The Kern Gateway Trail
A world class trail at your doorstep
Hike the spectacular Kern Canyon
The Kern Gateway Trail is a proposed network of trails on the south side of the Kern Canyon, from the canyon mouth to Democrat Dam. Hundreds of feet above the river, it provides a unique experience of the powerful beauty of this great California waterway as it cuts a path through the Southern Sierra Nevada range. If linked and fully built, the trail would comprise of over 15 miles of hiking path, giving recreational access to a spectacular area that today can only be experienced from a car.
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To make a project like this a reality, we need the US Forest Service, the City of Bakersfield, the County of Kern, Southern California Edison, CalTrans, and private landowners to all agree it's a priority and make it happen. Show your support for this project by signing our petition.
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An amenity with many benefits
Why this trail is worth creating
Quality of Life
Health and wellbeing through access to exercise and the outdoors
Regional economic competitiveness
Strategic amenity that will bring visitors and also attract + retain talent
Equitable access to the outdoors
Creating linkages between disadvantaged communities of the Central Valley and our public lands
The awe-inspiring Kern Canyon
This video is of the now closed Jar Trail at the mouth of the canyon. It's sweeping views are just over 15 mins away from Downtown Bakersfield, and the trail starts within Bakersfield city limits. If the trail were to move forward and be built, the Jar Trail would be redesigned / rebuilt and would anchor the Southwestern terminus of the trail.
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Please do not try and hike this trail until a framework is in place to officially reopen it. Doing so would undermine efforts to make this trail a place for all to enjoy by further convincing the landowners that visitors will not respect the limits placed on use of the area.
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