Infectious Off-Road.com

Want to take the girl out for some fun... more of a scenic camping trip than a wheeling trip (but if some wheeling happens to work its way in, I am not going to stop it). I blew it and didn't schedule the weekend soon enough, otherwise we'd be heading out on the Big Bear or Swamp Lake runs the previous week (and now I'm forced to spend that weekend on the beach in San DIego.... life sucks doesn't it! ).

SO... current thinking is Big Bear, Figueroa Mountain, ???

Anybody interested in something like this for this weekend?

Okay... none of you want to wheel ?

Question.... is there any camping off the Kern or Lake Isabella that isn't a 'public' campground? While I much rather unimproved camping, I am not familiar with the area and will take whatever I can find that is easy enough to find. I do want to be next to water with the heat.

Looking to make one of the following choices soon.... unless you guys think they are bad ones?

Any suggestions between these or others?

Hospital Flats (kern river side)
Camp Three (kern river side)
White River (wildnerness area, next to river)

White might be far from wheeling.... that is if any of you want to show me either Freeway or Sherman or ???

I would like to do Monache Meadows, but know nothing about the place (how to access, etc).

Try peppermint creek, it's bare bones, but there is a creek and natural waterslides

There's not really a whole lot of wheeling around the lake, if you go all the way to the top of freeway ridge and go north of rancheria rd. passed 155 there's some sort of an abandoned settlement a few scattered mines and actual natural caves.

When I go camping around the mountains of Kern I never tend to stay in the same campground for 2 nights straight. I've gone from staying in keysville to evans flat then to this place my brother used to take me when he was alive down FR 22S53 @ 36* 00' 17.69'N, 118* 30' 16,90"W (there's a bit of wheeling in the area if you cross the creek.), then I end up finishing up at upper peppermint campground. The end of the trip is usually topped off sunday with lunch at ponderosa. Then I go home.

More of a camping trip.... if a little wheeling occurs, great! I'll probably tow the heep just in case.

I ended up getting the site at White River.... it seems to get good reviews.

Now.... who wants to go wheeling??

[quote="abendx"]Looking to make one of the following choices soon.... unless you guys think they are bad ones?

Any suggestions between these or others?

Hospital Flats (kern river side)
Camp Three (kern river side)
White River (wildnerness area, next to river)

White might be far from wheeling.... that is if any of you want to show me either Freeway or Sherman or ???

I would like to do Monache Meadows, but know nothing about the place (how to access, etc).[/quote]
Stay away from all of those places on the Kern unless you like to camp next to dirty diapers and Mexican music going full blast all night long. Those places are absolute shitholes in the summer with every gang-banger from LA camped out, and it will be close to 100* during the day. Basically worse than Big Bear, and much hotter (Lake Isabella is often hotter than Bako during the day). A member went to the Lake a couple weeks ago and told me it was 104 degrees up there.

White River CG is at a little less than 4,000 Ft I think, so will probably be pretty hot and dry in mid summer. Maybe i'm wrong, but I thought the White river was dry in the summer? I have never camped at that campground but have seen it several times and it shouldn't be too crowded. Just looking out for my Nardians, I know how sensitive ya'll get when it gets over 100 degrees.

Camping up on the Kern Plateau is the most scenic place in the area and far less crowded because the LA crowd doesn't have enough gas to get there and the water isn't deep enough to drown in. I like big meadow and Monanche (Monanche can get crowded too), but be mindful that this will be 4+ hours of driving from your house in the Nard.

Peppermint Creek is PACKED with RV retirees (snowbirds) that live in the area's campgrounds all summer. Basically you need to wheel somewhere to avoid the summer crowds; Swamp Lake / Dusy Ershim type places.

[quote="REDxj5150"]There's not really a whole lot of wheeling around the lake[/quote]
Trails, no. But there is some awesome rock piles on the West shore of the lake to play on, kind of reminds me of some of the bonus obstacles on Bullfrog in Johnson Valley. Or you can do like Josh, and just drive your rig into the lake and see how far you can go

Ah.... thanks for all the info boys and girls.

As I said earlier, picked the White River.... hope there is water in there!! It was a close one between that and one of the Kern spots.... so at least I probably {maybe} picked better?

