UPPER KERN RIVER ONE DAY TRIP
We hope you enjoy your trip with Kern River Outfitters, our
associate outfitter on the Kern River. Following is important information
regarding your trip. Please read carefully.
In late spring and early summer, the Upper Kern
River near the historic town of Kernville has the best paddle-rafting
whitewater you'll find anywhere. Its extreme gradient, big waves and tricky
drops make this a fabulous trip. In the course of the day we run several of the
best stretches of whitewater more than once and take a break early in the
afternoon, for a hearty lunch.
Trip Dates: Trips depart daily, April - July
Meeting Time: 9:00 am Meeting Place:
Kern River Outfitters Rafting
Center, Wofford Heights, CA.
Minimum Age: 9 years old (12 during
high water)
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.) The 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.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE AREA
There are numerous
campgrounds on Route 155 by Lake Isabella and along the river north of
Kernville.
For motels, we recommend:
Kern River Inn B&B 119 Kern River Drive Kernville,
CA 93238 (760) 376-6750
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
WHAT TO BRING
River attire should be casual and
comfortable. Plan to get wet and bring a change of clothing.
 Viisor or baseball type cap
Swim suit and shorts
Sunscreen and lip protection
Windbreaker or paddling jacket
Sunscreen and lip
protection
Sunglasses with strap
Wetsuit booties or tennis
shoes and wool socks to wear in the boat (if you plan to wear wetsuit booties
while rafting, bring tennis shoes as well)
Please do not bring radios, firearms, pets or valuables.
Sun-sensitive persons should bring a hat and lightweight long-sleeve shirt. On
certain early season trips when water and weather conditions dictate, we may
require all passengers to wear wetsuits. If needed, wetsuits can be rented at
our Wofford Heights Rafting Center the morning or your trip.
LUNCH We take a break early in the afternoon for a
delicious, riverside, deli-style lunch.
ALCOHOL Although injuries on river trips are rare, when
they do occur, alcohol is often a contributing factor. Please do not bring
alcohol.
EQUIPMENT We furnish rugged inflatable rafts, 12 to 16
feet in length. We provide accessory river equipment, life vests, first aid and
safety supplies. Do not bring your own lifevest. Our's are approved for rafting
and we require that they be worn by guests.On most trips, the majority of
passengers ride in paddleboats. A paddleboat is piloted by a guide, assisted by
four to six passengers.
GUIDES Our guides are experienced, skilled whitewater
boaters. They are knowledgeable about canyon ecology and natural history.
Should the need arise they are trained to administer First Aid.
RESPONSIBILITY 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, which is available through our office or from many
travel agents. We assume no responsibility for vehicles parked during the trip,
or for their contents. To participate in this trip, you will be required to
sign a Participant Agreement form at our meeting place.
Click Here to download an
assumption of risk form.
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 if you have any health problems. If you have dietary
restrictions we'll gladly accommodate them with prior notice.
RESERVATION CHANGES A transfer fee of $20 per person is
charged for changes in trip dates or rivers when the change is made within 45
days of departure. No changes are permitted within three weeks of your trip.
PERFORMANCE It is sometimes necessary to cancel or modify
a trip because of unusual circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, we
cannot be responsible for paying expenses other than refunding all or part of
the fees paid to Kern River Outfitters. Determination of refunds (if any) will
be made after reviewing trip details. Guides and other personnel employed by
Outdoor Adventures are not authorized to make or promise trip refunds or trip
credits. Such determinations can only be made by company officers.
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. In the event of late cancellations, Outdoor
Adventures cannot 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.
Outdoor Adventures requires a non-refundable deposit of $25 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.
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. National Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest. Our permit is your
assurance that Kern River Outfitters 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 Upper 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.
<<< BACK TO KERN RIVER
Tuolumne River |
Merced River | Kings
River | Kaweah River |
Kern River | Grand Canyon Rafting
South
Fork American River | Middle Fork
American River | North Fork
American River |