Birthday Camping along the Kern River | 3 Day Itinerary

CampingPersonal

Sep 22

There’s nothing I like more than camping with my favorite people in one of my favorite places. I discovered camping along the Kern River during the peak of the pandemic when in search of a place away from humans. I remember feeling so lucky in 2020 when a campsite right along the river became available. I didn’t know what to expect and did so much online research before heading out. I love swimming in rivers, and at the time, I wanted nothing more than to recharge my brain sitting in a float with a drink in my hand. Fairview Campground provided me all of these things and more.

Which is why I couldn’t wait to head to this spot with friends for my 35th birthday this year. This was my second time gathering friends at this campground. We went in 2021 and had a blast—but this year we prepared for something a little different, although still a lot of fun.

2023 brought a year of historic rain fall, snow pack, and in turn flooding as soon as it started to heat up. This summer, it’s been well-known that the Kern River was flooded and unsafe to swim, contrary to previous years. It’s crazy how much things can change, even within just 2 weeks.

I thought I was going to have to cancel this trip. The whole point of making the 4 hour drive from Orange County was to enjoy cooling off in the river when camping in 100ºF weather. So, me and my fiance decided to go out to Kernville 2 weeks before the trip for a mini, weekend vacay (which was nice, just the two of us). The goal was to report back to friends whether the campsite had a safe spot to minimally sit/wade in the water. Although we did find the river raging (but still oh so beautiful), the good news was there was a perfect sitting area on the rivers edge and we decided to make the camping trip happen. Hilariously though, only 2 weeks later, the water had receded even more, completely changing the shoreline AGAIN. Our little hangout cove was dry but luckily we still found a spot to hang out—phew. This just shows you how fast things can change. Check out the crazy timeline below:

Kern River | August 5, 2023 (same spot, 2 weeks later)

Day 1: Arrival

Kernville and Fairview Campground

Leaving from Orange County, we headed toward Inyokern, just outside of Ridgecrest, about a 3 hour drive from home. This town near China Lake Naval Base would be the location of the last Tesla Supercharger on the way to Kernville. This spot was also home to some Rivian Chargers, a burger restaurant, and a gas station with small convenience store. Other than that it’s pretty barren all around unless you drive into Ridgecrest about 10-15 minutes away.

Food on the Way:

Classic Burger, Ridgecrest, CA: If you’re charging a Tesla or Rivian (both charger types located just outside), you need to try this total hidden gem. On the outskirts of Ridgecrest, we weren’t sure where to eat while we charged, but were stoked to read that Classic Burger had over 1,000+ positive reviews, so we gave it a try. For fast food, this foot hit the spot so good. I loved their pastrami sandwich and the 90’s/frozen in time vibe.
Location: 6525 W Inyokern Rd, Inyokern, CA 93527

Kern River Brewery: We stumbled upon this super cool spot when trying to find a place that we could have a beer in the dry heat while we topped off our charge at the free charger at the ranger station in Kernville (more information on that below). It’s always a treat to try a local craft beer and have a bite. We weren’t starving, but wanted a snack to share, so we decided on the meat and cheese platter—it was divine. We were obsessed with the bacon jalapeño jam. I loved the amber ale they had on tap, too.
Location: 13415 Sierra Way, Kernville, CA 93238

Fairview Campground

Location: PO BOX 1640, Kernville, CA 93238

Reservations: Recreation.gov

Costs:

$40/night (as of 2023)
$8/per 2nd car/per night (1 car free)

Fairview Campground is about 20 minutes from the center of Kernville. It’s my favorite campground along the Kern River. This campground is open from May to November, closing during peak winter months. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. Summer weekends book fast, so I always set an alarm for when reservations open for my birthday to secure a spot along the river. This allows us an easy way to claim a swimming spot during our trip.

We arrived at around check-in time at 2:00 PM. There seemed to be a couple groups trying to see if they could claim no-show campsites. There was a group in a truck on the verge of unpacking the spot we reserved. Cue anxiety—lol. I rolled down my window and politely asked if they had reserved that spot (because, who knows, maybe I mixed up my dates). They got nervous this time and admitted they hadn’t. I explained I had reserved spots 007 and 005 for the next 2 nights. They were immediately apologetic and moved without issue, explaining the camp host said they could try for un-reserved/no-show spots. (Un)fortunately, there’s no way I was abandoning this weekend, lol.

Once parked, we all made our way to the river, checking the spot we perused 2 weeks ago. As mentioned earlier, the shoreline had changed/receded dramatically. Luckily, we were able to find a new beachy area to chill in the water just down river next to the campsite.

We were quick to set up camp and settle in for the weekend. Once the tents were pitched, awnings secured and ice chests moved from the car to table, we were all ready to wind down. We grabbed some drinks, headed to the rocks to take in the river views and the eventual sunset. This is the moment I knew it was gonna be a great weekend.

