I’ve always loved being outside so once I first moved to Bakersfield, I thought “Now what?”. At first look, it didn’t seem like the sort of place that is identified for hiking and recreational activities. But the extra time I spend dwelling right here, the extra trails and out of doors locations I keep discovering near town or within a fast drive.
With a wide selection of areas from serene nature preserves and delightful cliffside walks to distant mountain trails, there may be an journey and a hike for everybody.
So whether you’ve lived in Bakersfield for some time, or simply moved here and are looking for outdoorsy issues to do, here are 10 of the most effective hikes near Bakersfield, California!
1. Panorama Bluffs Park
Panorama Park, also known as The Bluffs is notoriously one of the well-liked green areas in Bakersfield. When I first moved to Bakersfield and requested around for recommendations on places to go for walks, everyone’s answer often was “Have you been to the Bluffs yet?”.
Panorama Bluffs is an attractive and well-maintained park simply barely north-east of Bakersfield’s downtown. With clear strolling paths, a lot of timber, shrubs, and vegetation, Panorama Bluffs Park is one of the most popular locations to escape the busy metropolis life. It can also be simply accessible with plenty of parking that could be found alongside Panorama Drive road.
One of my favorite hikes at the Bluffs is the 2-mile-long Panorama Park Loop Trail that travels next to a cliffside and presents sweeping views of Bakersfield, Kern River, and the nature protect next to it.
I love coming right here for fast afternoon walks to enjoy the scenery and the beautiful art displays that have been added as a half of the Panorama Park beautification initiative. My friend is certainly one of the artists featured here so it’s pretty amazing to see her artwork as I hike along these trails.
But as with all huge metropolis greenspaces, there are some downsides too. Panorama Park is positioned subsequent to a major avenue that overlooks oilfields and has lots of traffic, people, and noise. There are additionally A TON of squirrels that stay at this park so that’s something to bear in mind when you bring your canine and so they like to drag you.
Location: 901 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA Read More: Panorama Park Loop In Bakersfield
2. Hart Memorial Park
Hart Memorial Park is a superb park only a 20-minute drive outside of Bakersfield. Here you’ll be able to come to take pleasure in quite a lot of outdoor activities from hiking to biking, fishing, picnicking and extra. Hart Memorial Park is a great place to visit if you’re in search of a remote park to spend the afternoon, especially on weekends.
Hart Memorial Park is one of the biggest hiking areas near Bakersfield that provides a ton of various trails. There isn’t only one single trail to do here – it’s like a system of trails that span in each path.
Since there are many trails to select from, you also get extra space to spread out. Some of the trails climb to the highest of hills whereas others follow on the underside of deeply carved canyons.
Do note that when hiking at the Hart Memorial Park you share the area with bikers and filth bikers. So, you at all times have to be vigilant, keep checking for incoming bikers, transfer over to offer area, or hop out of the finest way.
Location: Hart Park, Bakersfield, CA Read More: Hiking Hart Memorial Park In Bakersfield
three. Panorama Vista Preserve
Panorama Vista Preserve is one of my favourite locations to go for nature walks in Bakersfield. It’s a true hidden gem that not many people learn about however offers one of the best out of doors leisure areas within the metropolis limits.
Panorama Vista Preserve is operated by a nonprofit group with a mission to revive and enhance wildlife habitat alongside the Kern River in Bakersfield. Panorama Vista Preserve consists of 940 acres of land near the downtown where wild animals and nature can not only exist but even thrive. Some wildlife that I incessantly encounter at this protect consists of quite a lot of birds, rabbits, squirrels, beavers, and even coyotes.
Over the years almost 60,000 timber and shrubs have been planted on the Panorama Vista Preserve together with the endangered Bakersfield Cactus.
You can read in regards to the restoration tasks, Bakersfield history, and local fauna & flora as you hike through the protect – there are plenty of informative plaques and resting benches scattered all through the park.
The Panorama Vista Preserve presents an inviting place in Bakersfield to take pleasure in out of doors actions like walking, operating, bicycling, and horseback driving. I often take my canine here for walks a few times every week and he completely loves it!
Location: 901 E Roberts Ln, Bakersfield, CA Read More: Hiking Panorama Vista Preserve In Bakersfield
four. Wind Wolves Preserve
If you need to escape into nature for a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning, head out to the Wind Wolves Preserve. It is positioned a couple of 45-minute drive from Bakersfield, however the drive is nicely value it!
Wind Wolves Preserve is among the largest nature preserves on the West Coast that’s operated by The Wildlands Conservancy group. Wind Wolves Preserve spans over 93,000 acres of land and presents multiple-day hikes to select from. We recently hiked the 7-mile-long San Emigdio Canyon Trail that is pretty flat and leads along a creek – excellent for first-time visitors!
The Wind Wolves Preserve is open from eight:00 am to six:00 pm day by day and is free to visit. If you’re interested in camping in a single day, in addition they supply free campsites with advanced reservations. You can read extra in regards to the San Emigdio campground and make reservations on The Wildlands Conservancy web site here.
Similar to Panorama Vista Preserve, Wind Wolves Preserve facilities round conservancy efforts particularly around rehabilitating endangered animals like tule elk, California condor, and the San Joaquin equipment fox. It’s a beautiful place to come back benefit from the outdoors, observe wildlife and submerge yourself into nature just a short drive from Bakersfield.
Location: CA-166, Bakersfield, CA Read More: Hiking San Emigdio Canyon Trail At Wind Wolves Preserve
5. Mount Pinos Trail
Slightly additional south from Wind Wolves Preserve is Mount Pinos, a wonderful gem within the Los Padres National Forest.
