Going the Distance

Whiskey Flat Trail

I tried this trail last year, but the rope bridge was iffy and the water flow was too fast to mess with, this year someone has made a stone bridge of sorts that makes crossing the creek a breeze.

So far, this trail is the furthest hike I’ve done, clocking in at 13.8 miles (Woohoo!) For the most part this was a pretty easy trail. The first part doesn’t offer much in the way of views, but it isn’t terrible. Whiskey Flats trail is part of a park area at the end of Burlando Rd in Kernville, so it’s not exactly a remote trail, but the area has a lot of nice small trails for people looking for a quick jaunt, which also means its more populated than I’d prefer, but I got further along the trail, it started to feel much more remote, and the views of the mountains where nice.

For this trip I was joined by my trail buddy, Bandit. Bringing a dog along was great for the companionship and encouragement, but if you do, plan on bringing extra water.

Some parts of the trail are a little steep, but nothing that was too crazy. I did have to cross a few small streams, but the rocks made it possible to traverse without wet feet, and Bandit appreciated cooling off. There are little to no trees in the area, so this is another trail that is best for cooler weather. There is a section of the trail that is pretty overgrown as of Jan 2020, I’m not sure if it’ll be cut back or not.

Beware of ticks. I spotted one but brushed it off. I strongly recommend doing a good once over of yourself and your pup when you stop for breaks and again before you get in the car to go home. And of course appropriate clothes and such.

There were a few parts that were the trail disappeared in the overgrowth. I always try to keep my trails recorded on my favorite trail app, but I keep a map of the area and a compass on me just in case. That being said, the trail basically follows along side the river, so as long it’s not too hard to stay on track.

One downside to this trail is it kind of just ends. I originally thought it ended at Fairview Bridge, I have since learned that’s a much longer hike. Sounds great if you have a buddy and can leave a car at the end point. But Whiskey Flats Trail is ends at the river. We spent some time wandering around looking for the bridge that was miles away before I gave up and we took a break before turning back.

Overall this was a nice trail, I prefer the wooded locations, but this was a great trail to focus on distance and a nice trail for the off season. I thought my legs were going to fall off by the end though!