocery stores and conveniences an be found in Woodlake, 20 minutes away, or Visalia, 30 minutes away.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
2.5/5: The sites are all level and the utilities were fine, however, the campground is very small and tight and I would not recommend it for very large RVs. We were able to get into our site easily because our neighbors across from us hadn't checked in yet, but a couple hours later, it would have been tougher. The driveway into the campground is also small and there aren't many places to park while checking in, so RVs frequently back up at the entrance. The whole place just feels very tight and much better suited to smaller set ups.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, campground wifi, and staff):
2.5/5: Customer service was friendly and helpful. We had to call for reservations, but they didn't require a deposit or anything, just a card to hold our spot. There was no workable wifi or cell service (we had no Verizon signal at all and a tiny bit of AT&T on occasion).
Overall Value Rating (the overall value of the campground; was it overpriced for what it was?):
2.0/5: The nightly rate is very high given the feel of the campground. Sites are jammed in together with no privacy, there seemed to be a lot of run down buildings, unkempt landscaping, and some of the locals that showed up on weekends were noticeably unfriendly. You're really paying for the access to the national park and the river - and those were great, but it definitely felt a bit overpriced otherwise.
Summary:
This campground could be a real gem given its location, but it didn't have a great feel. The folks who run it are friendly enough and it served our purposes alright, but it could be really nice if they cleaned it up a bit, removed a couple sites, installed decent wifi, and just made it nicer. For $59 per night, it felt overpriced, though it did provide excellent access to Sequoia NP.
