Photo by Casey Christie
Mill Creek Trail, left, runs parallel to Old Kern Canyon Road, right, for a short distance before turning east toward Breckenridge Road.
Kern Canyon — Mill Creek Trail
Continued from page 51
higher elevation than the Main Lodge at Mammoth). The trail winds through beautiful pine forests with views of open meadows and the southern San Joaquin Valley. During spring, the trail is complete with wild flowers. The panoramic view of Lockwood Valley from the summit is awesome. There is no water on the trail so bring water and trail snacks. It’s been my experience that the temperature on the trail is at least 15 degrees cooler than in Bakersfield. The difference makes summer hikes bearable. The wonderful aspect of this trail is that it is accessible yearround. From spring to winter, you can hike in tennis shoes or hiking boots. Once the snow sticks, bring your snowshoes or cross-country skis. This is a great trail to experience and learn snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. My daughter and I both learned to snowshoe on this trail and it’s a lot of fun. On winter hikes, also bring a GPS and cold weather gear. It is very easy to lose the trail in the snow. I’ve lost my way in snow storms more than once. To get to the trailhead, take the Frazier Park exit from I-5 and head west on Frazier Mountain Park Road. Veer right on to Cuddy Valley Road and stay on the road following the signs to Mount Pinos until you reach the parking lot. You’ll need a day pass for the Los Padres National Forest ($5 a day). Passes are available for sale at Sport Chalet and Big 5. Don’t worry if you don’t have a pass; the penalty for parking without a permit, is the cost of a day permit. 52
Bakersfield Life
September 2011
Besides being a great endurance training hike, this hike is beautiful and includes numerous creek crossings, newts, pine trees, and even a rock with American Indian mortar holes. The full length of the trail to Breckenridge Road is 7.5 miles. The rock with the mortar holes is about 2.25 miles up the trail on the left. It is large and flat (perfect also for a nap). About three miles up the trail there is a nice flat area with a view and a log for sitting — a perfect place for lunch. During the summer the trail is dry and hot, and hikers should bring lots of water. In the spring, there are wildflowers, the creeks are flowing (I recommend waterproof boots and hiking poles for creek crossings), and the pools are full of orange bellied newts. Because of the abundance of cattle in the area, I would discourage drinking the creek water unless it has been sterilized. To reach the trailhead, take 178 east up the canyon to Old Kern Canyon Road. Veer right for 1.5 miles and you’ll see the trailhead on the right just after you pass the cattle guard. I like both of these day hikes because they’re convenient and close to home. For timing, I usually leave southwest Bakersfield at about 8 am. I usually bring a light lunch for the trail. If it’s a Saturday, I try to hit Luigis for lunch on the way home. In my opinion, there are very few things better to do in Kern County than spending a Saturday morning snowshoeing at Mount Pinos and the afternoon eating pasta and socializing at Luigi's!