Forks of the Kern
Tulare County, California
Uploaded by Bivy Team

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06 :06 hrs
16.2 mi
2047 ft
V
Rafting
Kayaking

The Forks of the Kern River is an overnight whitewater run through Golden Trout Wilderness and Dome Land Wilderness. It bends past volcanic flows and into rocky canyon cliffs covered in a thin forest. What deters some from doing this run is the 1.7 mile hike to the put in. A mule service is available to transport gear and equipment; contact Golden Trout Wilderness Pack Trains. After only seconds of hitting the water you will face Class IV and V- rapids lasting until the take out site with some breaks in between. Some places of interest are Peppermint Falls (mile 9.5) where there's good camping and Dry Meadow Creek (mile 14.5) where you'll find granite water slides. At approximately mile 11.5 is the Class V rapid Vortex V. This should be portaged when the river is flowing below 1300 cfs. Just before the take out site is the most challenging rapid of this trip: Carson Falls, an 8 foot drop into a hole. A river permit is required for this trip; contact Sequoia National Forest for further information. Here is a link to a detailed map provided by Kern River Outfitters indicating places of interest and rapids: http://www.kernrafting.com/maps/forks-kern-river.html

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