Already I’d taken my mom on two impressive hikes in about as many days: Panorama bluffs and Wind Wolves Preserve. How could I outdo those on the final day of her visit to Bakersfield?
We wanted views and wildflowers, without emptying the gas tank. So, on eastbound Highway 178 we headed up the Kern River Canyon.
Infinite adventures begin just that way. The Southern Sierra Nevada offers limitless recreation, not only on the water but over public property that’s wide open for exploration.
For those making a weekend vacation of it, breakfast in town starts the day in a relaxed, homey environment before visitors venture into the wild. Popular restaurant options abound in Kernville, Lake Isabella and Wofford Heights.
Keep an eye out for markets and convenience stores along the way. We get a kick out of stopping in to pick up whatever supplies we’re running low on. Large retail chains have a presence in the area, but there are enough independent stores to make visitors want to check out specialties for sale.
As much as it pains my friends and I to disclose our favorite things to do in the area, in the same way it’s dangerous to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater, there are a few options you should at least be aware of when making the trip east through the Kern River Canyon. Directions and trail descriptions are easy to find online. Just the same, keep them to yourself.
For decades, friends, family and I have done the weekend warrior thing around greater Lake Isabella. But I’d never set foot on the Kern River Trail. When Mom and I finally did, it was an experience we won’t forget. And on a weekday mid morning we were the only ones there.
The trailhead we took led west through fields of tall grass, fiddleneck and lupine. Before stopping for a picnic on an outcropping, we must have hugged the northern mountain slope more than a mile at a reasonable elevation gain.
That’s a particularly spectacular example, but it’s one of many that await a half hour to 45-minute drive up the canyon.
Even before you get to the lake, there’s a side adventure called Remington Hot Springs a short way off the 178. Since the elimination of a water-containment structure at nearby Miracle Hot Springs, Remington has become a leading public option for a hot bath in spring water.
Don’t underestimate the downhill hike to get there. It’s steep and can involve scrambling over rocks. It’s also less than half a mile long.
The menu of outdoor fun opens up when you get to the lake. This is where familiar, beloved excursions compete with innumerable paths yet untaken.
Bull Run Creek near Kernville is a classic. For miles hikers wind through a wilderness distinct for its mix of pine, oak and chaparral. Zen pools reward the most persistent seekers.
Further from the lake, Packsaddle Cave remains a favorite, intimidating though the journey be.
It’s two miles up a relentless mountain. At one point the path becomes a little hard to follow as it crosses a creek. Those who make it both miles will want to rest in a cave that’s ample enough to invite exploration without posing a risk of getting lost.
Or, hike up River Trail near the Johnsondale Bridge. Perfect for fishing, it takes visitors more than five miles along the mighty Kern. But remember the Merle Haggard song and don’t try to swim in the river or attempt to cross it in high flows.
Something else to consider is a drive out to the trailhead for Coso Mine Loop Trail for one of what I understand is among the area’s most popular hikes. The mostly shadeless Isabella Peak Trail takes a little more than two miles to reach a grand view of Kern River Valley.
This is one of the few well-known hikes my friends and family have never been on (unless someone’s been holding out on me). From what I understand, it’s got a few short, steep climbs with some mercifully flat parts.
Less ambitious hikers can stick to the mine loop, which takes hikers or mountain bikers on a tour that includes the historic Coso Mine that dates to the local gold rush.
There’s more. Much more. But part of the fun is finding them on your own.