Where Does kind Store Clusters?
kind stores clusters as Docker containers plus kubeconfig contexts, with no separate state directory of its own.
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kind (Kubernetes in Docker) keeps no state folder of its own. Each cluster is a set of Docker containers (control-plane plus workers) plus a context appended to your kubeconfig. Config files you pass at creation are read once and never stored.
That ephemerality is the point for tests and a trap for pets. Anything worth keeping needs a hostPath or volume mount plus a kubeconfig backup. List clusters with kind get clusters before assuming one is gone.
Where kind stores this, by platform
~/.kube/config (kind contexts)
Clusters are Docker containers; access via contexts in ~/.kube/config. Persist data with extra mounts; node filesystems vanish on delete.
~/.kube/config (kind contexts)
Same Docker-plus-kubeconfig model on Docker Desktop. Colima or Rancher runtimes work too; contexts still land in the same kubeconfig.
%USERPROFILE%\.kube\config (kind contexts)
Same model under Docker Desktop for Windows. Keep the kubeconfig out of synced folders to avoid context fights between machines.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up a kind cluster?
Export the kubeconfig and back up persistent volume contents separately. kind nodes are disposable containers; only data in mounted volumes survives a rebuild.
How do I fully remove a kind cluster?
Run kind delete cluster and remove leftover containers and the kubeconfig context. Images stay cached in Docker unless pruned, which speeds the next create.
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