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

Tulare/ Kern county, Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-V     17 miles
 
the river is rough. many rapids. Says bob reall

The Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3 section of Kern River in Tulare/ Kern County is 17 miles long and is a class III-V section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. This section is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so why not
    pack your camping stuff too. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of spots for that. The sections for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in California are often more challenging than in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers
here are less forgiving. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. The wonderful Tulare/ Kern County scenery and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water have people coming here. The river winds through the Southern Sierra Nevada and you get great scenery. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well.

Briefly about the general area:
A nice place close to Kern River is Ant Canyon, and hiking is a popular thing to do around Kern River; Tobias Creek
 
Trail is a magnificent local trail. Summer brings highs in the 90's to Kern River, and through summer nights temperatures are in the 60's. For the period of the winter this place gets highs in the 50's, and during the dark hours in the wintertime at Kern River temperatures descend to the 30's. Man, is there a lot of enjoyable stuff to do in the Southern Sierra Nevada.
From a rainfall point of view Kern River is a reasonably typical place; the month of January is the wettest with most of the rain, and July is when it's the driest.

Kern River, Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3 road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-V
Length: 17 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.9681
Longitude: -118.4854

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.81
Longitude: -118.45491

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

Local climate location: THREE RVRS EDISON PH 22 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Porterville Inn, Porterville
39 miles away
New Renovated Guestrooms, 2006. 100% Smoke-Free. A warm and friendly staff awaits you at the Best Western Porterville Inn. We offer a spacious, elegant lobby and a selection of tastefully decorated, h...

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites PORTERVILLE, Porterville
39 miles away
A warm and friendly staff awaits you at the Holiday Inn Express in Porterville. We are minutes away from lake Success and Eagle Mountain Casino. Our prime location will put you near famous attractions...

Palm Tree Inn & Conference, Porterville
41 miles away
Sequoia National Park visitors enjoy free high-speed internet access, complimentary breakfast and paper, olympic size pool, tennis court, nightclub, casino along with the area's largest conference and...



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  Southern Sierra Nevada Whitewater
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Southern Sierra Nevada Outdoors Info
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All California Whitewater
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List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Kern River, California.
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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:
Brush Creek, tulare County , 4 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (Rincon Camp to Kern River)
Dry Meadow Creek, Kern County , 6 miles away, Class V - 1.5 miles long (to North Fork Kern)
Kern River, Tulare County , 9 miles away, Class III-V - 16.8 miles long (Forks of Kern to Johnsondale Bridge)
Kern River, Kern County , 16 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Lake Isabella to Sandy Flat)
Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 20 miles away, Class III-V+ - 22 miles long (Kennedy Meadows to Long Valley)
Kern River, Kern County , 21 miles away, Class III-V - 11.5 miles long (Sandy Flat to Democrat Hot Springs)
Kern River - South Fork, Tulare County , 25 miles away, Class V - 17 miles long (Monache Meadows to Kennedy Meadows)
Kern River, Tulare County , 26 miles away, Class II-V+ - 37 miles long (Junction Meadow to Forks of Kern)
Kern River, Kern County , 28 miles away, Class V+ - 12 miles long (Democrat Hot Springs to mouth of canyon)
 Ski Areas Near Kern River:
Shirley Meadow, California , 12 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 89 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Mt Waterman, California , 98 miles away, 1300 vertical feet
Mountain High, California , 100 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Ski Sunrise, California , 100 miles away, 816 vertical feet
Mammoth Mountain, California , 105 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
Mt. Baldy, California , 108 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
June Mountain, California , 114 miles away, 2590 vertical feet
Badger Pass, California , 129 miles away, 800 vertical feet
Snow Valley, California , 136 miles away, 1041 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Kern River:
Best Western Porterville Inn, Porterville , 39 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites PORTERVILLE, Porterville , 39 miles away
Palm Tree Inn & Conference, Porterville , 41 miles away
Western Holiday Lodge Three Rivers, Three Rivers , 41 miles away
Best Western Country Park Hotel, Tehachapi , 42 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Kern River:
Gold Ledge Campground, Tulare County, 1 miles away
Upper Springhill Campground, Tulare County, 2 miles away
Lower Springhill Campground, Tulare County, 2 miles away
 Trails Near Kern River:
Tobias Creek Trail, Tulare County , 4 miles away, 6.5 hiking miles, 4434 feet elevation difference
Bull Run Cattle Drive, Tulare County , 9 miles away, 3.6 hiking miles, 1739 feet elevation difference
Cannell Meadow Trail, Kern County , 9 miles away,  21.4 hiking miles, 5112 feet elevation difference
Virginia Trail, Kern County , 12 miles away, 4.1 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference
Summit Trail, Tulare County , 12 miles away,  51.4 hiking miles, 3514 feet elevation difference
Old Sled Trail, Tulare County , 12 miles away, 2.1 hiking miles, 1313 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Kern River:
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers - CA , 42 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