Don't Miss the Extended Season on the Upper Kern this Summer

The Upper Kern River offers the perfect solution for those looking for a one day or partial day whitewater rafting trip this summer. The extended 2011 season will allow us to run outstanding trips on the Upper through the middle of August. With the huge peak flows just behind us, the water is clear, exhilarating, and spectacular. If you’re looking for a one day Class IV rafting trip complete with tons of fun rapids, a fabulous riverside lunch, and unbeatable scenery, the Upper Kern is an excellent choice. In addition to the full day trip, the Upper also offers a Class IV afternoon half day and two hour Class III Double Lickety Split trips for those with less time available but a yearning to sample the river. The minimum age for our Class IV trips is 9; the minimum age for the Double Lickety Split is 5. Feel free to call our reservations office at 1-800-323-4234 if you have any questions or would like to make a reservation.

The Great 2011 Lower Camp Wash Out

The storms of 2011 have deposited one of the best snow packs in recent memory, but they left a bit of carnage in their wake. Pictured above is a wash out at our Lower Kern camp. Guide Gary "Firestarter" Thornbrugh gives a little scale to the ditch the torrent of water carved. Word has it that the road leading to the Forks of the Kern also suffered the same fate and won't be open until the first week of June, at best. Good news though: our camp road is being repaired as we type this. This little memory of the winter storms' fury will soon be smoothed over. It is now time to play on the melting snow for the next four or five months. Get ready to have some serious fun.

Upper Kern Peaks Sunday, June 6th

The Upper and Forks of the Kern appear to have peaked this past weekend. The flows were approaching 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Here's a picture of "The Flume" (one of the rapids on the One Day Class V "Thunder Run") flowing during the peak. At theses flows, we pass on running Thunder Runs and look for calmer places to take our rafts, but it is still interesting to see how the river changes with these unusually high water flows. The peak flows are beginning to diminish and the river will slowly decrease revealing crystal clear water and wonderful, steady flows throughout June and July for our Upper, Lower, and Forks of the Kern trips. Interested in taking advantage of one of these great vacations? Give us a call at 1-800-323-4234.

Extended Upper Kern Rafting Season

Due to a cooler than normal May, flows on the Upper Kern are going to be great until late July. Snow in the Kern River drainage is not melting as quickly as what would normally be expected. Yesterday's "high" of 58 degrees was a chilly surprise but what might be a sting of cold air today is a promise of great water flows in July.

The Upper Kern River is California's most accessible class II-V stretch of whitewater. For more than twenty miles the river offers up world-class whitewater and a beautiful river canyon all within a pitching-wedge from the road. With various access points, finding a river section suitable for just anyone is possible.

Our Upper Kern trips meet at our rafting center at 8:30 a.m. and return sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. We serve a great lunch along the river and take you on many of the different sections of the Upper Kern. For more information about the Upper Kern, or to book your trip, call us at 1-800-323-4234.

Ladies and Gentleman, the First Thunder Run of the Year is Now in Progress

They're off and running. The first Class V Thunder Run of the season is shown leaving the grounds and heading out for a day of rafting under crystal skies and warm weather. With the Upper Kern River running in excess of 2,600cfs, these folks are in for a fabulous day of playing on the river. If you would like more information on the Thunder Run or any of the trips we will be offering this summer, feel free to give our helpful office staff a call at 1-800-323-4234. We're happy to answer any questions you might have and help you plan your visit to the Kern River. You too could soon be having as much fun as these folks heading up to the river in anticipation of a day filled with fun and adventure.

Ben's First Run on the Lickety Split

After completing our 2010 Guideschool, and being checked off to run this portion of the Upper Kern, Ben Woodruff is seen guiding the first Lickety Split trip of his career. It's not every guide who gets his first trip immortalized in digital pixels. Ben's hitting the wave at Ewings straight and everyone is in the boat. Good job Ben, There's nothing quite like having your first year as a guide be a Big Water year. Go Ben. It's going to be a great year on the Kern. Ben's a lucky guy. . . and so is everyone else fortunate enough to get on the water this summer.

Upper Kern River Rafting Information

The Upper Kern River offers the best road-accessible class IV-V rafting trips in California. There are a variety of different sections that we run. Most of our trips are full day trips and meet at 8:30 AM at our Rafting Center. From there we load up on the bus and head upstream through the town of Kernville.

Over this past winter we've designed maps for the Upper, Lower, and Forks of the Kern. Click on the map thumbnail below to view a larger version.


Our guides will choose the sections to be run, but most trips feature the famous "Limestone" section of the Upper Kern. This is the furthest upstream trip one can do (other than the Forks of the Kern) and also serves up some of the best whitewater on the entire Kern River.

Here are some shots of rapids on the Upper Kern River:

Limestone Rapid:

Sock-em-dog:

Ewings:

Black Bottom Falls: