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 wonderful California scenery and the water flowing gracefully down Kern River will make you feel great. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so better not forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so pack your camp stove. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Some
    people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. There's camping available near Kern River. This stretch
of Kern River in California is 16.8 miles long and has been rated as a class III-V section by American Whitewater. The beautiful Southern Sierra Nevada scenery is an added bonus. The Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge section is one of many paddling sections in this river system.

Briefly about the general area:
You might want to pay a visit to Cedar Canyon since you're here at Kern River. All through the days of summer at Kern River highs are usually in the 90's; the overnight is a bit cooler of course, regularly in the 60's. High temperatures during the wintertime
 
are normally in the 50's, and nighttime lows in the 30's for Kern River.
The amount of rain that falls at Kern River is close to the national average; through January this area sees the most rain while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation.

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
WXPort

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 & Suites Sequoia Kings Canyon, 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...

Americas Best Value Lazy J Ranch Three Rivers, Three Rivers
38 miles away
Welcome to the Americas Best Value Inn Lazy J Ranch Three Rivers. All of our guest rooms are ground level, and there are some individual housekeeping cottages. All rooms are ground level, some with...

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...



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 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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
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, 1679 vertical feet
Mammoth Mountain, California , 97 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Kern River:
Comfort Inn & Suites Sequoia Kings Canyon, Three Rivers , 38 miles away
Americas Best Value Lazy J Ranch Three Rivers, 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
 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

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