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Kern River Campout
Headquarters Campground
Come spend 4 days camped along the banks of the mighty Kern River. Headquarters campground is located in the Sequoia National Forest at an elevation of 2800 ft along the wild upper portion of the Kern River, and we have secured 5 partially shady sites along/near the river.
We are only allowed 10 vehicles total, so ride sharing is highly encouraged. When registering be sure to respond to the question about carpooling. Please join the waitlist if registration is full, and we’ll add additional registrations as we get a vehicle count.
This announcement will initially only go to members of GOLA. Soon thereafter it will be sent to everyone who has indicated an interest in camping with Great Outdoors. Please register ASAP if you wish to go.
There are a number of hikes that start in/near Kernville or further north near Johnsondale. Peppermint Falls will definitely be flowing with this year’s precipitation and offers some “teacups” to take a dip in. There is also river access within the campground. We will post river conditions as we get them.
The small town of Kernville (about 4 miles south) has numerous shops, restaurants, a full grocery store, gas, and even a brewery. Further south is Lake Isabella where boats or kayaks can be rented. There is fishing in the Kern River and Lake Isabella yielding bass and rainbow trout. Permits are required.
GO is not organizing Kern River Rafting. If you want to go rafting, please arrange on your own. 2 companies are listed below and GO does not endorse or recommend either of them. Whitewater Voyage is the company we’ve used before, (http://www.whitewatervoyages.com/packages.php) and they offer Lower Kern rafting in June. Kern River Outfitters (https://kernrafting.com/) offers Upper Kern rafting in June. Contact the companies directly for information and reservations.
Be sure to bring your 10 essentials, a camp chair, sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Depending on river conditions, it may be ok to use your own floating device. At this time, the campground is not allowing a fire. If that changes, an update will be sent out. We will bring a propane fire ring.
Campground offers potable water, vault toilets, and picnic tables.
Getting there: GPS coordinates 35.796283, -118.449966. From Bakersfield, take Highway 178 East to Lake Isabella. From Lake Isabella, take Highway 155 around the west side of the lake to the town of Kernville. From Kernville, go 4 miles north on Sierra Way (Mountain 99) to the campground.
Schedule:
Thursday:
- Arrive after 1pm
- Meet-N-Greet 6pm
- Campfire Activities
Friday:
- Open activities - probably the best day for rafting to avoid crowds
- Dinner - provided by GOLA - burgers, fixins
Saturday:
- Open activities - hikes, soak in the river
- We are foregoing the potluck on this trip.
Sunday:
- Pack up and head home. Drive safe!
Cancellations: A full refund will be given if canceled by May 31st.
Trip Leaders: Wes Stieringer-Sisneros, 818-497-8654 fwsj69@gmail.com
Steve Sisneros, 951-318-0530 hikensteve@gmail.com
