Tubing On the Kern River

Chris and Molly had tons of fun floating down the Kern River on there newly bought inner-tubes.

Kern River Camping 2009

After five years we made it back to the Kern River for camping. This time around there was nine people, all but two had never been here before. The site we go to is commonly called "Chico Flats". It is located about five miles north of Kernville.


We got there early enough to claim the best camp site, located near the river and under the shade of trees. In fact, we were the only campers the whole weekend. Some day-use people came and went, but we camped for two night under perfectly clear skies.


The water was pretty cold, so I dove in only once and it was really refreshing. Others were more adventurous and floated down on small inner-tubes.



The only downfall of this site is that there is a semi-short walk from the car to the site over a rocky trail. So we had to haul our coolers and stuff down the trail. It took about seven trips to bring all our camping equipment to the camping site. However, once there, it was time to relax with a cold brew.


The weekend went too fast. Suddenly it was Sunday and time to make the five hour drive back home. It was worth it, however. Now I'm looking forward to more camping trips this summer.

Camping at Picacho State Recreation Area

Let me start this blog post with a short movie I took on my camera. At lot has changed since we camped here in 2005. It looks like Picacho is now part of a State Park. We were surprised to see the four camp sites at this remote location were upgraded with new tables, canapes, railing and most importantly - bathrooms.

They also added a boat ramp! It used to be that if you wanted to take a raft out on Taylor lake, you had to navigate through the swampy reeds from the shoreline. Now there is a cement boat launch, which they charge you for. Rafts are free still - for now.

I get the feeling that the lake is being overtaken by these reeds. This is my 4th or 5th time here and each time the lake seems to get smaller.

We arrived around 2:00 and quickly inflated our rafts - which took longer than expected. The temp was about 100 degrees. When we left San Diego it was cold and almost raining! Darn May gray!. The heat felt good, and floating around on the lake was so relaxing.

This sign, as well as the ramp to the left is all new. I guess California had enough money to upgrade this site a few years ago. Now they say that 80% of CA state parks might be closed to save money. But that does not make any since. How can they close a site like this were you self-pay? If they close it, then it will cost more for someone to patrol for people using the park illegally. Whatever.

This is a view of the highest of the four sites here. You used to be able to drive your car up to that site, if you had four-wheel drive like I do. Now the site we took it the best. Away from the lake and mosquitoes and you can park next to the table.

Yes, this photo has been Photoshopped, but the rocks in the area are very unique and colorful and make for great photos and viewing experiences.