![]() As a result, you then have to get on a sidewalk or that busy road to get to a traffic signal in order to safely cross and then double back to the trail. Most of it is not practical as a bike path because of the many interruptions caused by busy major thoroughfares. I was the only person on a bike (for good reason), and in terms of pedestrians/dog walkers I only encountered four on the entire 9.6 mile round trip. Deer Creek Concrete Flood Control Channel Pedestrian Path might be a better name. OK, Rancho, kudos for the thought and semi-effort, but this trail leaves quite a bit to be desired as a "bike path". First of all, this is/was essentially a service road for the flood control channel, but the city slapped some yellow paint down the center of it and decided to call it a bike path. Since no one had yet to submit a review or photo, I felt compelled to do so in the hope some naive bicyclist does not set their sights on this path. I've lived my entire sixty-eight years in the Inland Empire, the last forty-three in Rancho Cucamonga, and I must say I was absolutely stunned to recently discover that the black top running alongside the flood control channel is now on TraiLink and is called Deer Creek Bike Path (even though there are absolutely no signs anywhere designating that name to the path). I rode it in January (58 degrees), for summer riders, be well prepared for the heat, which can be lethal. If you're passing through Bakersfield, you'll be richly rewarded by pausing to try it out. It's easily accessible from either I-5 or Highway 99. This path is a beauty, an achievement of forward thinking and an excellent investment in the public good. The speedster bicyclists were polite, and the width of the path made it easy for the tortoises and the hares, the pedestirans and the dog walkers to get along. My sense of public safety seemed to be confirmed by the many families that I encountered on foot or on bikes. The trail drops about 400 feet in elevation over 14 miles, hardly noticeable going either downstream along the Kern, or upstream on the way back. If you're a birder, bring your binoculars, you'll be travelling along extensive wetlands. ![]() Again, no street crossings, as the path uses underpasses for all roads, a marvelous piece of engineering. Previous postings about tumble weeds.didn't see any. What a delight! Again, the trail was wide, clean, traveling largely along water, safe, for all ages and levels of riders. I did not ride the streets to the disconnected far east portion of the trail, but will next time On my return trip headed back home (Merced) on 99, I parked again at Yokuts Park, and headed west for a 28 mile round trip ride to the western end of the trail. The hills mentioned in the official description and previous posts are not steep, easily negotiable by even a mildly fit rider. : stay right, look for the narrow tunnel that goes under the street. Specifically, though homelessness has been mentioned in previous posts about this path, no encampments encroached onto the path, and homeless folks numbered less than ten over the roughly sixtteen mile round trip. The trail itself is wide, and smooth, well maintained, and without safety concerns. Daty 1, headed south to SoCal on 99, I parked at Yokuts Park (plenty of parking, easily accessible off 99) and rode east. I did the length of the trail in two parts. Mistake! The Kern River Parkway Trail is a way above average opportunity to take a break from the monotony of Highway 99 or I-5, get in a good ride, and get back in your car with the invigoration that a two-wheeled adventure virtually always brings. ![]() Traveling by car through the Central Valley over a hundred times during the past fifty years, I've never paused to ride a bicycle in Bakersfield.
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