I know it will be hot.... I didn't know it would be gang bang central. Should I bring my gat or should I bring backup and pull security all night?

If the river is flowing, all will be good I think. I was thinking of maybe doing some hiking, but at those temps, it might not be all that fun.

There is a good spot at the end of north black gulch that is on The water and is secluded. And it would be close to freeway ridge and black gulch.

[quote="abendx"]I didn't know it would be gang bang central. Should I bring my gat or should I bring backup and pull security all night?[/quote]
White River will be fine and mostly older folks in RVs, its the Kern River that gets crazy. The LA crowd flocks to the Kern in the Summer, and the Kern River culls the population of LA by ensuring that the stupidest among them do not return alive. I know of several uncrowded campsites next to water, but I would have to take you there, as the roads are not marked.

[quote="desert dog"]I know of several uncrowded campsites next to water, but I would have to take you there, as the roads are not marked.[/quote]

Well damn it!

If i dont go to swamp lake that weekend i may be free to go local.

[quote="AJ99"]If i dont go to swamp lake that weekend i may be free to go local.[/quote]
You are not going to Swamp Lake with us this weekend AJ?

[quote="desert dog"][quote="abendx"]Looking to make one of the following choices soon.... unless you guys think they are bad ones?

Any suggestions between these or others?

Hospital Flats (kern river side)
Camp Three (kern river side)
White River (wildnerness area, next to river)

White might be far from wheeling.... that is if any of you want to show me either Freeway or Sherman or ???

I would like to do Monache Meadows, but know nothing about the place (how to access, etc).[/quote]
Stay away from all of those places on the Kern unless you like to camp next to dirty diapers and Mexican music going full blast all night long. Those places are absolute shitholes in the summer with every gang-banger from LA camped out, and it will be close to 100* during the day. Basically worse than Big Bear, and much hotter (Lake Isabella is often hotter than Bako during the day). A member went to the Lake a couple weeks ago and told me it was 104 degrees up there.

White River CG is at a little less than 4,000 Ft I think, so will probably be pretty hot and dry in mid summer. Maybe i'm wrong, but I thought the White river was dry in the summer? I have never camped at that campground but have seen it several times and it shouldn't be too crowded. Just looking out for my Nardians, I know how sensitive ya'll get when it gets over 100 degrees.

Camping up on the Kern Plateau is the most scenic place in the area and far less crowded because the LA crowd doesn't have enough gas to get there and the water isn't deep enough to drown in. I like big meadow and Monanche (Monanche can get crowded too), but be mindful that this will be 4+ hours of driving from your house in the Nard.

Peppermint Creek is PACKED with RV retirees (snowbirds) that live in the area's campgrounds all summer. Basically you need to wheel somewhere to avoid the summer crowds; Swamp Lake / Dusy Ershim type places.[/quote]


Strong ditto's here. Camping along the river north of Kernville is hot and a zoo. Big Meadow, or a couple places you'll pass on the way to Big Meadow, are much better. A couple of campgrounds past Johnsondale on the western divide on the way to Ponderosa are pretty good, but they can easily fill up on the weekend so you'd need to get there Thurs or early Fri, and they don't make reservations. I don't remember the names, one I think is Holley Meadow, but they are nice places to camp.

Or, just go to Evans Flat which is at the top the local trail system we run, and it has access from the top.

So many good suggestions

I think we will hit the camp spot I reserved and see what it looks like. If there is no water, then we will head up the mountain to see what we can find.

ANyone want to do some wheeling on Sunday? I am 50/50 on pulling the heep, but could be easily convinced to do it.

[quote="abendx"]ANyone want to do some wheeling on Sunday? I am 50/50 on pulling the heep, but could be easily convinced to do it.[/quote]
I would......but I have all 3 Jeeps down for maintenance this weekend.

[quote="desert dog"][quote="abendx"]ANyone want to do some wheeling on Sunday? I am 50/50 on pulling the heep, but could be easily convinced to do it.[/quote]
I would......but I have all 3 Jeeps down for maintenance this weekend.[/quote]

Good timing all three.

You preping for the CON??