Kern River Preserve

Definitely a super hidden gem in the Kern River Valley. Kern River Preserve has always been on my list of places to visit and finally, over the summer, I had a chance to explore. Mind you, the heat can be somewhat unbearable in July. And in all likelihood Spring and Fall are the more common seasons.A little background of the Kern River Preserve. It's actually owned by the National Audubon Society. It's also located in one of the largest contiguous riparian forests in the stata at 3,000 acres. There is a small visitors center. I highly suggest calling before arriving to find out if there will be a docent or guide. Best times to visit are spring. You'll get the best of flora and fauna with blooming flowers and migratory birds. 'The Kern Audubon Society is a wealth of knowledge and happy to help with info.

I've had great times at the Kern River Preserve. Lots to see and learn about. Very interesting. Sometimes, well before Covid anyway, people would come and they would have something going on at the preserve where other people would come and show what animals or plants, just anything that you could literally find at the preserve that they had ppl bring their stuff and teach us about different snakes that are Indigenous to this area and won't harm you, and which will. People have been here before and pointed out the difference in good plants, harmful plants, plants people have different not wonderful reactions to like stinging nettle and what it looks like. It's really interesting stuff. Call and find out if there are tours or if the trails are open for hiking due to covid, as maybe the trails are overgrown??? Some on the backside of the lake look very bad. I was given tours there when we were in jr college at Cerro Coso Community College in Lake Isabella (21 yrs ago). I've had them teach us things too when there's an event, so look for that. I don't know if anything's going on their since Covid? Ask them about the turkey vultures, and volunteer to count them if they're still doing that! That was a blast! Trina (Guerra) B.

You know those nature sound CDs meant to soothe your fraying nerves? I'm not talking about the new-age stuff churned out on synthesizers by frizzy-haired German-Swiss guys in burlap clothing. No, I'm talking about recordings of nature: ocean waves, rainstorms, etc.Well, if you want to visit a place that could easily be the source of the 'birds in a forest' recording, the Kern River Preserve will be your destination. Not that the birds will like the publicity, but the Preserve may just be the bird hideout for the entire State of California. From the entrance at Highway 178 -- one of the great scenic drives in the state -- drive slowly on the short dirt road that bisects a pasture of cows munching on the landscape.Once you've parked your car, walking the relatively short circular trail behind the visitor's center will expose you to tens of thousands of birds calling out in a collective symphony of joy. At least it seems like joy. (If it's a political debate, there may be a revolution brewing.) The problem is that you can't immediately see most of these birds who hide in a tangle of trees and the thick brush. The key is to stand your ground patiently and wait for the birds to get used to you. The birds will chirp away at your stress and calm you down to their wavelength because you're in their paradise and they don't want you to ruin their vibe. You'll see rabbits, and you may see deer, bobcats and other animals, too; but, the birds are the stars here. The folks at the Preserve have even provided feeders and nesting boxes along the trail to encourage apartment living.All of the bird calls here may have affected other animals, too. As I drove out on the dirt road, one of the cows had a very bird-like moo sound. As I eyed the cow suspiciously, it sheepishly turned away. Uh-huh, caught you. I've heard plenty of cows in my life and this cow was definitely a wannabe to the airy neighborhood down the road. You don't believe me? Visit the Kern River Preserve and find out for yourself.

If you are into birding at all you will love this place. It's near what is left of Lake lsabella. There is a short drive down a dirt road off of the main road. We were immediately greeted by dozens of Tricolored Blackbirds in the brush of the side of the road. There is a small parking lot near the visitors center. The day we were there, the docents were there to greet visitors with donuts and coffee (yay!). They have bird feeders set up for hummingbirds and other seed eaters. The feeders all had lots of birds on them. We took a hike down one of the trails and saw many more species including woodpeckers and deer. We came fairly early in the day and about halfway through our hike the mosquitos started to come out. I have never seen so many mosquitos in my life!! We immediately turned around and high-tailed it out of there since we did not think to bring bug spray! At this point I was done looking at birds! All in all a beautiful serene place full of nature...bring your bug spray!

Hubster and I had the place to ourselves. Very peaceful. Be sure to sign in when you arrive and sign out when you leave. We will definitely be returning in winter and the spring.

We came here a couple years ago -- randomly found it while we were driving to Lake Isabella area. Parked outside of the cow pastures and walked in towards the visitor center. The door to the small visitor center was unlocked, so we just walked in - wandered around and signed our name in the guest book. :) To be honest, it was a bit eerie, since there was no one there except us!Then, we went behind the visitor center, to walk along the circular trail -- saw and heard many birds chirping. Again, a bit scary since we were the only ones there on the path and all we heard was birds and our footsteps! Who knew what other animals could have been lurking in the bushes, right?! haha :)

I loved this preserve that you could easily pass by while blinking. Great little nature trail. Perfect to take small kids (approx 1.5 mile loop). Nice pamphlet with markers that give wonderful tidbits about the different areas and local habitats! We will be back the next time we are in the area.

Great place to hike around. I brought my 11-year old son here and we had a great time. Very quiet and peaceful.

Not overly large but easy walking. Do not try to bring a RV here to low or an entrance do to trees.