Accessible for hiking in the summer and for snowboarding within the winter, Mount Pinos Trail is a 3.5 mile-long hike positioned within the Grapevine mountain pass. It may be reached from Highway 5 and begins by the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base where you presumably can park and go away your automotive.
This is a scenic and straightforward trail that leads by way of a mild pine forest and ends on the Mt Pinos viewpoint which overlooks Bakersfield and the Central Valley.
Mount Pinos is a wonderful trail to hike in the summer. While temperatures in Bakersfield during the summer season months often spike past 100 levels, the weather at Mount Pinos stays within the cool mid-70s offering a nice escape from the scorching valley warmth.
For those who are interested in camping, the nearby Chula Vista Campground provides 12 free tenting sites on a first-come-first-served foundation.
Location: Forest Rte 9N24, Frazier Park, CA Read More: Mt Pinos Hike In Los Padres National Forest
6. Kern River Trail
If you’re on the lookout for a secluded hike to do in the springtime, Kern River Trail is a good beginner-friendly trail in Kern River Canyon that travels between Bakersfield and Lake Isabella.
In spring you probably can expect to see many wildflowers alongside the Kern River Trail before the Central California heat turns the panorama right into a sea of tan. By May the weather in Kern River Canyon is usually too sizzling and insufferable for afternoon hikes unless you get an early head start.
The Kern River Trail follows a slender path carved into the aspect of a hill next to the Kern River. If you had been to follow the trail to completion it’s round 6 miles lengthy although you presumably can flip around and head again at any point.
The surroundings along the method in which is gorgeous passing via mild rolling hills crammed with lush green trees and big boulders. You may even encounter a herd of cows that reside in these foothills.
Parking could be present in a small lot next to Highway 178, simply past the bridge from Delonegha Day Use Area.
Location: CA-178, Bakersfield, CA Read More: Kern River Trail In Sequoia National Forest
7. Mill Creek Trail
Mill Creek Trail is one other wonderful day hike in Kern River Canyon. Mill Creek is among the best wilderness trails near Bakersfield and is especially scenic in springtime when it’s overgrown with wildflowers.
This is a good hike to do with dogs because it provides much-needed partial shade from trees and has multiple creek crossings which would possibly be great for cooling off.
The entire trail is 15 miles lengthy and features around 4200 toes in elevation but after I come here, I only do short sections so far as I feel like going. Sometimes it’s not about checking off the trail out of your bucket record, but nearly getting outdoor for fresh air and forgetting about our everyday worries.
The Mill Creek Trail may additionally be used for mountain biking and horseback using. Parking could be discovered along Kern Canyon Road/Cort 214 near the trailhead however come early if you want to discover a closeby spot.
Location: Mill Creek Trail Head, Kern Canyon Road
Read More: Hiking Mill Creek Trail In California
8. Unal Trail
Unal Trail is situated additional away from Bakersfield however it’s certainly one of my favourite trails to do in the summertime. It travels via a lush forest full of cedar and pine timber that maintain this trail shaded and cool.
The three.5 mile-long Unal Trail climbs up regular switchbacks to an overlook of Sequoia National Forest earlier than looping back down. At the highest of the overlook, you probably can discover time capsules that individuals have left over the years, or add your own!
The hike starts in Alta Sierra which is a small mountain neighborhood north of Lake Isabella. Unal Trail hardly ever will get busy offering a wonderful escape from the summer season warmth and crowds.
Plenty of parking is out there throughout from the USFS Summit Fire Station. Once you park your automotive, you will spot a big trailhead sign which marks the beginning of the hike.
Location: Rancheria Road, Wofford Heights, CA Read More: Hiking Unal Trail In Sequoia National Forest
9. Trail of a hundred Giants
For a straightforward stroll between towering Sequoia Trees head out to the Trail Of one hundred Giants. It is doubtless certainly one of the hottest hikes in Sequoia National Forest and leads by way of an impressive Sequoia grove with a variety of the tallest and oldest timber on the earth.
Here you can anticipate to see huge trees which evaluate to those at Sequoia National Park except you don’t need to take care of countless crowds and expensive National Park passes.
The Trail of a hundred Giants is only one.three miles lengthy, straightforward, and flat. A few of the trail highlights include the Proclamation Tree which is over 2000 years old, a few fallen giants, and the Goose Pen which has a window-like opening on the heart of it.
The visitor parking lot is situated throughout from the trailhead off highway M-90. It takes about 2 hours to achieve the Trail of 100 Giants from Bakersfield so you are in a position to do it as a day hike with an early head start or camp at the adjacent Redwood Meadow Campground.
Location: Co Rte 107, Porterville, CA Read More: Trail Of 100 Giants In Sequoia National Forest
10. Dome Rock Trail
Although it’s located over 2 hours from Bakersfield, Dome Rock Trail is among the most iconic hikes in Central California that provides sweeping views of the mountains that are not one thing you might be quickly to overlook.
The trail itself may be very short and leads hikers to the top of Dome Rock – an uncovered granite slab with a steep drop-off below it. You can see Dome Rock as you drive as a lot as it however nothing compares to strolling on prime of it and feeling so small compared to the expansive mountain views in entrance of you.
Dome Rock is such a peaceful place to come back for a day lunch, watch the solar set over the mountains, and even take pleasure in star gazing at night.
There is a sandy dust road that results in the designated customer car parking zone which is accessible for most automobiles.
Location: Dome Rock, Springville, CA Read More: Dome Rock Trail In Sequoia National Forest, California
I hope this record has helped you select some new hikes to discover near Bakersfield. Have you accomplished any of those hikes? Let us know your favorite ones in the feedback below!