Bakersfield Life

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Daytrippin’ through Kern County

So much to see and so much ground to cover. Having trouble making up your mind? Take a look at these routes when assembling your Kern County driving tours. Each of these routes launches and ends in Bakersfield, but the loops can be joined at any point along the route.

Forts and Sports

Explore some unique history at two wildly different kinds of forts, and mix in the scenery of the forest and the quaint communities that call this area home. You may even see some wildlife along the way.
Take Highway 99 to Interstate 5 South to Fort Tejon State Park at Lebec. Established in 1854, the fort was headquarters for United States forces in the region. Known as the “First Dragoons,” these troops attempted to use camels, quite unsuccessfully, for desert travel. Now partially restored, the fort hosts monthly Civil War battle re-enactments during the summer.
Just to the south along I-5 are the mountain communities of Lebec and Frazier Park. Brace yourself for a region of “away-from-it-all” scenery. This scenic mountain paradise was a meeting ground for local Indian tribes. It was also the scene of frantic gold prospecting more than 100 years ago. From here you can take the half-hour drive up 8,831-foot Mt. Pinos via the Mt. Pinos Road. The winding road offers a magnificent view of the Los Padres National Forest, while the alpine camp at the summit is a favorite staging area for hiking and birding excursions. At night the parking area becomes filled with amateur astronomers who benefit from clear, dark skies that are miles from the nearest city lights.
Farther west along Mil Potrero Highway, you’ll find the private community of Pine Mountain Club. Lush pinion pine forest and subtle creeks run throughout the landscape. Eclectic shops and restaurants throughout the unique downtown cater both to locals and weekend visitors. Be on the lookout for familiar faces. The solitude combined with proximity to Hollywood has made this a favorite weekend getaway for celebrities.
Cerro Norroeste Road dead ends at state Route 33. A jog to the left takes you to Soda Lake Road and the Carrizo Plain National Monument, where a visitor center offers looks at the San Andreas Fault and Painted Rock. Head right and you drop toward the Central Valley. A marker between Maricopa and Taft marks the site of historic Lakeview Gusher, one of the West’s richest oil strikes.
Continue north on Highway 33 to Taft, where you can visit the West Kern Oil Museum.  This museum replicates an early oil camp complete with vintage equipment and vehicles.
Turning back toward Bakersfield on state Route 119 you’ll pass the signs for the community of Tupman, home of the Tule Elk State Reserve. Dedicated in 1932, the 950-acre reserve protects a herd of tule elk, once in danger of extinction. The park includes interpretive exhibits, along with picnic sites from which it’s often possible to spot the animals.
 

Wild and Scenic Kern

Take a look at Kern’s unique natural treasures. Visit a native zoo and botanical garden; marvel at the power of whitewater rapids as you follow the Kern River through narrow canyons to Lake Isabella. See the massive Sequoias, and then explore some local history.
Start your trip at the California Living Museum (10500 Alfred Harrell Highway), located just northeast of Bakersfield near the Kern River and Lake Ming. Here you’ll find Kern’s original residents hanging out the welcome mat. This unique zoo and botanical garden is focused on indigenous wildlife.  From here, Highway 178 starts its intimate acquaintance with the river’s steep-walled canyon. The wild and scenic Kern River, host to a number of international whitewater kayaking competitions, froths and tumbles along this rocky course. This area is popular for fishing and picnicking, but be careful. The water can be deceptively swift and dangerous. All rafters and thrill seekers on the Kern River are reminded to wear a life jacket and please don’t brave the river without a licensed and experienced whitewater outfitter.
Within 30 minutes or so, you’ll find yourself at Isabella Lake. An earthen dam at the southwestern end blocks the Kern River to create the reservoir. Now you’ve got a choice to make.
Boats for fishing or lake exploration may be rented along the shore. Highway 178 continues east, taking you to the flora and fauna of Weldon and the Audubon Kern River Preserve. Head north along Highway 155 and you’ll find the entrance to historic Keysville, the first community resulting from the Kern River gold strike. A third option is to continue farther north to Kernville at the northern end of the lake where museums, campgrounds and a fish hatchery await. This is also the launching point for tours of the Trail of 100 Giants, the southernmost grove of mighty Giant Sequoias.
Westbound on Highway 155, the community of Glennville offers a batch of side trips to ranch resorts, mines, historic monuments and mountain lairs. At Woody, the road divides to provide yet another choice of routes. The shorter way goes south through the former Butterfield Stagecoach stop of Granite Station and on through oil fields to Bakersfield via Oildale, or continue down state Route 155 toward Delano.
Located in the midst of a San Joaquin Valley vineyard region, Delano sits astride the main valley artery of Highway 99. Take time to visit Delano Heritage Park, home to a city museum with historic buildings dating back to 1876. East of Delano is Lake Woollomes, where you may picnic or rent a boat. You can also extend your excursion with side trips to see Shafter’s Minter Field Air Museum and Shafter Depot Museum. It’s time now to head to Wasco, the Rose Capital of America, for a tour of the impressive grounds at Weeks Roses. Wasco is also famous for its annual rose festival, held the first weekend after Labor Day.

