Another amazing night spent at Mountain Park. Took about 9 kids for my sons party. Awesome place…read morefor the kids to play and explore. Roasting hot dogs and eating s'mores, what more could you want on a beautiful Tehachapi night? Highly recommend if you have never been here.

If you're looking for a park in the middle of nowhere, but still just outside town, where you can…read morecamp or visit on a day trip, this is your place. Granted you have to be in Tehachapi, or know where Tehachapi is, or be wanderIng around southeastern California, or have a sweet GPS. Given all the above transpiring, if you find yourself in the lucky position of needing to do a summer XC run with your sophomore weak-of-heart running daughter, just don't tell her about the steep uphill. You do get to run back down afterward anyway. Should you be able to trick your kids into the run or perhaps a hike, magnificent views await at the overlooks partway and all the way up. We're talking Twitter-background-wallpaper-quality shots (not that I would know). Should I wind up randomly or intentionally in T-town, I'll take another hike, provided I can talk the daughter into it ("no honey this isn't the one you remember, it's an easy hike":).

Just a few comments on the local Mojave area around Edwards, not on this specifically posted…read more(business)location. Although the posted commentary of the first reviewer certainly sounds typical, I'd somewhat question the comment about hot nights in the Mojave. My personal experience has been that typically, about 4 PM every day, a strong wind comes up across the Mojave and temps usually can drop over 50 degrees from day to night. North of Edwards, in the eastern reaches of California City, there used to be (not sure if still there) a long dirt road-trail across the desert, that one might drive, knowing that you were traversing the old and famous 20 mule-team Borax Trail, from Death Valley to the railhead at Mojave. (See: http://home.earthlink.net/~cyberkiwi/desertexploration/trborax.htm) East of Edwards, there is an area famous for Hot-Air Ballooning. South of Edwards, east of Lancaster, off a desert road, a hillside encropment, host an open mine entrance, with old tracks and an unsafe old wooden ladder, that descends into the almost vertical depths of the old mine, only to find the bottom-of-the-shaft filled with water. A friend once slowly descended into the water, to find a horizontal water-filled shaft with air-pockets under the roof. (Not recommended!) If you can access Edwards itself, South Edwards may yet have traces of the old Edwards Sled-Track, on which the Astronauts rode a rocket-sled across the desert, to experience G-forces. The track was moved to Holloman AB, New Mexico years ago. Along the south rim of Rogers Dry Lake Bed, are the old remaining buildings and roads of the original Edwards, nee Muroc Army Air Station, made famous in air-flight history, with famous names like Chuck Yeager, X-1 rocket ship and more. Just walking through this area, when the wind blows, one can almost feel the winds of history! And finally (here), there is the famous Edwards Rocket Base, on the ridge overlooking Rogers Dry Lake, somewhat south-east of Edwards. Here is a website (link) to another website with a quote that 'paints-a-magnificent-picture', of the time-and-place of Rocket Base in history, as told in the Foreword to an online Hollywood Documentary screenplay. Enjoy! http://www.fiwd.org/Reality.htm

Tomo-Kahni (translated "winter village") was the site of a Kawaiisu Native American Village. The…read moreHistoric Park is located along a ridge in the Tehachapi Mountains. The site can only be accessed by guided tours which are held two Saturdays per month during the spring and fall months. On the 1.5 mile walking tour you'll get to learn about the Kawaiisu people and how they used to live. You'll also learn about some of the native plants, such as the ephedra plant which was used to make a stimulating tea and the burned charcoal was used to make decorative tattoos. You'll get to see various bedrock mortars where the would crush acorns into their staple meal. You'll pass by large boulders covered in vibrant and colorful neon green and orange lichen. The tour ends at the Ceremonial Cave, also known as Creation Cave or the Teddy Bear Cave. It's really more of a rock shelter. Inside there are well preserved pictographs. The cave is said to be guarded by a supernatural grizzly bear that lives within the rock face that guards the cave from unworthy intruders. Overall it was a vary enjoyable visit. The tour starts at 8:30 AM at the Tehachapi Museum. After a 30 min orientation you'll caravan to the site. We got back to our car around 1pm. The fee for the tour is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 6- 16. There is also a $10 registration fee. You can call 661-946-6092 for tour information and reservations.

