The hike up Isabella Peak in Lake Isabella, CA is short and sweet. We stopped and knocked it out on our way to the Kern River Brewing Company to sample beers.
The hike is across the lake from where we’re boondocking and we were able to see our trailer from the peak. It’s only 1.5 miles up and less than 700′ of elevation gain. This hike starts from a campground but it was closed so there was nobody else on the hike. Wildflowers and views of the lake made it a great little hike.
We learned that much like other reservoirs, there is an old town at the bottom of Lake Isabella. Whiskey Flat, California was named during the 1860s Gold Rush because a pioneer named Adam Hamilton set up a makeshift saloon using a board placed across two whiskey barrels on a flatland, creating a popular drinking spot.
Lake Isabella was created in 1953 by a dam on the Kern River, forcing the town to move about 1.5 miles south of the original site. The lake is big..it’s 11,200 acres and fed by Kern River and snow melt from the Sierra’s. Apparently it’s a huge fishing lake. In a couple weeks there is a big derby where they tag 500 trout and massive prizes are awarded. You can win $10,000 for catching a fish! God Damn, that’s a lot of money for a fish!
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