Balch Park Campground

Springville, California

About

Balch Park is a unit of the Tulare County park system, nestled amongst the vast and famous places of Sequoia National Park and the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The park is home to the largest trees in the world, growing in the mountains that dominate the eastern half of Tulare County. The story of Balch Park goes back to the late 19th century and a pioneer entrepreneur named John Doyle, who intended to develop the property as a mountain resort. However, the lot sales never happened, and Doyle maintained control of the entire tract until he finally sold it in 1906 to the Mt. Whitney Power Company. The company intended to cut the sequoias and use the lumber to build a flume to carry water to a new power plant. Fate intervened when engineer John Hays Hammond's wife, Natalie Harris Hammond, convinced her husband not to allow the harvesting of the 200 large sequoias on the site. The property was eventually purchased privately in 1923 by Allan C. Balch of Los Angeles, president of the San Joaquin Light and Power Company, with the express intent that it be given to the County of Tulare as a public park. The donation was finalized in December 1930. Today, the park offers camping, hiking, and other recreational activities, making it a comfortable place to visit. The park is open approximately mid-May to mid-November, depending on weather, and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and sequoias.

Amenities

Available Site Types

• Camping (first come, first served, no reservations, no RV hookups)

Local Attractions

• Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest
• Sequoia National Park
• Giant Sequoia National Monument
• Sequoia National Forest
• Tule River