Beautiful and beginner friendly hike near Bakersfield (Kern Canyon)

Join for a fun, beginner friendly hike just 25 mins from downtown Bakersfield—meet other hikers and get familiar with the Kern Gateway Trail Join our community hike and learn about the amazing hiking of the Kern Gateway Trail Learn about the current opportunities to enjoy world class hiking in the Kern Canyon, close to Bakersfield, as well as future potential to improve hiking access to this beautiful area. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or just looking to enjoy some fresh air and good company, this event is for you. Bring your friends and family along with you. To get the most out the hike, please bring water, sunscreen, and a pair of active shoes. If you have them, we also recommend trekking poles. The Kern Gateway Trail committee is working hard to take existing trails in the canyon and connect them into a world class hiking trail system with sufficient trailhead parking, signage, and improved trail maintenance. Although this is a vision for the future, there are beautiful sections of trail that are ready to be hiked today and this hike will show you one of them at Stark Creek. The hike begins at a large pullout 100 yards west of the turnoff to the Upper Richbar day use area, which is about a 10 minute drive east from the canyon mouth.