California whitewater - Kern River, Southern Sierra Nevada, Tulare County

Tulare county, Junction Meadow to Forks of Kern section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-V+     37 miles
  This stretch of Kern River in Tulare County is 37 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II-V+ section. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so keep in mind that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. The beauty of the Southern Sierra Nevada is a great plus for this river. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the Junction Meadow to
    Forks of Kern section is just one of them. The scenic beauty of California and the water flowing gracefully down Kern River will make you feel great. Now this is a pretty long section, so it looks like you will be camping out. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a
bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. The campgrounds here at Kern River are pretty good.

Briefly about the general area:
Soda Spring is a scenic site to stop by while you're at Kern River. An average amount of rain falls at Kern River; most of the rain falls all through January, and July on the other hand is the driest.
For the duration of the days of summer at Kern
 
River highs are generally in the 90's, and throughout the night it cools down to the 60's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 50's while the cold winter nights at Kern River are in the 30's.

Kern River, Junction Meadow to Forks of Kern road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-V+
Length: 37 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.5814
Longitude: -118.41691

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.1306
Longitude: -118.4375

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Current weather conditions at Kern River, Southern Sierra Nevada, California
WXPort

Local climate location: ASH MOUNTAIN 6 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Comfort Inn Lone Pine, Lone Pine
28 miles away
Located at the base of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains and home to Mt Whitney, Lone Pine is your gateway to adventure. Hotel looks directly at Mt Whitney and is your base camp for exploring some o...

Best Western Frontier Motel, Lone Pine
29 miles away
Stay at this Lone Pine, California hotel where the warm desert floor beckons travelers during the winter and the cool mountain streams are inviting during the summer. The Best Western Frontier Motel ...

Western Holiday Lodge Three Rivers, Three Rivers
30 miles away
We are located on Highway 198 at the entrance to the Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers, CA. The Western Holiday Lodge Magnuson Hotel is only minutes from Kings Canyon National Park, Lake Kaweah, ...



OTHER_INFO
  Southern Sierra Nevada Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Southern Sierra Nevada.

Southern Sierra Nevada Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Southern Sierra Nevada.

All California Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California.
Books about whitewater paddling on Kern River, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Kern River, California.
Find a whitewater outfitter in California

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Bishop, California
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Bishop, California, the metro area neareast to Kern River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Kern River.
 Whitewater Near Kern River:
Kern River, Tulare County , 17 miles away, Class III-V - 16.8 miles long (Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge)
Dry Meadow Creek, Kern County , 20 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (to North Fork Kern)
Brush Creek, tulare County , 22 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (Rincon Camp to Kern River)
Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 24 miles away, Class V - 17 miles long (Monache Meadows to Kennedy Meadows)
Kern River, Tulare/ Kern County , 26 miles away, Class III-V - 17 miles long (Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3)
Kaweah River - Middle Fork, Tulare County , 27 miles away, Class V - 4.8 miles long (Hospital Rock)
Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 30 miles away, Class III-V+ - 22 miles long (Kennedy Meadows to Long Valley)
 Ski Areas Near Kern River:
Shirley Meadow, California , 37 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 70 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Mammoth Mountain, California , 82 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
June Mountain, California , 91 miles away, 2590 vertical feet
Badger Pass, California , 112 miles away, 800 vertical feet
Mt Waterman, California , 119 miles away, 1300 vertical feet
Mountain High, California , 121 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Ski Sunrise, California , 121 miles away, 816 vertical feet
Mt. Baldy, California , 129 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Dodge Ridge, California , 147 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Kern River:
Comfort Inn Lone Pine, Lone Pine , 28 miles away
Best Western Frontier Motel, Lone Pine , 29 miles away
Western Holiday Lodge Three Rivers, Three Rivers , 30 miles away
Comfort Inn At Sequoia National Park, Three Rivers , 34 miles away
Best Western Porterville Inn, Porterville , 45 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Kern River:
Willow Meadows Campground, Tulare County, 7 miles away
Cold Spring Campground, Tulare County, 14 miles away
Campground Guard Station, Tulare County, 15 miles away
 Trails Near Kern River:
Sawtooth Pass Trail, Tulare County , 11 miles away,  20.4 hiking miles, 4737 feet elevation difference
Mount Whitney Trail, Inyo County , 16 miles away,  13.2 hiking miles, 6687 feet elevation difference
Hockett Meadows Trail, Tulare County , 17 miles away,  20.2 hiking miles, 1421 feet elevation difference
Atwell Hockett Trail, Tulare County , 17 miles away,  17.2 hiking miles, 3021 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Kern River:
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers - CA , 32 miles away
 Lakes Near Kern River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater