LOWER KERN RIVER TWO DAY TRIPS
We hope you enjoy your trip with Kern River Outfitters, our
associate outfitter on the Lower Kern River. Following is important information
regarding your trip. Please read carefully.
Just a few hours from Los Angeles, the Lower Kern River is a
superb rafting challenge. Our two-day trip originates below Lake Isabella and
ends at Democrat Beach, a distance of 20 miles. The river flows southwest
through a gorge forested with willows, cottonwood, sycamore and alder. Our trip
starts at a leisurely pace then quickens as the canyon steepens. Both days
feature stretches of Class III and IV rapids.
Trip Dates: Trips depart daily, April - October
Meeting Time: 9:30 am
Meeting Place: Kern River Outfitters
Rafting Center, Wofford Heights, CA.
Minimum Age: 9 years old (12
during high water)
LOWER KERN RIVER DIRECTIONS From Southern California,
leave the Los Angeles Basin by Interstate 5 North. Descend the Grapevine Grade
and take Highway 99 North to Bakersfield. Take the Lake Isabella/Highway 178
East exit and follow 178 up to the town of Lake Isabella. At Lake Isabella,
take Highway 155 North towards Kernville. Wofford Heights is mid-way between
Lake Isabella and Kernville. Our Rafting Center is a tan building on the right
at 6602 Wofford Heights Blvd (at the intersection of Evans Road). Our phone
number there is (760) 376-1455. Park your car at the back of the building and
register inside. Although our parking lot is on private property, it is near a
busy road. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle and make sure it is securely
locked. No overnight camping is allowed at our parking area.
LOWER KERN RIVER TRIP DETAILS From our meeting place,
we'll take you by bus to the river. Because our on-river campsite is accessible
by road, it isn't necessary to carry overnight gear on the rafts. During the
day, you'll probably want to carry sunscreen, a hat and perhaps a light jacket.
Before getting on the rafts, our Trip Manager will discuss the trip and answer
last minute questions. Guides will be introduced and passengers instructed on
paddling technique, safety and general procedures. For the first few miles the
Kern is gentle and ideal for practicing the skills we'll need to navigate the
rapids downstream. By the time we stop for lunch, you'll be familiar with
rafting techniques and quite comfortable. After lunch the rapids get bigger and
your new skills will be tested. Our campsite is just below Powerful Possum, a
Class IV rapid that is one of the biggest on the Lower Kern River. We usually
arrive at camp around 4:00 P.M. Your overnight gear will be there and the
guides will help you select a campsite. Snacks and cold drinks will be
available shortly after arrival. Before dinner, hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Our second day begins with a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, personal gear is
repacked, the camp cleaned up, and we're ready for another river day. After
portaging Royal Flush, we stop for lunch and gear up for a series of Class IV
rapids called "The Big Five". The rapids come close together and we end our day
navigating Pinball...an intricate, demanding rapid. At Democrat Beach we end
our trip. Our bus will take you back to Wofford Heights, about a 30 minute
ride. We usually arrive there by 5:00 P.M. The trailer with your personal gear
will be at our rafting center.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE AREA If you plan to stay in the
area before or after your trip, we suggest:
- The Pinecone Inn 13383 Sierra Way Kernville, CA 93238 (760)
376-6669
- Barewood Motel 7013 Wofford Heights Blvd. Wofford Hts, CA
93285 (760) 376-1910
- River View Lodge 2 Sirretta Street Kernville, CA 93238 (760)
376-6019
There are numerous campgrounds near Lake Isabella and Kernville.
For camping information call the U.S. Forest Service in Kernville, (760)
376-3781.
WHAT TO BRING The Kern Valley is hot and dry in the
summer months. A light change of clothes and a sweatshirt are usually
sufficient for camp. Tents are usually not necessary for comfortable sleeping,
although you are welcome to bring one. Baseball caps or other secure hats are
recommended, especially for fair-skinned persons. While on river, please wear
sneakers or river sandals to protect your feet. Please pack your gear in duffel
bags or other soft luggage. It is often colder early in the season (April, May
& early June) and you'll want to bring warmer clothing and a tent for those
trips. Although our campsite is rustic, it is quite comfortable. We have camp
chairs and, to make overnight camping easy, we have built sleeping platforms
and we provide sleeping pads for all guests. Many guests bring personal bedding
from home (sheets and warm blanket) instead of a sleeping bag and this works
fine during the summer months. For your convenience, we have sleeping bags and
tents available for rent. They should be reserved at least a week before your
trip date. Sleeping bag or bedding Sunglasses with strap Small flashlight Shoes
or sneakers for camp Swim suit or shorts Towel Sunscreen and lip protection
Jacket or sweatshirt Sneakers to wear in the boat Baseball type cap or visor
Optional: Guitars or musical instruments, games Fishing rod Beverages (in
unbreakable containers) Please do not bring lawn chairs, lanterns, large tents,
large coolers, radios, firearms, pets, valuables or personal lifevests. Our
lifevests are approved for rafting and we require that they be worn.
