Attractions Nearby Bakersfield, Day Trips and Excursions

(Bakersfield, California - CA, USA)



If you are holidaying in Bakersfield with a rental car or your own vehicle, then lots of options for day trips become possible. There are numerous attractions spread around this part of Southern California, often being connected to the city by fast highways and interstates.

Visitors who enjoy spending time outdoors should consider an excursion to Lake Isabella, located to the east of Bakersfield and roughly an hour away by car, via Highway CA-178. Lake Isabella is a popular spot for boating and kayaking, while there are also opportunities here to fish and camp. In the winter, the Alta Sierra-Shirley Meadows area lends itself to skiing.

Located roughly 30 miles / 48 km to the north of Bakersfield is the small town of Wasco. Although at first glance Wasco doesn't appear to offer much in the way of typical tourist attractions, in the spring, its annual Rose Festival draws thousands from throughout South California, creating quite a buzz.


General Information

Of course, many tourists on vacation in Bakersfield choose to plan day trips to Los Angeles. This 'City of Angels' has long been one of the top tourist destinations in California and is to be found approximately 100 miles / 177 km to the south, being connected by Highway CA-99 and Interstate I-5, through Santa Clarita.

Quality tourist attractions certainly come thick and fast in Los Angeles, spread around neighborhoods such as Hollywood, Long Beach, Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach. The Getty Museum, the California Scenic Center , the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Los Angeles Zoo are all good reasons why so many people staying in Bakersfield plan excursions to the iconic metropolis of LA, the second-largest city in the USA.

Other possible day trip destinations include the Kern River County Park to the northeast of Bakersfield, the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge to the southwest, and Frazier Park, to the south. Around an hour's drive to the northwest is the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, which was founded in 1908 by African Americans and comes with some 15 different camping sites, including the Rocky Hill Campground and the Tule Recreation Area.

A little further away, just over 95 miles / 153 km to the north of Bakersfield, is the world-famous Sequoia National Park, which is easy to reach by following Highway CA-65 for the majority of the journey. The Sequoia National Park is home to some of the largest and most awe-inspiring trees growing on the planet's surface, including the famed giant named the General Sherman Tree.

Specific attractions at the park include the Crescent Meadow, the Giant Forest Museum, the Moro Rock, the Sherman Tree Trail, the Tokopah Falls Trail and the Tunnel Log, created from a fallen sequoia. There are also lots of campsites dotted around the park, including some at Atwell Mill, Buckeye Flat, Cold Springs, Dorst Creek, Lodgepole, Potwisha and South Fork.