itOpened Guides · Sequoia National Forest
How to actually get a site at Princess — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch PrincessFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Princess Campground sits next to a large meadow at an elevation of 5,900 feet in the Indian Basin Grove. The campsite is just 3 miles northwest of Hume Lake. The 87-acre lake was built to support a one-time commercial logging operation, and is part of the Kings River Watershed, a region of the Sierra Nevada mountains replete with vast stands of timber. The lake now provides countless recreational opportunities for visitors. Recreation The Indian Basin Grove Interpretive Trail offers an accessible, paved half-mile loop, and an additional half-mile extension loop through the grove and meadow area. The trailhead is right outside the camp entrance.
| Total sites | 89 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Tent only, Standard |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 64 · Tent only 18 |
| Area | Sequoia National Forest |
| Managed by | USDA Forest Service |
| Activities | Backpacking, Birding, Camping, Day Use Area, Hiking, Historic & Cultural Site, Mountain Biking, Off Road Vehicle Trails, Photography, Star Gazing, Wildlife Viewing |
| Directory phone | 559-335-2232 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Princess is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Princess around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Tillie Creek | 137 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Live Oak South | 90 sites · same area |
| Hungry Gulch | 81 sites · same area |
| Pioneer Point | 80 sites · same area |
| Camp 9 | 80 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Princess campground page · Sequoia National Forest park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch PrincessFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.