Touring * Fitness * Beginner * Artistic *

On State Highway 99 approaching Bakersfield from the north, go past the junction with State Highway 204. One mile south of the junction, take the exit for Rosedale Highway (State Highway 178) and 24th Street, and turn left to pass under 99 and cross the Kern River. (You can look down from the 24th Street bridge to see the Kern River trail.) Turn right just after the bridge onto Oak Street, which marks the east border of small Bakersfield Beach Park, and take the first right after that, 21st Street, to leave your car in the shade of the park. The Beach Park access ramp up to the river trail is at the far side of the park toward the river. (If you can't find a curb space in the park, go back to 21st Street and turn right to park in the sunny dirt lot next to the river, and carry your skates up the bank of the levee.)

The Kern River Bike Path has so much potential that when you talk to the locals they'll tell you it's already 18 miles long. That may be in the plans, but the painted distance markers put the actual length at 7.5 miles, and a round-trip (both ends described in this chapter) only brings your total mileage to 15 miles at the time of this writing. Word has it that someday the trail will follow the river all the way from California State University at Bakersfield--situated about 3.5 miles west of Bakersfield Beach Park--to Lake Ming, 10 miles upriver from town. Whatever the eventual distance, the city of Bakersfield clearly recognizes what a wonderful community resource it has here: New landscaping in progress includes plans for thousands more trees, along with a campground near the newer section at the west end. This 2.5-mile tour explores the trail's western section. Just after leaving Bakersfield Beach Park, you'll dip under State Highway 99 (watch out for oncoming trail traffic around the blind curve). After skating under the graffiti-decorated railroad trestle (how did they reach those places!?), you see the new campground next to the river on your right. Beyond the campground, on your left, you can see Truxton Avenue and its row of modern business-park buildings. At Commercial Drive, a small park offers a drinking fountain, benches, and an inviting lawn. The paved trail to this park is on the far end, close to Truxton Avenue. Proceeding west, the contrast in sights and scenery becomes very dramatic: modern multistory buildings line Truxton on the left, in tidy new business parks. But look across the river to the right, and there's the nitty-gritty reality of oil refineries stretching toward the distant northwest horizon. It's a spectacle totally unlike your usual urban landscape, and the pastel greens, pinks, blues and yellows of the massive tanks, interspersed with the tall spikes of metal towers and electrical power lines, are eerily beautiful in their own way. A bit farther on, you'll find a cute little rest stop just for trail users, complete with bench, shade, water, and its own on- and off-ramp. The scenery to the south between the trail and Truxton is now marked by frequent signs that warn, "Stay Out and Stay Alive!" The big water-filled depression down the steep bank is labeled a Groundwater Recharge Basin, and signs warn that the water is unsafe for recreation or drinking. After passing the recharge areas, this skate becomes more of a workout than a tour, most suitable for commuting between the university and town. Here the asphalt path comes within three feet of Truxton's fast and noisy traffic. According to the painted distance markers, you're only a mile from the west end, and with so much natural scenery waiting for you to the east, it's a good idea to turn back now.