The North Fork of the Kern River is one of the great whitewater rivers of the American West. In spring runoff — typically April through July, depending on the Sierra snowpack — the Upper Kern delivers some of the most consistent class III–V rapids in the state, drawing professional kayakers and commercial rafters in roughly equal numbers.
Several outfitters run trips from Kernville: half-day class III sections suitable for first-timers, full-day class IV trips for confident paddlers, and the multi-day Forks of the Kern (class V) for the experienced. In low-water summers and into autumn the river settles into a more peaceful float, and the swimming holes upstream and downstream of town are popular with locals.