WETSUITS For most of the summer, weather in the Kern
region is very warm and sunny and you'll be comfortable wearing light clothing.
For early season trips, we sometimes require wetsuits. They can be rented at
our rafting center the morning of your trip.
PADDLING THE RIVER On our Lower Kern trips, we run
virtually all paddle rafts. These are exciting, participatory boats in which
four to eight guests and a guide work as a team to maneuver the raft through
the rapids. Paddling requires physical effort and is sometimes strenuous. If
you would prefer to ride in an oarboat (a raft rowed by a guide without guest
assistance), call our office and we will try to accommodate you.
GUIDES Our guides are skilled, experienced whitewater
boaters. They are knowledgeable about canyon ecology and accomplished outdoor
cooks. Should the need arise, they are trained to administer First Aid.
MEALS All on-river meals are provided beginning with
lunch the first day and ending with lunch the last day. The food is fresh and
hearty and our guides will prepare it for you. We can accommodate special diets
with advance notice. We welcome your participation in helping to set up camp,
prepare meals, etc. Please feel free to participate in trip work, as much, or
as little, as you would like.
ALCOHOL Although injuries on river trips are rare, when
they do occur, alcohol is often a contributing factor. If you bring alcohol on
your trip, we ask that it be in moderation and not consumed prior to departure
or while boating. Alcohol impaired guests will not be allowed to participate.
You are welcome to bring beverages as long as they are in unbreakable
containers. If you wish to bring a small cooler, we will deliver it to camp
with your gear. It cannot be accommodated on the rafts.
CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT To protect the river, we carry
out all trash and use no soap in the river. The guides will instruct you in
simple procedures that minimize the impact of our group on the canyon.
YOUR HEALTH Our river trips are not strenuous, but they
are a dramatic change in routine for most people. Although the trip is
relaxing, the area is remote, so you should be in relatively good health.
Please let us know when you return your Participant Agreement form if you have
any health problems. If you have dietary restrictions, we'll gladly accommodate
them with sufficient prior notice.
RESPONSIBILITY Trip participants should understand that
river trips involve risk. We assume no responsibility for injury to trip
members, their belongings or for vehicles (and their contents) parked during
the trip. Because of the risks associated with river trips, including possible
personal injury, property loss, and financial loss in the event of
cancellation, we urge all trip participants to supplement their own insurance
with vacation insurance. Please read and provide the personal information
requested on our Participant Agreement and return it to our office well before
your trip.
Click
here to download a Participant Agreement and Assumption of Risk
form.
TRAVEL INSURANCE We recommend you supplement personal
insurance with travel insurance. Policies which include accident, cancellation,
and baggage protection are available through our office, as well as most travel
agents. Cancellation initiated by you may result in substantial loss of fees
paid. Available insurance protects against the loss of deposits in the event
you must cancel because of unforeseen circumstances.
CANCELLATIONS If you must cancel your reservation, you
may be eligible for a partial refund. Our cancellation policy is firm. We
operate under stringent federal regulations, which restrict the number of
guests per trip and the number of trips per season. We incur substantial
expenses before each trip departs and, in the event of late cancellations, can
not recover costs, nor can we make refunds. If you must cancel at the last
minute and do not have travel insurance, try to find a friend to take your
place. kern River Outfitters requires a non-refundable deposit of $50 per
person to confirm a reservation. For reservations made prior to May 1st, a
non-refundable deposit is due within 10 days. The balance of the trip fare is
due on or before May 1st or 30 days prior to departure, whichever is earlier.
Reservations made after May 1st are payable in full within 10 days. Written
cancellation notice received by our office more than 30 days prior to the trip
will result in a refund of fees paid less the non-refundable portion. Within 30
days there are no refunds.
RESERVATION CHANGES A transfer fee is charged for changes
in trip dates or rivers when the change is made within 60 days of the original
trip date. The fee is $20.00 per person. No changes are permitted within three
weeks of a trip.
PERFORMANCE It is sometimes necessary to cancel or modify
a trip because of unusual circumstances. We reserve the right to cancel or
modify any trip due to weather or water conditions or other circumstances
beyond our control. In such cases, we cannot be responsible for expenses other
than refunding all or part of fees paid to Outdoor Adventures. The
determination of refunds (if any) will be made after reviewing trip details.
Guides and other on-river personnel are not authorized to make or promise trip
refunds or credits. Such determinations can only be made by company officers.
TIPPING Guests sometimes ask whether gratuities are
appropriate. If you particularly enjoyed your trip, please feel free to leave a
tip with the Trip Manager at the end of the trip. Gratuities will be shared
among all the guides on the trip.
PERMITS Our trips are conducted under permit issued by
the U.S. Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest. Our permit is your assurance
that Outdoor Adventures is legally operating on the river. Our operations and
facilities are operated on a non-discriminatory basis.
PHOTOS OF YOUR RAFT RIDE Denise Knight Photography takes
pictures and videos of rafts running rapids along the Lower Kern for kern River
Outfitters and, for most trips, a representative from that company will be at
our headquarters at the end of your trip to take orders for prints or video
tapes of your rafting experience.
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