Kernville is about the river and the mountains. Rafting and kayaking on the Upper Kern is the headline activity from April to July; the rest of the year it is a quiet base for hiking and camping in the Sequoia National Forest and for fishing and boating on Lake Isabella just south of town.
Spend an hour in the historic district for the old-west character, and a winter visit can be timed to the Whiskey Flat Days festival in February.