Although I planned the trip on my birthday weekend, I don’t like to draw attention to the fact it’s my birthday. I’m just happy my friends took the weekend off to camp, soak in the sun, and get tipsy along the kern river with me.

We made some bougie burgers on my Eureka double camp stove and ate them around the campfire. It was utter perfection.

Day 2: Kern River Day

The chillest day of the trip consisted up early morning coffee on the rivers edge, along with bacon, eggs, and hash brown’s for breakfast, then finding a (safe) spot in the river to cool off—but the search and rescue this day not planned (not for us!).

It’s been known all summer to NOT attempt swimming the Kern River. I remember moving our chairs into the water on the shoreline in a save wading area we noticed a mad on the total other side of the river. We wondered how he got there, and even saw someone trying to throw him a float. There were no signs this man was yelling for help, and we figured since it was farther down maybe there was a portion of the river you could cross that we couldn’t see. A few hours later, and admittedly a few margaritas later, we were stunned to see a Search & Rescue helicopter show up. We watched in disbelief as the helicopter dropped a rope and a ranger, securing the man to a harness before lifting him to safety. We couldn’t believe. So, this is your reminder that sometimes things can take a turn for the worst when you least expect it—and if the community/rangers are telling don’t swim in the river—just don’t! We’re glad the man was safe but it was a wake up call for all of us staying at the campground.

After we shook the wow factor of a helicopter flying into the campground, the rest of the day was filled with laughter, great chats and good food.

This was the first time I’ve camped at this campground where they allowed a campfire! Usually, due to fire restrictions and California’s wild fire history, they normally don’t allow fires during the summer because it’s so dry. So, it was such a treat to be able to sit around the firepit enjoying the vibes and insanely clear night sky. You could see the milky way without any special equipment. I love nights in this little valley of nature.

Day 3: Head Home

The last day of any camping trip is always bitter sweet. It’s always a mixture of not wanting to leave but also really wanting a shower.

This morning was focused on a slow pack up as we savored the views a little longer and making up for all the photos we forgot to take.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do on the last day of any camping trip is worry about dishes, so I ditch cooking and instead always plan for a bite to eat locally.

After packing up (and all of us now starving), we headed to Cheryl’s Diner in Kernville. I’ve been stopping at this homestyle diner FOR YEARS. The food always hits the spot and I’m a huge fan of their biscuits and gravy.

Breakfast Food:

Cheryl’s Diner: Sometimes you just want pancakes, eggs and bacon served with a hot cup of coffee after a long weekend camping. Love this spot for a simple, quick breakfast with great small town vibes. The staff is always super nice. No matter what I order I always have to get 1 biscuit with gravy on the side because it’s the best thing on the menu IMO.
Location: 11030 Kernville Rd, Kernville, CA 93238

Nearby Attractions:

Trail of 100 Giants

If you’re staying at any campground along the Kern River, be sure to check out the Trail of 100 Giants! From Fairview Campground it’s only a 20 minute drive and well worth the visit if you’re looking for Sequoia National Park vibes. Although, this part doesn’t seem to be completely tied to the main national park area because regardless if you have the America is Beautiful pass, it’s $12 to park.

Trail of 100 Giants is easily acccessible bia a paved path though Long Meadow Grove featuring groves of giant sequoias along the 1.3 mile trail—some estimated to be up to 1,500 years old!

We didn’t visit during this camping trip, but stopped during our visit a couple weeks before. I was a bit stunned to learn that this area was damaged pretty badly and the trail was closed part of the way through. It was heartbreaking to see, but at least most of the grove is okay. The areas that were closed are closed to allow the area to heal—so please follow the rules and let the trees and land do just that—heal.

Location: Co Rte 107, Porterville, CA 93257

EV Charging:

As a new electric car owner, I find it kind of fun to roadtrip plan where I’ll charge. It adds to the serotonin that trip planning in gives me. I drive a Tesla Model Y, and in an effort to charge the fastest, I stopped mostly at Tesla Superchargers. I think it’s definitely necessary to be aware of how many miles you’re traveling and/or how deep into the national park you might be going when visiting more remote places, and to know where EV chargers are. That being said, I did not feel stressed about my battery level on this trip.

I find that the Plug Share website and app has been best for finding all types of EV chargers, but I generally use the Tesla app to find superchargers. Also, A Better Route Planner is great for planning your roadtrip for charging with all your stops.

From Orange County, we started the trip at 100% and reached the charger in Inyokern (about 172 miles) with about 30%. We charged to 90% and had no problem getting to the campsite and back, but if you’d like to top off, there are 2 free chargers at the ranger station in Kernville. They ask for a $1 donation. These tend to be pretty busy.

Fairview Campground is about 77 miles from Inyokern. I turned off sentry and climate control while at the campsite and ended the weekend with 60% charge—more than enough to get back to Inyokern for a full charge to head home.