Kern River Whitewater Preserve: Beauty, adventure and serenity

According to security guard Tracy, who stops folks from entering across the bridge toward the rock quarry over the Whitewater River near Palm Springs, “This is a dangerous place for people to even think of entering; you could drown here in an instant.”

As I stood on the bridge looking down at the turbulent, dangerous, frothing flow of beautifully clear blue water rushing below me at a million miles per hour, I knew why some people might want to take the plunge.

Per Merriam-Webster – white water alludes to rough water, usually shallow, that is jostled by large rocks. This could also refer to a waterfall.

I have run whitewater rapids along the Kern River, the Stanislaus River, the American River, the Payette, and the Colorado River, and each time was thrilling.

The thrill from the spray of unexpectedly cold water breaching the side of my inflatable raft is impossible to describe, as the raft tips this way or that way, dodging boulders, swirls, and unexpected drop-offs. Caution and a bit of bravado is needed to race down these rivers as the helmsman yells directions.

“You, pony-tail boy, stroke harder on the port side!”

Running the Kern River is not for the weak of the heart. Nope, according to an article by Jill Cowan in the New York Times from June 18, 2023, ‘The Kern River has a reputation as a tempestuous beauty – an alluring playground for rafters and kayakers, but potentially treacherous for those unable to resist.’

The Kern is rated as one of the steepest whitewater rivers in North America.

And, I have the scars to prove it.

With some friends, when we were in our teens, we went out and planned to conquer the Kern River.

“We don’t need no stinking rafts or kayaks,” I may have said. “Just an inflated inner tube should do the trick.”

Two runs and two emergencies to the nearby hospital in Kern proved that inner tubes were not the best way to master the mighty Kern River.

It was exhilarating and dangerous, but as a tree branch decided to lodge into my left ankle on my first attempt, and as a rock decided to knock some sense into my hard head on the second trip, the river running on the Kern was curtailed.

Especially after my father received the hospital bills.

“And you expect to succeed in college,” my father rhetorically asked, while writing out a check to the hospital. “I doubt you could even spell college now.”

But, this is a story about the Whitewater Preserve, not my teenage exploits on trying to get mauled by white water on rivers.

“Every day, I have to warn people not to venture into the swift-moving water,” Tracy said. “It’s not easy. The water is so cool during the summer months, but further north toward the preserve, they can actually enjoy sitting in the slower currents with their families. It’s safer there.”

I nodded, “Do you happen to have a spare inner tube you could lend me? And where is the nearest hospital?”

A few months back, my buddy Paul and I visited the Whitewater Preserve and were amazed at the beauty and serenity of the locale.

So, I returned and decided to do a little more investigation. That’s what I do to earn my keep with my editor, Eric.

“You call that a story!” Eric may have said. “No pay for you!”

The preserve is only 20 minutes northwest of Palm Springs and offers the visitor a land of enchantment.

Not really enchantment since there are no fairies, leprechauns, or adult libations.

But it is a beautiful forestry sort of place visitors can travel to and relish all that Mother Nature has to offer.

It is located on the land of the Cahuilla and Maarenga’yam Native American tribes and offers camping, hiking, history, picnicking, resting, and above all, peace and quiet.

History is abundant surrounding the Whitewater area. Most locals and some not-so-local folks remember the trout hatchery located there, enabling anglers the opportunity to nab some tasty bites for the old barbecue.

But, there is so much more to the area. According to an article written by Ann Japenga in 2006 entitled ‘Rear View – Ladies of the Canyon,’ there is a lot more to this stunning display of nature.

The river actually begins high in the mountains of Mt. San Gorgonio and flows right into the Whitewater Canyon, which afforded early travelers a place to get water and other necessities before heading across the Colorado Desert.

Gold seekers, adventurers, explorers, railroad men, and others would stop by and get their fill of water and supplies from the small markets located in the region.

According to Japenga, a family by the name of Mackenzie had owned most of the area since the 1930s. Then Kathryn Mackenzie relocated there in the early 1940s and started rebuilding the area, which was filled with abandoned cabins and other structures. She envisioned a health center to take advantage of the dry desert environment. With an ample supply of water year-round, it would be a perfect place for patients to come and rejuvenate themselves.

Kathryn had been a successful model in Costa Mesa, but the lure of the private life in the desert near Palm Springs was too much for her to ignore.

“I am tired of being gawked at due to my beauty,” Kathryn may have said. “I need to go into the hinterlands to be left alone and start a health colony.”

Sadly, in the 1940s, Kathryn’s brother was brought to the Whitewater area due to his illness from tuberculosis. Even with the assistance of shamans from a nearby Native American tribe, he died a few months later.

Undeterred, Kathryn continued to expand the structures, even including cottages left over from the 1932 Olympics hosted by the city of Los Angeles.

After Kathryn passed away at the age of 90 in 1988, the area was purchased as the Whitewater Trout Hatchery.

Thousands of anglers visited and caught lots of trout, but the hatchery eventually closed in 2006.

With the partnership of Friends of the Desert Mountains and the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, the 291 acres of the property again changed hands.

Through the years, over $2,000,000 has been spent on renovating the property with a new campground (tent only), day-use park, Visitor Center, and Ranger Station.

When I visited, it was the middle of summer, and the temperatures were hovering around 400 degrees in Palm Springs, but the short drive to the Whitewater Preserve saw those degrees slide south to a comfortable 90.

I wandered here and there about the park – taking my shoes off and dipping into the wading pond located just north of the parking lot.

It was cool and refreshing. I looked around, saw no one staring at me, and took a deeper plunge. No wading for this guy.

As I walked down the dirt path toward the station, I heard one boy ask his father, “Why is that man sweating so much?”

“He probably just came in off a long trail, and it’s hot out there.”

I nodded in agreement.

Green grass lawns, tall luscious trees, multiple ponds, and covered picnic tables for small or large groups await visitors.

The Whitewater Preserve is over 3,000 acres surrounded by the Bureau of Land Management’s San Gorgonio Wilderness.

Hiking trails are numerous for adventurous and in-shape individuals.

There is the Whitewater Canyon View Loop Trail at 3.7 miles, the Red Dome Trail at 4.3 miles, the Rainbow Rock Canyon Trail at 6.3 miles, and for the truly adventurous, there is a trail to the land of the Sasquatch.

I chose the Back to the Parking Lot Trail.

Part of the preserve and reason for the additional land purchased through the years is to make sure the southwestern willow flycatcher is kept safe and continues to prosper.

I agree with anything that catches flies.

The preserve is also home to bighorn sheep, deer, bobcats, mountain lions, and bears – which are what everyone wants to stumble upon while hiking or camping.

The hours the preserve is open are limited. Eight in the morning until five in the afternoon, but for those wanting to camp, those hours do not apply – though they better get there before the gates close.

There were lots of families having picnics, playing on the grassy knolls, wading in the wading pool, and just having a great time.

A few tents were set up, but the owners were not to be seen, probably hiking in the hinterlands marveling at this or that.

The Ranger Station offers all sorts of local information and artifacts from the area. It was rather interesting, and the rangers I met were founts of knowledge.

“We are founts of knowledge,” one Ranger told me.

Whitewater Preserve is definitely worth a stop for a day's adventure, an overnight camping experience, school adventures, or just overall fun.

For further information: https://wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/whitewater

John can be contacted at [email protected]