Motorcycle tour companies often like to tout that we know the local roads and you don't, therefore, you should ride with us & we'll show you the stuff you would easily miss. Not sure if that's a true statement, it sounds good on paper at least. Any curious biker can do the requisite homework in advance with any number of tools. Or just say I wonder where this goes and wander up a twisty road, hope it doesn't dead end & actually goes somewhere. However, nowhere is that original statement more correct than the Kern River Canyon due east of Bakersfield. Fun road, twisty canyon stuff following the contours of the river. But, halfway up the length of the canyon is a subtle Y in the road. Easily missed, Kern Canyon Rd splits off the main highway and parallels the main highway. Would you ever know this is here, not likely, but the punchline is Kern Canyon Rd is 10x better than the parallel stretch of Highway 178 up to Lake Isabella where everyone else is.
Left, or right?
Narrow, twisty, repetitious s-curves, whoops, and canyon wall riding looking down, down, down into the Kern Canyon. Add in some slick cattle guards, some sprinkles of sand when you least expect it, occasional rocks in the road, some decreasing radius corners (no guard rails & long way
down) and we've got ourselves a very fun ride.
Kern Canyon Rd