“Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.” –Norman Maclean
* Initial hike: March 25 and 26, 2022
| Location | Mileage | Elevation gain | Type |
| Kern County | 8.91 miles | 741 feet | Back and forth |
Permits, directions and weather
Permit : No permit is required on this trail for night use. I would recommend making sure you tell at least 2 people where you are going and giving them your directions.
Instructions: The trailhead begins at the Johnsondale Bridge on the east side of the river. Go down the stairs and there will be a sign pointing out the trail and any notable sites to look out for.
Weather report: The weather in Kern Valley in the summer is very hot, be sure to check the weather before you go as the area can have some crazy winter conditions.
Johnsondale ~4,900 feet: Weather from the National Weather Service
*map at trailhead showing where camps, rapids, waterfalls and streams are located.
Maps, books and equipment recommendations
- Kern River Sierra Outdoor Recreation Topo – this map also includes a large portion of the area, which is why I recommend it. There is an application that now offers the complete map in digital form on Avenza: Get it here.
- BeFree Katadyn Water Filter – The only water in the area is obviously the river and I recommend always filtering the water.
- Garmin inReach Mini2 – there is no service here, it’s good to have a source in case of emergency.
- PackTowl Luxe Microfiber Towel – there are safe areas where you can enter the water, but be careful as the waters are very dangerous here.
Hiking statistics
Small talk
We left on Friday with a puppy on our feet so we could go a little further into the backcountry. Unfortunately the weather was much warmer than expected and we cut the trip short by going out on Saturday.
moist water, dry weather
We woke up early Friday with everything packed and set off for the short 3.5 hour drive from home to the trailhead. I say short drive because we drive up to 5-6 hours just to have a good weekend of hiking. It was early spring and I opted for the river trail, hoping it would be much cleaner than it ended up being. I think we started around 11:00am, which is not the best time to start a hike as we arrive at the hottest part of the day.
The water didn’t look as clear as we had seen on other trips on this trail, and it was flowing pretty quickly, probably from the storms that had just passed through a day or so before. At the trailhead there isn’t a lot of parking, especially as we arrived during the summer months, but since it was spring and a Friday, we hit the jackpot and had no issue.
know where to camp
We took several breaks along the river when there were nice sandy spots to do so. Summit, our pup was breathing hard from the heat, so we made sure to give him all the water he needed! At the beginning, about a mile in, there were some great campsites that you could go down to near the water, and even some nice sandy spots. There are several notable sites along the trail: 7 Cups of Tea for example. About 4 miles down the trail, discover Dry Meadow Creek, where the waterfall and 7cups of tea join the Kern River. This is probably one of the best places for swimming and fishing; it’s really a beautiful site.
We run after this magnificent place to find a campsite for the night. After the 7 cups of tea the spots become rarer, but before heading up to the Rincon trail we found a nice sandy area with shade and access to water. We found a nice place for the night and as soon as we arrived we set up camp and relaxed in ours. REI hiking chairs: Flexlite Air Chair (best buy in the world).
decide to leave the next day
I have to say, sleeping by a creek with that white noise, we slept pretty well. It was a quiet night, except for when we heard hikers passing by in the early hours of the morning. In the end, we decided to leave a day early instead of doing the whole loop knowing we weren’t going to be near a water source. We arrived at our car before 11am and couldn’t decide if we were going to camp another night at one of the riverside campsites or just go home. After walking almost all the way to Sherman Pass and a nice breakfast with a view, we headed home for a short drive.
The Kern Sierra River Trail @Johnsondale Bridge
California’s Hiking Country: Kern River Trail in the Sequoia National Forest
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you have any questions, feel free to write comments below. Happy adventures! Annette