I can't believe I've lived in California my entire life and never visited the Sequoias until now…read more It was such an amazing experience. The weather was perfect, and the trails were incredible. This place is absolutely stunning. I hope to come back someday. 1/11/25

I decided to go see the Trailer of 100 Giants. It had signs. There was a $12.00 fee. They had an…read morearea where you can drop in the envelope. There are signs with descriptions in regards to the trees. Part of the trail was closed. Overall, it was great to see the sequoias. There also is a gift shop nearby with souvenirs and some snacks.

Super fun hike went after the rainy season and it was incredibly beautiful wildflowers everywhere…read morenot too many people on the trail a few dogs a few bikers lots of rushing water down in the valley very beautiful

Nice trail. Be wary of the psycho dude that owns the large log cabin style home near the parking…read morearea.

The staff here is amazing. They really get you prepped for your adventure. The whole family had a…read moreblast. If you are a first timer, tube here. They set you up. Once you get your river legs you can buy a tube here.

Jester today was a wonderful guide. He was super friendly and knew the river well. As always, the…read moreentire group is so professional and Dale the bus driver offered some cool stories and music for the ride. Kyle helped the other raft but went over all of the information we needed. He was also super nice. We only raft with this outfit when in Kernville. It is always a great time with wonderful people. Highly recommend!!!

Packsaddle hiking trail is located about 14 miles north of Kernville, located in Tulare county…read more Parking lot for Packsaddle trail is located about 500 feet past McNally's Fairview Lodge if your heading north. Trail head starts right across the street from parking lot. Make sure you stretch and be ready to start off with a steep climb for about a mile and a half befor you get a break. When you start hiking the trail, you will come to a fork on the trail about 200 feet from the start, stay to the RIGHT. You will cross the creek about 3 times back and fourth. Be careful after stepping on water or moist soil and then stepping on rocks. Yours boots, shoes might be very slippery after stepping on water, so don't slip and fall. Trail is about 5 miles total round trip. The only part that confuses everybody is where the trail splits off again, one towards the cave and the other towards I think it's called Rincon trail. (Look at my Packsaddle pics) the trail is pretty awesome, I have NEVER seen any Mtn lions, bears, bats or Bigfoot inside the cave. I have only seen small birds flying in and out. The cave is a little dusty, so take a mask if you don't deal to well with dust and don't forget to take a flashlight. I normally explore first and then eat my snacks after. Make sure you pack back in what ever you pack out. Normally after a good hike I love to stop into Kern River brewery for some delicious beers and a delicious burger. Happy hiking.....

This hike was pretty long. We briefly skimmed the information on this hike before starting and we…read morecould not find the cave on our own. In total, we walked 6 miles (3 miles in and 3 miles out). I definitely suggest bringing lots of water because the hike is draining as a majority of the way in is a steady uphill. There isn't much to see until you get to the "end" of the trail when you reach the small river, but the trek is worth it. We saw a small waterfall and plenty of wildlife. My group stayed at the Fairview Campsite that's right across the street to the trailhead and cooled down by the river afterward. Overall, I would suggest this hike to anyone looking for a challenge, but be prepared before you start!

Oh how I completely love the Kern River!! I have been going for 24 years. It has never been as…read morebeautiful and full as it is now. One of my dearest friends is a seasoned river rafter. When we go river rafting, we mainly stay @ Headquarters or Sandy Flat Campground. This past weekend, we stayed at Sandy Flat. It was amazing. It is right off the river. The river was full and had power. I will add official stats by this weekend. My favorite group of runs is called The Jungle. (I will fact check this). I think that a great run was called Dilly. It is a class 4!! OMGoodness, it was wild & fun. Once more rafters arrived we went on another run. I will get the official names. One is named ... something Deli. Anyways, EPIC FUN. I forgot my wetsuit. I just went on June 3rd. The water was C O L D. Our guide, Doug, told us NOT to bring our phones. I wish I would have remembered my Go - Pro. We were lucky that the 178 reopened for the drive home. It was 93 degrees. I was mesmerized by the river. I couldn't stop watching it on the drive home.

The Kern River is beautiful…read more This review is based on a first timers camping visit. Coming up here from San Diego we didn't really know what to expect other than we might have an opportunity to tube down the river. So everyone in our group brought river tubes. That was our first miscalculation. Aperently tubing depends on the season, recent weather conditions, and various natural events that really narrow the scope of when you can tube safety. Also consider how you plan to get back up to your campsite after you tube down the river a few miles.. Ideally you rent tubes from a company that also shuttles you back up the river. If you don't want to rent tubs someone in your group has to pick you up and drive you back, which is a pain. There is no cell service and no uber... The Kern River is best suited for kayaking and rafting. There are many companies in kernville that offer those services. Camping. If you're looking to camp along the river during the summer you need to think about booking in January. During our stay mid-June, the entire river was booked solid.. We stayed at Sandy Flats campgroup which had a small beach area by the river. Litter bugs. One of the most discouraging things to see along the river was the amount of trash that people leave behind. The number one item? Used diapers.. If you can manage to visit midweek, and be prepared to use a kayak/rafting company you will have an epic time. Note - Sequoia National Park is about an hours drive away. Makes for a great day trip.

Definitely a super hidden gem in the Kern River Valley…read more Kern River Preserve has always been on my list of places to visit and finally, over the summer, I had a chance to explore. Mind you, the heat can be somewhat unbearable in July. And in all likelihood Spring and Fall are the more common seasons. A little background of the Kern River Preserve. It's actually owned by the National Audubon Society. It's also located in one of the largest contiguous riparian forests in the stata at 3,000 acres. There is a small visitors center. I highly suggest calling before arriving to find out if there will be a docent or guide. Best times to visit are spring. You'll get the best of flora and fauna with blooming flowers and migratory birds. ' The Kern Audubon Society is a wealth of knowledge and happy to help with info.

