Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2021/2022

16 2021-2022 Scenic 395 Kern River Valley Year-round fun to be had in the Kern River Valley PHOTO BY AARON CRUTCHFIELD Visitors to Kernville enjoy the refreshing water of the Kern River on a summer’s day. L ocated about 45 minutes to the west of Highway 395 via Highway 178, the Kern River Valley offers a wealth of recreation opportunities. Although the Erskine Fire burned more than 48,000 acres on the south side of the lake in 2016, taking more than 300 homes along with it, much of the area’s recreation was untouched. The Kern River Valley is open for business. Even better, a record snowpack and winter rains raised the lake level on July 1, 2017, to more than 25 vertical feet above its level a year prior, which is well more than double the water behind the dam. Areas such as Par- adise Cove and Kissack Cove, dry a year be- fore, were once again usable. More recently, as work to seismically retro- fit the dam has progressed, the point has passed at which construction crews no longer need to keep the lake level artificially low, meaning the lake can hold about two-thirds of its usual capacity until construction is fin- ished. The Kern River Valley is a destination that offers varied interests for the young and old. Nobody will be disappointed. The area still has working cattle ranches, scenic beauty, and more recreational opportunities than one could imagine. Time seems to stand still in this recreation laden area. Be it hiking, camping, fishing in the river or lake, water-skiing, general boat- ing, whitewater rafting, mountain bike rid- ing, or just plain getaway time, there’s some- thing for everyone for a day or for a full vaca- tion. Also available in the Kern River Valley are horseback riding, hunting, off-roading, stargazing and bird watching, or one can find hidden treasures in the area’s antique stores. The valley is surrounded by mountains that yield runoff to the wild and scenic North Continued on Page 17