California whitewater - Kern River, Southern Sierra Nevada, Tulare County Tulare county, Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III-V     16.8 miles   The Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge section of Kern River in Tulare County is 16.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class III-V section. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in this state tend to be more challenging than the national average, so don't forget that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. There's camping available near Kern River. This section has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so pack your camping stuff. Since     you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. The scenic beauty of Tulare County and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. The Southern Sierra Nevada scenery is wonderful. Briefly about the general area: During the summertime months at Kern River temperatures are frequently in the 90's while overnight lows are frequently in the 60's. Through the winter the highs are ordinarily in the 50's, and winter nights come with lows in the 30's to Kern River. Near   Kern River you hit upon Cedar Canyon which is a good location to go to. Kern River is a good spot of common precipitation; the wettest month of the year is frequently January, that's the one that rains the most, and July on the other hand is the driest. Kern River, Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III-V Length: 16.8 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.1306 Longitude: -118.4375 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.9681 Longitude: -118.4854 Paddler input for Kern River, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Kern River, Southern Sierra Nevada, California Local climate location: THREE RVRS EDISON PH 13 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Comfort Inn At Sequoia National Park, Three Rivers 38 miles away Hotel offers free high-speed Internet access, fitness room with sauna, seasonal outdoor pool/hot tub, picnic area, conference room and business center. Hot tub and fireplace in some rooms. National Pa... Best Western Porterville Inn, Porterville 39 miles away A warm and inviting staff welcomes you at the Best Western Porterville Inn. We just completed a 1.2 million dollar renovation and can't wait for you and your guests to enjoy all we have to offer. Exp... Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites PORTERVILLE, Porterville 39 miles away Welcome to the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Porterville, CA. A warm and friendly staff awaits you at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Porterville, California. We are minutes away fr...   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 Bakersfield, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Bakersfield, California, the metro area neareast to Kern River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Kern River.   Whitewater Near Kern River: Dry Meadow Creek, Kern County , 3 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (to North Fork Kern) Brush Creek, tulare County , 5 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (Rincon Camp to Kern River) Kern River, Tulare/ Kern County , 9 miles away, Class III-V - 17 miles long (Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3) Kern River, Tulare County , 17 miles away, Class II-V+ - 37 miles long (Junction Meadow to Forks of Kern) Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 21 miles away, Class III-V+ - 22 miles long (Kennedy Meadows to Long Valley) Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 22 miles away, Class V - 17 miles long (Monache Meadows to Kennedy Meadows) Kern River, Kern County , 25 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Lake Isabella to Sandy Flat) Kern River, Kern County , 29 miles away, Class III-V - 11.5 miles long (Sandy Flat to Democrat Hot Springs)   Ski Areas Near Kern River: Shirley Meadow, California , 20 miles away, 600 vertical feet Sierra Summit, California , 82 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Mammoth Mountain, California , 97 miles away, 3100 vertical feet Mt Waterman, California , 105 miles away, 1300 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 105 miles away, 2590 vertical feet Mountain High, California , 108 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Ski Sunrise, California , 108 miles away, 816 vertical feet Mt. Baldy, California , 115 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Badger Pass, California , 123 miles away, 800 vertical feet Snow Valley, California , 142 miles away, 1041 vertical feet   Hotels Near Kern River: Comfort Inn At Sequoia National Park, Three Rivers , 38 miles away Best Western Porterville Inn, Porterville , 39 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites PORTERVILLE, Porterville , 39 miles away Comfort Inn Lone Pine, Lone Pine , 41 miles away Best Western Frontier Motel, Lone Pine , 41 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Kern River: Lower Peppermint Campground, Tulare County, 2 miles away Peppermint Campground, Tulare County, 4 miles away Limestone Campground, Tulare County, 5 miles away   Trails Near Kern River: Summit Trail, Tulare County , 9 miles away,  51.4 hiking miles, 3514 feet elevation difference Tobias Creek Trail, Tulare County , 10 miles away, 6.5 hiking miles, 4434 feet elevation difference Bull Run Cattle Drive, Tulare County , 15 miles away, 3.6 hiking miles, 1739 feet elevation difference Cannell Meadow Trail, Kern County , 16 miles away,  21.4 hiking miles, 5112 feet elevation difference Old Sled Trail, Tulare County , 17 miles away, 2.1 hiking miles, 1313 feet elevation difference Black Mountain Trail, Tulare County , 18 miles away, 6.3 hiking miles, 4286 feet elevation difference Virginia Trail, Kern County , 19 miles away, 4.1 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference   National Parks Near Kern River: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers - CA , 37 miles away