US Forest Service, Bakersfield City Council and staff, and Kern County Board of Supervisors and staff,

The Kern River canyon is one of the scenic gems of California. It opens a grandiose channel between the expanse of the San Joaquin Valley floor and the towering heights of the Southern Sierra Nevada. As one of America's Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Kern River is known for it's recreation, beauty, and it's diversity of landscapes and ecosystems.

Unfortunately, though, the lower, most scenic and most easily reached stretch of the Kern River Canyon is inaccessible for recreation. There are no official hiking trails for the first 20 miles of canyon, forcing visitors and nearby residents to drive significantly further to access less unique and stunning sections of the canyon (i.e. Mill Creek Trail, Remington Ridge Trail, Kern Canyon Trail). To enjoy the lowest stretches of the canyon, visitors must do so from the seat of a car, with limited places to stop and leave the car to safely enjoy the scenery. Although many sections of well developed trails line the canyon walls on the south side of the river, these were made by Southern California Edison for their hydro plant infrastructure and are not officially open as a USFS trail.

This is an issue for the nearly 500,000 people living in Kern County's largest city and California's 9th largest city, Bakersfield. These residents should have improved access to outdoor recreation on public lands. The edge of Sequoia National Forest is only 20 mins away from downtown Bakersfield and a short distance in from the mouth of the canyon, yet few residents realize or take advantage of their access to this USFS managed "land of many uses." Additionally, over 20,000 people live in small towns and rural areas of the Kern River Valley. These residents would also benefit from a landmark trail such as what should exist at the canyon mouth, both from using it themselves and also economically from additional tourism attracted by a spectacular trail network.

This petition is also directed at Kern County and Bakersfield City officials, who have a vested interest in creating unique quality of life amenities for residents to enjoy. The Jar Trail, a trail at the gateway to the Kern Canyon, used to be the most scenic, easily accessed trail to Bakersfield. It passes through several parcels of privately held land as it climbs the ridge above the canyon mouth. It was closed by these landowners due to management and liability concerns, as well as a lack of safe parking access along Highway 178. County and City leaders should allocate resources to reopen access to this trail and to work with USFS to develop a larger network of trails up into the canyon. USFS may require resources from the county and city to make the trail system viable, and it's in the best interest of the County and City to support USFS however is necessary to make the trail a reality.

Having a trail in this scenic section of river canyon will create a noteworthy regional landmark that will instill pride in residents, improve their quality of life, and attract visitors from across the state to enjoy it.

Please note that the Jar Trail is closed to public access. Do not trespass on the private property at the mouth of the canyon. Improper use led to its closure and continued problems from unwanted visitors may harm ongoing efforts to reopen the trail. 

To support this project, go to https://linktr.ee/kerngatewaytrail Follow us on social media platforms, sign up for email updates, and learn about future events on our website. If you'd like to make a donation to support this project, please do so at www.kernriverparkway.org/donate. It can be put to better use through the sponsoring non-profit than through change.org paid promotion, which is poorly targeted and comes at a very high cost for each additional signature.