Princess Campground — Hotel in Shaver Lake

This was a first tent camping experience for my small family of three. I was adamant about getting a campground with showers, but they were all booked. Luckily we were led here or we might not have discovered this campground. The place is beautiful, and campsites are pretty spread out. Like other reviews say, the sites on the outside have the most space. There's a nice trail with direct access from the campground, (stroller friendly) which takes you to a meadow and through some trees. Having a direct access trail was a luxury since we had a toddler, which meant there was no having to pack things up to just get out a wander for a little while. Vault toilets were just that, vault toilets. Nothing fancy, nothing terrible. Kept as clean as they can be kept. Didn't bother us, although I can say I'd get a site directly next to one. ||||We were in site 85, which wasn't the best, although it is next to a water spout so that was convenient. We went through all loops and noted several amazing sites, most all on the outside of the loops. ||||Speaking of traveling with a young one, this is are great spot if you are! Convenience is key with young children and this campground is also very close to two other things-to-do, Hume Lake (10mins) and Grant Grove Trail (15mins). We were camping in late July and temperatures were in the high 90's. With the humidity as well, this was absolutely miserable in the day. For our days we were either on trails under the shade of the large sequoias, or at Hume Lake. Way too hot to be at camp. Yes there are trees at camp providing some shade, but not like on the trails. What we also liked about this campground was that it wasn't a completely crowded mess as most of the others are inside of Sequoia National Park. Yes some of the major trails were a good 45mins or more away, but it was worth being away from the crowds, plus the drive is beautiful.||||Hume Lake was a little piece of Heaven on these scorching days. Our family enjoyed the shade of the trees and cooling off in what felt like a perfect temperature water of the lake. Spending a full day here was easy. Pack food, chairs, and don't forget a blow up tube or something similar to relax. You won't be sorry. Again, only 10mins from Princess. Loved that. Also, they have ice, gas and food here, which we also loved.||||Grant Grove Trail was a short trail that was stroller friendly. Also very close to Princess (15mins). Beautiful trail but very short. We really liked the 1hr drive to Kings Canyon at Road's End. The river was beautiful and nice to dip in...although freezing even in the hot weather! On the way there/back is Zumwalt Meadows. We didn't care for the trail, but the views were great and the bridge was neat. Also an 1hr away from camp was the Congress Trail with the World Famous General Sherman Tree before you start. Brace yourself for the crowds, and whatever the trail guides say, this trail is NOT, I repeat NOT stroller friendly. You will be hating life if you bring one. I promise. If you are daring, then please at least take the shuttle to the bottom (where you can only shuttle, as there is no parking allowed). The trail isn't that miserable with a stroller itself, mostly just the journey to it from parking. If after reading this you decide to take a stroller from the parking area down to the General Sherman and/or the Congress Trail you will not be happy. I don't care if your the most fit person in the world. I'm not kidding, do not forget this! Quite a few of us, ourselves included, endured...

-RESERVATIONS WARNING-- ||What-to-do when your reservation magically disappears||||DAY 1: When we arrived with the kids after a 5-hour drive, we were told that our "verified" reservation was somehow magically not there. Recreation.gov showed it, but it was "not on their paper list." Someone else was in our spot we were told. After 3 hours of them telling us "we are sorry, the campground is full," as us not leaving to drive home 5 hours in the dark... they "found us a site for 3 days." ||||DAY 2: The next morning the campground hosts came to tell us, that "whoops" our site was reserved and we pack up all our stuff and move. Bummer. ||||The campground host said she would move us a new site for the remaining 2 nights. We started moving down to that site... when last minute she asked us to move to a different site, to "help them settle a dispute between neighbors." They put us next to the problem folks. We packed up all our gear and drove to the "new, new" site. ||||DAY 3: The 3rd morning the camp manager came over to tell us that "whoops" again, again, our spot was reserved and we have to move a 3rd time! She offered us the site across the road. We started packing up... and guess what!? She came back 20 minutes later... "whoops x 4!" it was reserved!! BUT... we could go back to our original site 59, because now it was empty and magically now it showed up on their paper list. ||||As a fun note: I checked on 59 (our original reservation) every day, and it was empty all weekend!! I mentioned this to them and they insisted it was reserved. ||||** By this point we were so fed up with the absolute ineptitude, confusion and complete lack of organization by the campground hosts that we packed up a day early and drove home. ||||CONCLUSION: I have been camping my whole life, all over the US. I'm also a professional guide as well. NOT ONCE in my 25 years of booking sites through REC.gov have I ever had a problem like this. It was a total mess. I know the hosts were doing their best to remedy the situation however is was done very poorly. Every day a new person would promise us several nights and then the next person on duty would kick us out. Every day they just passed us on to the next person on duty, who would then verify that what we have been promised the day before was a lie. We were like the can the just kept getting kicked down the road. I really hope this gets remedied. Because planning your family vacation months ahead of time, only to show up to this confusion is completely unacceptable...

--RESERVATIONS WARNING-- What-to-do when your reservation magically disappears

DAY 1: When we arrived with the kids after a 5 hour drive, we were told that our "verified" reservation was somehow magically not there. Recreation.gov showed it, but it was "not on their paper list." Someone else was in our spot we were told. After 3 hours of them telling us "we are sorry, the campground is full," as us not leaving to drive home 5 hours in the dark... they "found us a site for 3 days."

DAY 2: The next morning the campground hosts came to tell us, that "whoops" our site was reserved and we pack up all our stuff and move. Bummer.

The campground host said she would move us a new site for the remaining 2 nights. We started moving down to that site... when last minute she asked us to move to a different site, to "help them settle a dispute between neighbors." The put us next to the problem folks. We packed up all our gear and drove to the "new, new" site.

DAY 3: The 3rd morning the camp manager came over to tell us that "whoops" again, again, our spot was reserved and we have to move a 3rd time! She offered us the site across the road. We started packing up... and guess what!? She came back 20 minutes later... "whoops x 4!" it was reserved!! BUT... we could go back to our original site 59, because now it was empty and magically now it showed up on their paper list.

As a fun note: I checked on 59 (our original reservation) every day, and it was empty all weekend!! I mentioned this to them and they insisted it was reserved.

** By this point we were so fed up with the absolute ineptitude, confusion and complete lack of organization by the campground hosts that we packed up a day early and drove home.

CONCLUSION: I have been camping my whole life, all over the US. I'm also a professional guide as well. NOT ONCE in my 25 years of booking sites through REC.gov have I ever had a problem like this. It was a total mess. I know the hosts were doing their best to remedy the situation however is was done very poorly. Every day a new person would promise us several nights and then the next person on duty would kick us out. Every day they just passed us on to the next person on duty, who would then verify that what we have been promised the day before was a lie. We were like the can the just kept getting kicked down the road. I really hope this gets remedied. Because planning your family vacation months ahead of time, only to show up to this confusion is completely unacceptable...