California whitewater, Kern River Kern county, Lake Isabella to Sandy Flat section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     7 miles   Would like to know where your closest town is. We will be staying in Bishop, CA. How long is rafting ? Only class II-III? Please call 949 280 4149. Ideally I would be liking class 3-4. Says Gordon The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Bakersfield, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. This section of Kern River in Kern County is 7 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater     according to American Whitewater. The natural beauty of Kern County and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. The wild scenery of the Southern Sierra Nevada is great. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. A bit of exercise and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This is a pretty decent length section, it's perfect for a one day trip. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking   or both, doesn't matter, in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy. Briefly about the general area: The smiling folks of Bodfish like to hang out nearby; there's splendid hiking along the Virginia Trail. Be careful coming to the Southern Sierra Nevada, you might not ever wanna return back home again. A good location close to Kern River is Hot Spring Valley, and the snow is perfect at Shirley Meadow. Kern River, Lake Isabella to Sandy Flat road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Kern River.   Whitewater Near Kern River: Whitewater Outfitter - Chuck Richard's White Water, Kern County, 2 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Kern River, Kern County, 3 miles away       Class II-III - 7 miles long (Lake Isabella to Sandy Flat) Kern River, Kern County, 3 miles away       Class III-V - 11.5 miles long (Sandy Flat to Democrat Hot Springs) Whitewater Outfitter - Kern River Outfitters, Kern County, 7 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - Hyside Inflatables River Trips, Kern County, 10 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - Sierra South MT Sports, Kern County, 10 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - Eagle Rafting, Kern County, 10 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Kern River, Kern County, 12 miles away       Class V+ - 12 miles long (Democrat Hot Springs to mouth of canyon) Kern River, Tulare/ Kern County, 20 miles away       Class III-V - 17 miles long (Johnsondale Bridge to Powerhouse #3) Kern River, Kern County, 20 miles away       Class II-IV - 4.8 miles long (Mouth of canyon to Lake Ming)   Ski Areas Near Kern River: Shirley Meadow, California , 7 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 7 runs Mt Waterman, California , 86 miles away, 1300 foot drop, 3 lifts, 10 runs Mountain High, California , 89 miles away, 1600 foot drop, 16 lifts, 62 runs Ski Sunrise, California , 89 miles away, 816 foot drop, 4 lifts, 24 runs Mt. Baldy, California , 97 miles away, 2100 foot drop, 4 lifts, 28 runs   Marinas Near Kern River: French Gulch Marina, Lake Isabella , 2 miles away Reds Kern Valley Marina, Lake Isabella , 5 miles away   Hotels Near Kern River: Holiday Inn Express & Suites TEHACHAPI HWY 58/MILL ST., Tehachapi , 27 miles away Fairfield Inn & Suites Tehachapi, Tehachapi , 27 miles away Best Western Mountain Inn, Tehachapi , 27 miles away Best Western Plus Country Park Hotel, Tehachapi , 27 miles away La Quinta Inn Tehachapi, Tehachapi , 28 miles away   Campgrounds Near Kern River: Sandy Flat, Bodfish, 2 miles away Keyesville Rec Site, Bodfish, 2 miles away Hobo Campground, Kern County, 2 miles away   Trails Near Kern River: Virginia Trail, Kern , 12 miles away, 4.1 hiking miles, 2879 feet elevation difference Bull Run Cattle Drive, Tulare , 14 miles away, 3.6 hiking miles, 1739 feet elevation difference Cannell Meadow Trail, Kern , 14 miles away,  21.4 hiking miles, 5112 feet elevation difference Old Sled Trail, Tulare , 16 miles away, 2.1 hiking miles, 1313 feet elevation difference Tobias Creek Trail, Tulare , 16 miles away, 6.5 hiking miles, 4434 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near Kern River: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers - CA , 54 miles away Sequoia National Forest, California , 27 miles away Red Rock Canyon State Park, California , 39 miles away   Golf Courses Near Kern River: Kern Valley Golf Course, Kernville , 12 miles away   Lakes Near Kern River Isabella Lake, Kern , 3 miles away Julia Lake, Kern , 13 miles away