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Quick, before it gets hot — check out these nature escapes
| Thursday, Apr 10 2008 6:31 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Apr 11 2008 8:09 AM
It’s spring in Kern County. The weather is pleasant. Skies are clear. Wildflowers are in bloom.
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Rick and Carol Spanel, of San Jose, hike through the Audubon’s Kern River Preserve in Weldon Thursday morning.
A rabbit munches on some grass at the Audubon’s Kern River Preserve in Weldon Thursday morning.
A red-winged black bird does the major splits on some reeds Thursday at the Audubon’s Kern River Preserve in Weldon.
A Tule elk grazes at dawn on the Wind Wolves Preserve.
A butterfly settles among the wildflowers on the Sand Ridge Preserve, about 20 minutes east of Bakersfield.
Wind Wolves Preserve encompasses more than 97,000 acres of valley floor and mountains south of Bakersfield, between Interstate 5 and Maricopa. It is home to Golden eagles, Tule elk, deer, mountain lions and other animals.
And with gas prices so high, it’s the perfect time to explore some of the many close-to-home nature preserves.
Another bonus? They’re free.
On the flip side, they can be pretty rustic, off the beaten path and with few amenities. A visit might take some prep work. But the sight of vivid flowers, soaring birds and perhaps even a newborn Tule elk is well worth the effort.
Kern County preserves cater to a variety of outdoor interests: native plant, animals, hiking, biking, birdwatching, reptiles. Many feature interpretive signs and literature to educate visitors on wildlife and plants, or the ecological history of the area.
Here are a few:
SAND RIDGE PRESERVE
Where: About 20 miles east of Bakersfield. Contact preserve manager Greg Warrick at 387-9453 before going. You’ll need to sign a liability waiver and get a map and directions from him.
When to go: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
What to see and do: Sand Ridge features a 1.2-mile hiking trail through a plethora of untouched nature. Wildflowers are in bloom and butterflies gallivant throughout the preserve. You’ll likely encounter a lizard or two slithering into bushes as you walk along the trail. Be sure to pick up the interpretative pamphlet at the trail head that gives information for the 22 guideposts along the path.
Things to consider: The area is sandy so a pair of hiking boots will help to keep the dirt out of your shoes. There are no toilets, running water or ranger on duty. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen.
More information: In the early 1960s, grape grower and plant enthusiast Jack Zaninovich led a community fundraising effort to buy the land today known as Sand Ridge Preserve. The preserve is 2,000 acres of a naturally elevated strip of land surrounded by orange orchards and farm fields.
Atop the ridge are beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada to the west and the valley floor to the east.
The preserve has a healthy population of endangered Bakersfield cactus and visitors in the next few weeks can see them in bloom. The brilliant hot pink flowers only blossom between April and May.
You’ll also enjoy the natural sounds — a trio of rustling grasses, buzzing bees and chirping birds.
KERN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Where: 18 miles west of Delano. For directions, call 725 2767.
When to go: Open daily from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
What to see and do: A 6.5-mile auto route leads visitors through some of the preserve’s wetlands.
Things to consider: Restrooms and picnic tables are available. Tour pamphlets are at the information kiosk or in the office between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
More information: The preserve is a great place to observe the marsh-like environment that used to comprise the Tulare Lake Basin, a large inland lake that once covered more than 625,000 acres of the valley floor.
Today, water is used to mimic the former wetland habitat, attracting migrating birds and serving as a home to endangered species such as the San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard.
WIND WOLVES PRESERVE
Where: About 30 miles south of Bakersfield, halfway between the juncture of Highway 99/Interstate 5 and Maricopa. Directions available on the Web site.
When to go: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Campers can arrive after 2:30 p.m. Friday.
What to see and do: Wind Wolves is teeming with wildlife from golden eagles, quail and tri-colored blackbirds to Tule elk, deer, bobcats and mountain lions. And the baby Tule elk and deer are due any week now. Visitors can hike trails, ride mountain bikes along a new, 5-mile trail or picnic on the preserve. The preserve also offers free tent camping on Friday and Saturday nights.
Things to consider: Restrooms and information pamphlets are available, rangers are on duty. Take binoculars for better views of wildlife.
More information: If you’ve ever gazed off at the smooth, creased mountains to the west of the Grapevine’s base, you know where Wind Wolves is. The preserve encompasses some 97,000 acres of terrain that range from valley floor to elevations of more than 6,000 feet. Once slated for development, it was bought by a conservation group in the mid-1990s.
The preserve features canyons, wetlands, a reflection pond, oak woodlands and meadows, as well as a variety of wildlife and birds. This year a 5-mile mountain bike path (10-mile roundtrip) opened. Also opening were new campgrounds where tent camping is free.
There are also several hiking trails that venture deeper into the preserve to places like the stunning Reflection Pond. Wildlife may be hard to spot for the untrained eye. Ask an on-duty ranger what to look for and you’ll be delighted with what you see.
AUDUBON'S KERN RIVER PRESERVE
Where: 57 miles northeast of Bakersfield in Weldon, east of Isabella Lake.
When to go: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
What to see and do: The preserve is a birder’s mecca, with more than 300 species to see and hear. Visitors will also enjoy wandering among the varied topography, ranging from wetlands and riparian forest to grassy meadows and pine-oak woodlands.
Things to consider: Take binoculars.
More information: A great time to explore is during The Kern Valley Nature Festival, from April 30 to May 6. The event features free workshops on native plant gardening, using a GPS device, the preserve’s pond turtles and nature and birding walks.
For a fee, attendees can sign up for day trips to see birds, geological formations, butterflies and habitat restoration projects. For the full listing of events, visit kern.audubon.org/KRVSNFtripintroduction.htm.
CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT
Where: About 60 miles west of Bakersfield. For directions, call 805-475-2131.
When to go: Open daily from sunrise to sunset; Goodwin Education Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Thursday to Sunday.
What to see and do: Visitors can take a self-guided walk through Wallace Creek, a dry creekbed that zig-zags through the San Andreas fault. A four-hour guided tour of the entire monument is available for free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
The tour includes a visit to Painted Rock, sandstone inscribed with Native American pictographs, which is otherwise closed to the visiting public during spring and summer. Reservations for the tour are required, made by calling 805-475-2131. Visitors who wish to explore on their own can pick up pamphlets at the north and south entrance to the monument or at the Goodwin Education Center.
Things to consider: Restrooms are available. Bring water, sunscreen and a hat. There is little shade.
More information: If you’ve ever wondered what Kern County might have looked like hundreds of years ago, you’ll see it here. The area, a 250,000-acre expanse on the border of Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, was designated in 2001 as a national monument to conserve the last remnant of a grassland ecosystem that once covered the Central Valley.
The main goal was to preserve habitat for endangered species that have lost their habitat to development in Bakersfield, Fresno and elsewhere in the valley.
The monument also contains geologic treasures like the San Andreas Fault and Soda Lake, a vast dry salt lakebed. While wildflower season has peaked, some are still blooming in higher elevations.
DESERT TORTOISE NATURAL AREA
Where: 5.5 miles north of California City, off Randsburg-Mojave Road.
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
What to see and do: Spring is the most active time for the threatened desert tortoise. Visitors can likely spot them while walking along trails, which also contain stations with educational information about the turtles and other species. The preserve’s naturalist can also offer tips for spotting turtles.
Things to consider: Restrooms and picnic tables are available. Bring water, hat and sunscreen.
More information: Not only are turtles most active in spring but so are the abundant animals, birds and other reptiles that call the preserve home. Snakes and lizards are common in the area along with desert kitfox, coyote and birds such as the cactus wren and ladderback woodpecker.