Woke up one morning and decided I needed some time to journal and enjoy the outdoors. I brought a…read morechair and sat by the lake for four hours. It was chilly but so beautiful. It was just me and a couple people fishing on the other side of the lake. I was basically by myself and it was heaven. It is $5.00 for a car to get in, no exceptions. When you drive up you will see the tree art, so cool. The sandy area by the lake was clean, no trash. Spots where you park have a picnic bench, perfect place to sit for a nice lunch or dinner. The website states there is no swimming, or activity involving bodily contact with the water. Brite Valley aquatic provides the greater Tehachapi area with domestic and agriculture water supplies. There is a pavilion that can be rented out for parties. $75 a day and $75 cleaning deposit. That includes entry fee for up to 25 vehicles. You will need to book 2 weeks in advance, call the TVRPD district office at 661-822-3228 Great place to have a kids party, playground right next to tables. There is a camp host when you pull up and you will pay them, if they are not in the shack you still need to pay through the drop box.

Had an amazing time. Spacious cites a d great fishing. Very clean. Thank you Don and Don! Very…read morefriendly staff!

Cutest little park in Stallion Springs! There's a small lake, a playground, a few picnic spots that…read morehave built-in grills, a patio covering additional tables, rolling hills, boulders, many species of birds, a walking trail across the street, and one of my favorite things up in the area- a covered bridge! The park is open sunrise to sunset and leashed, vaccinated dogs are welcome. While we were picnicking we saw families were using the playground and fishing, people horseback riding, and a couple walking their dogs. It was peaceful and pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

This little hidden gem is located next to our timeshare in Tehachapi and we have been going every…read moremorning for a nature walk. The park has a small kids area and a couple of trails. The lake has beautiful birds and some wild life. We saw plenty of squirrels and ducks. The trails are nicely marked and I believe you can also ride horses in this area. The covered area is a nice area if you are a fisherman as well as the bridge. The second day we hiked up to the top area that has a gazebo and just admired the View. The beauty and serenity of this area is priceless. It really helps you appreciate the small things.

We spent many days at this park when my kids were young. My Moms group used to meet here so the…read morekids could play. Happy memories, all those kids are now grown and moved on to start their lives. This park was named after the founder of Tehachapi. It has the prettiest, tallest shade trees around. It has over 5 acres of grass, there is picnic tables, BBQ's, restrooms and a gazebo in the center of the park. You can rent the gazebo for $75.00 and a security deposit of $75.00. I have been to many parties in the park and the gazebo is really nice to set the food and gifts in. I personally know a couple people who were married in it. You can even rent out the full park for an event for $500 a day with a $1500 deposit. The playground is newly renovated and you always see happy kids running around. I have been here on multiple occasions and have seen kids in the late teens and young adults hanging out near the restrooms. They are definitely up to no good, We have seen small kids at the park themselves, I don't recommend that. This may be a small town but there is a drug problem and some of the people like to hang out here. So as long as the kids are supervised this is a nice place to spend some time. Many events are held here, Tehachapi Mountain festival, Tehachapi Old-timers Reunion, music in the park and also movies in the park. You can check with the Tehachapi Parks and Recreation for more information.

Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the community - but Tehachapi holds a special place in my heart…read more It's also where my boyfriend works and occasionally I get to visit him. This park is not too far from his campus and is a great spot to stretch the legs and wander around. I love the tree carvings and lush old-growth landscaping. This is a great park to escape the heat and bring the kids to run around!

The parking lot is on the right unmarked and unpaved so don't miss it. The trail is super hard to…read morefind if you are not looking for it and the grass and shrubs are overgrown. It was pretty cool to be under the turbine windmill though! I recommend if you are going around fall, to make sure to wear gloves and a fee layers to keep you from all that wind! Keep safe and warm out there!