I've had great times at the Kern River Preserve. Lots to see and learn about. Very interesting…read more Sometimes, well before Covid anyway, people would come and they would have something going on at the preserve where other people would come and show what animals or plants, just anything that you could literally find at the preserve that they had ppl bring their stuff and teach us about different snakes that are Indigenous to this area and won't harm you, and which will. People have been here before and pointed out the difference in good plants, harmful plants, plants people have different not wonderful reactions to like stinging nettle and what it looks like. It's really interesting stuff. Call and find out if there are tours or if the trails are open for hiking due to covid, as maybe the trails are overgrown??? Some on the backside of the lake look very bad. I was given tours there when we were in jr college at Cerro Coso Community College in Lake Isabella (21 yrs ago). I've had them teach us things too when there's an event, so look for that. I don't know if anything's going on their since Covid? Ask them about the turkey vultures, and volunteer to count them if they're still doing that! That was a blast! Trina (Guerra) B.

I don't know how to even describe this park, maybe, magical... The sequoias are majestic with sugar…read morepines sprinkled all around. I was here with the Sisters Corp. to do some volunteer work. I did not want to miss the opportunity to give my time for this beautiful place. This is my first time to visit this National Park and I know now it will not be my last. My first day at the volunteer camp group site as we gathered at the table to meet each other and go over the agenda for the weekend we had the opportunity to see a black bear casually roam through our campground near the tents (one of them was mine). We were all informed prior to arriving not to leave any scented items in the tents. No one wonder the bear kept moving along, but with the help of our camp host shooing it away from the campground. This is something we learned from the rangers, is to shoo them away so they don't get in the habit of coming around. The park offers many hiking trails, I had the chance to do one of many, which was the Long Meadow Trail. Very beautiful, plenty of foliage and evidence of a bear in the area. Another part of the park I got to visit was General Sherman. There is a park ranger that will tell you the history of the General Sherman tree. You can wait in a long line to take a pic in front of the tree with a General Sherman sign. Or you can take a pic around the fenced majestic tree. I choose not to wait in line. I had the chance to shuttle to General Sherman tree from the Museum. The Shuttle is free and seems to come every 10-15 min. From General Sherman I also shuttled to the Lodgepole marketplace and visitor center. In this area are bathrooms with showers (coin operated, quarters). The Marketplace has an area to order some food and also a section where you can purchase some ice cream by the scoop. The store offers assorted ice cream bars. The visitor center offers gift items as well as the marketplace. At the front of the visitor center they had a ranger available at a booth if you had any questions. This place is quite busy! Parking lot is a madhouse. Nearby is a campground you may want to check out or ask the ranger for some info. If you can, arrive early, find parking at the Museum and shuttle to everything if you can. Warning, when I was doing volunteer work in the parking lot across from the museum we witnessed a black bear enjoying some berries in the bushes. I'm not sure if they will venture into the parking lot with a lot human activity going on but be careful what you leave in your car, anything and everything with a scent. The park has so much to see. I look forward to returning to volunteer and to take advantage of what the park has to offer.

Best national park I've ever been to and that's saying a lot…read more It's magical, and I highly recommend getting to the Sherman trailhead prior to 9:30am if you want a parking spot. Takes about an hour to get in there, up there and parked so plan accordingly. The congress trail was amazing and for a 3.5 mile hike it took about 2.5 hours with frequent stops for pictures. Highly recommend a stop at lodge pole for refreshments and merch. Incredible experience from start to finish.

This is an amazing park! It was so green and plenty of space for people to get their own spot. I…read morewent in the afternoon, so it was hot! There were a lot of ducks in the lake. I plan to come back another time to enjoy the scenery in the morning.

Amazing trail running with a stunning poppy field we happened to stumble across. Great for people…read morewho just want to take a nice stroll as well. There are bathrooms near the bottom of the trail and within the park if you need them. My only complaint was that the gun range nearby can be really loud, though people aren't always there. I'll definitely be back for the incline and the views.

If you're looking to camp and you don't want to drive too far from Los Angeles, Red Rock Canyon…read moreState Park is a great option. They have several campgrounds which is first and first serve. There's also several hiking spots in the area, which are less than a mile. There's also a visitor center, which has a lot of information about the park and clean bathroom. Great spot for photos!

Beautiful state park offering a cute Visitor Center, plentiful hiking trails, and a campground…read more Entrance fee as of Feb. 2026 is $5.00, payable at the Visitor Center, and is required to park anywhere in the park. Known for its striking red cliffs, this park also offers great wildflower viewing. I hiked the Hagen Canyon Trail, which already had flowers blooming in what is technically still winter! Highly recommended.

The Needles tower was on fire on the year 2011. The location…read morefor the lookout was strategically placed there because of the view of the entire region. No charge hiking this place, and there's a bathroom near the parking. There's actually a ranger in the lookout during the summer to watch over the forest. It opens around 9am. Elevation: 8,254 ft. From Quaking Aspen Campground, make a left on Route 21S05 from Western Divide Highway (about a mile) Then must drive about 3 miles over dirt road until the dead end for parking. The trail entrance is on the left side. According to the sign, it's a 5-mile roundtrip, but if you want to get to the fire lookout, it's about extra few more miles, all uphill and boulder-climbing. Coordinates: 36.119746, -118.508499q