The Long Way
Kern County
The interior of a fire lookout tower overlooking a mountainous landscape with a person looking out the window.
Plate I. Inside Oak Flat Lookout. From recreation.gov
A tall metal lookout tower stands next to a parked car on a dirt road.
Plate II. Oak Flat Lookout tower. From recreation.gov
A small structure on a hilltop surrounded by vegetation.
Plate III. Lookout tower, Oak Flat Lookout. From recreation.gov
A tall fire lookout tower stands under a clear blue sky.
Plate IV. Oak Flat Lookout tower. From recreation.gov
An interior view of a room with large windows overlooking a mountainous landscape, two beds, and a central table.
Plate V. Interior view, Oak Flat Lookout. From recreation.gov

Oak Flat Lookout

Bakersfield, Kern County, California. Fire lookout rental.

Details

Map. Bakersfield, Kern County, California. Larger map
Where
Bakersfield, Kern County, CA. No street address stated. Directions
When
Check-in 3:00 PM.
Getting there
Next left off the highway onto Rancheria Road past the last traffic light east of Bakersfield; 15 miles north (paved, then unimproved gravel), about 45 minutes to the Oak Flat turnoff; right onto the Oak Flat spur road .7 miles to the lookout tower.
Fees
$75 per night (peak-season cabin rate on file through 2023-11-30).
Access
Due to steep terrain, 4 wheel drive vehicles required.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservation through Recreation.gov; contact Kern River Ranger District at (760) 376-3781 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Phone
760-376-3781
Managed by
Sequoia National Forest.
Established
1934.
Coordinates
35.5352778, -118.7069444.

On the Greenhorn Mountains at 4,900 feet, the tower overlooks the scenic Kern River and Kern River Valley with panoramic views of the mountains, river and valley.

Notable Events

  1. 1934Oak Flat Lookout was constructed in 1934 to provide fire detection views along the Kern River Canyon. fs.usda.gov
  2. 1980sThe lookout was operational until the 1980s. fs.usda.gov
  3. 2007The lookout was damaged in a storm in 2007, after which the Kern River Ranger District brought Oak Flat Lookout back into the Recreation Rental system. firelookout.org
  4. 2021The lookout sustained 2021 winter storm damage that made the historic facility unsafe, with broken windows, damaged floorboards, and interior and exterior graffiti. fs.usda.gov
  5. 2022The tower was closed during the 2022 season to repair storm damage. fs.usda.gov

People

  • Alfred Watson, District Ranger, Kern River Ranger District, quoted on the lookout's storm damage.

Sources

  1. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234601
  2. recreation.gov/api/camps/campgrounds/234601
  3. fs.usda.gov/r05/sequoia/newsroom/releases/sequoia-national-forest-oak-flat-lookout-closed-repairs
  4. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234601
  5. sierranevadageotourism.org/entries/spend-the-night-at-a-lookout-tower-oak-flat-lookout/5ae754a3-03d1-4852-bc70-1c6f7266b9d9
  6. firelookout.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cr-ca-cent-2009.pdf