This was one of those unique hikes featuring many windmills. I ended up hiking a round trip of 5…read moremiles that took 2 hours to complete. You can hike even further on the PCT. Parking was on the dirt road adjacent to the start of the PCT. It was extremely cold and windy in the high 30°F. The wind made the hike somewhat miserable as my hands were frozen and numb the whole time! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/T39cExuS25k

We loved our rafting guide, Carsyn! He was incredibly funny, knowledgeable, and made the entire…read moretrip both exciting and informative. Our family had an amazing time on the 4 hour rafting tour it was fun from start to finish. We highly recommend this experience, especially if you get Carsyn as your guide!

Another 5 star adventure!…read more My family has made a (near) annual visit to Kernville for the past 10 years and we try to book a rafting experience. Today my family of four enjoyed another trip down the lower Kern and several class 3 & 4 rapids. We were treated well, the guides were professional, and we all felt safe. Looking forward already to our trip next year!

Very nice work out and fun on a quad also Kinda hard getting…read moredown if your on a quad so be careful because you might roll over

Rosamond Summit is the peak of the second-highest elevation in Rosamond (the highest elevation in…read moreRosamond is Willow Springs Butte). Rosamond is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California. According to the USPS, portions of Rosamond also include Tropico Village and Willow Springs. Rosamond is the Westernmost valley of the Mojave Desert. The elevation at Rosamond Summit is approximately 3,091 feet according to the USGS. The elevation gain required to reach the summit ranges between 580 feet to 710 feet from the nearest paved roads, and is dependent on the initial entry point chosen for this hike. Reaching this summit requires a low-level hike, typically referred to as a class 1 hike by hikers. This summit is easily reachable within one half an hour for most skill levels starting from the nearest paved road. The majority of this hike is taken by following dirt pathways, but occasionally the pathway requires travel in gravel-covered rocks. Since I would classify this as a class 1 hike, travel to the summit does not require your hands for climbing or any other rock-climbing gear. Hiking to this summit is enjoyable, and is generally easy for a novice hiker that is physically fit and able. This hike is an excellent way to get a little exercise followed by the rewarding 360 degree view at the top. Although reaching the summit only takes about a half an hour, my suggestion would be to budget an hour and a half for the entire round trip so you can enjoy some rewarding time at the top. As with any hike, it is important to be aware of safety considerations. For me, this always includes telling someone where I am going, going during safe weather conditions, going during daylight hours, and bringing the appropriate supplies. At a bare minimum, your supplies should include water, a fully charged cellphone, ID, keys, sunglasses, and at least one good walking stick. Other items may be beneficial during hot days, such as a good hat and sun block, but be extra careful on hot days since it is easy to get heat exhaustion in the desert. A good walking stick is a must, and can serve multiple purposes, not only for increased balance and stability along the gravel-covered rocks, but also for additional protection. On rare occasions I have seen coyotes along this hike, and this can be a little scary and unexpected. Other animals seen may include various birds, gophers, rabbits, and snakes. For me, my walking stick is also beneficial during my return, after my legs are more tired and it is too easy to gain unwanted speed while descending. In short, this is a relatively easy hike, but one must still take the appropriate safety precautions. As one would expect, this hike is within desert terrain, so your view is mostly of tumbleweeds, dirt, gravel and rocks. Although this may sound boring to some, the scenery is rather beautiful to me. The view at the top is breathtaking, and your efforts are rewarded with clear visibility for several miles, all the way to the horizon.

Associated with the huge, beautiful, undivided Rancho Tejón, undivided since the time when…read moreCalifornia was under Mexico's control. I highly recommend you visit should you come across the rare opportunity to do so.

Mmmmm, nature! We…read morehad a group hike to the flower fields. Lupine...have you ever seen anything as beautiful as the color purple? Poppies...field of buttercups flying in the wind. Then other varieties of wildflowers...clean air, some trodden paths, helpful docents. All in all, great day exploring Tejon Ranch. They have tours of their massive properties periodically. Last year, it was free. This year, $5. But we had no guide...: (