The Best of Both Worlds

Take a trip through two major mountain ranges with a stop in the high desert in between. Your tour includes natural beauty, aerospace, big cats and a railroading marvel.
Take Highway 58 east out of Bakersfield and exit at Keene. Continue east on Woodford-Tehachapi Road to a railroad-engineering marvel. When seen from the historical marker at roadside, the rails of the Tehachapi Loop seem to be making two circles, winding around themselves like a snake. It’s here where you’ll see longer freight trains cross 77 feet over the cars still worming into the tunnel below.
Continue east to Highway 202, and then turn left into the city of Tehachapi. With a name variously attributed to the Indian word for “windy place” and for “plenty of acorns and good water,” wind farms and tasty apples have helped to make the community’s reputation.
At an elevation of about 4,000 feet, the valley is famous for its apples. The community is also famous for its many public murals. The eastern portion of Tehachapi Boulevard evokes a Route 66 feel and has been featured in television commercials.
Return to Highway 58 and travel east through the Tehachapi Pass, where the landscape has gone “green” in more than one respect. Hillsides are dotted with an impressive array of windmill-like turbines that capture the energy of prevailing breezes, providing one of the America’s more impressive renewable energy resources.
At the intersection of highways 14 and 58 lies Mojave, now the hub of private aerospace development. Mojave Spaceport is the nation’s first FAA-licensed inland spaceport and the launch site of SpaceShipOne, which completed the first private sub-orbital space flight in 2004.
South on Highway 14 you’ll find the town of Rosamond         and the famed Willow Springs International Raceway, a nine-track complex known the world over. Rosamond is also home to the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound, where more than 70 big cats are on display.
It’s a short drive back to Mojave, then east along Highway 58 to Boron. The Borax Visitor Center, sits on the lip of a gigantic pit measuring half a mile long and deeper than a 40-story building. Then visit the twin Twenty Mule Team and Col. Vernon P. Saxon Aerospace museums for a trip through time. Constructed in a house rescued from the original Baker Mine, the Twenty Mule Team Museum contains memorabilia from the town’s early mining days. The Col. Vernon P. Saxon Aerospace Museum commemorates the accomplishments of Kern County’s “Aerospace Valley.”
Back on Highway 58, drive east to U.S. 395 and then turn left (north) to the living ghost town of Randsburg. Even from a distance, it looks more like a movie set than a town. Houses and stores are perched on the rocky slope, shouldered tightly on three sides by mine workings and heaps of tailings. Randsburg was a roaring town when the Yellow Aster Mine was pouring out gold.
Drive east to US 395, then north again to Ridgecrest, the largest city in eastern Kern. Ridgecrest is home to the China Lake Naval Weapons Station and the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology, the world’s largest armament museum. Here you’ll also find the Maturango Museum, with exhibits and events featuring the natural and cultural history of the Indian Wells Valley.
If you’re a movie buff looking for a side trip, 45 minutes east of town via Highway 178 are the awe-inspiring Trona Pinnacles, mammoth tufa spires resting on what was once ocean floor. If they look familiar, think “Planet of the Apes” or “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.” The area is a favorite with Hollywood.
Our tour heads west on Highway 178, then south again on Highway 14 to Red Rock Canyon State Park. The colorful sandstone formations straddle the highway. These scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations were forged where the rugged Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso Range. On weekends you may be fortunate enough to catch a morning nature hike or evening campfire program. Then it’s back on Highway 14 to Highway 58 and west to Bakersfield, completing the loop.