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This is a remote area with minimal facilities available. The Guy L. Goodwin Education Center is open seasonally from the beginning of December to the end of May. The Goodwin Education Center is located one half mile west of the junction of Painted Rock Road and Soda Lake Road. Normal days and hours of operation during the winter and spring season are Thursday through Sunday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The Center offers weekend tours in April and May to Soda Lake and Painted Rock, allowing the visitor to learn about wildflowers and other fascinating features on the Carrizo Plain. Please call in advance for reservations as space is limited. A wide array of merchandise is available for purchase ranging from stickers and magnets to posters, books and tee shirts. Also available are checklists of the flora and fauna found within the CPNM. A preliminary list of plants found on the Carrizo Plain may be available for purchase at the Education Center. The Education Center also has photographs of many of the wildflowers to help you answer “What kind of flower is that?”

The Goodwin Education Center offers the visitor interpretive displays and exhibits explaining the uniqueness of the Carrizo Plain and the adjoining Elkhorn Plain, where “the closer you look, the more you see”. Here you will learn about the endangered plants and animals of the San Joaquin Valley, the geology of the San Andreas Fault, the human history of Painted Rock and its significance to Native Americans and the farming and ranching history of the area. A diorama, as well as interactive interpretive displays, are available for visitor education. The diorama allows you to see how the special endangered species interact with other animals and lets you explore their intricate network of underground burrows. A breathtaking mural of the Carrizo Plain and its animal and plant life, painted by Santa Barbara artist John Iwerks, focuses attention on the diversity and complexity of life on the Plain.

The Visitor Center is open from December through May. Handicapped accessible restrooms at the Visitor Center will remain open 24 hours a day, several days a week, throughout the year. Informational maps and brochures will be available at the front door when the Center is closed. The Visitor Center driveway may be closed if road conditions are too muddy for vehicles. Visitors are welcome to hike in during these times. Portable toilets are available at Overlook, Selby Campground, KCL Campground and the Traver’s Ranch.

Each year Painted Rock is closed from March 1 to July 15. Access will still be provided by guided tour from March through the end of May. The remainder of the year, Painted Rock is open to the public. Keep in mind that the road will be closed if rainy conditions make the road impassable. Please call the BLM Bakersfield Field Office at (661) 391-6000 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM or the Goodwin Education Center at (805) 475-2131 during the months of December through May for information before you plan your trip to Painted Rock.

On January 17, 2001, President Clinton established the Carrizo Plains National Monument. 250,000 acres of majestic grasslands and stark ridges containing exceptional objects of scientific and historic interest were set aside for the enjoyment of future generations. The overall Carrizo Plain, which includes some state owned land, will continue to be jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Game, and The Nature Conservancy.

Archaeologists theorize that humans have occupied the Carrizo Plain National Monument area since the Paleo Indian Period (circa 11,000 to 9,000 B.C.). Bedrock mortar milling features, village middens, and elaborate pictographs are the primary manifestations of prehistoric occupation. Some of these, such as the Painted Rock and Sulphur Springs rock art sites, are recognized as world class. European expeditions through the area date back to the late 1700’s, with settlement beginning in the 1850’s. Livestock ranching, farming, and mining activities in the last century and a half are evidenced by numerous artifacts and historic ranch properties within the area. Dryland grain farming and ranching developed in the late 1800′s; in 1912 mechanized agriculture brought large-scale farming to the plain. Some of the equipment used in this early era can be seen adjacent to the Goodwin Education Center.

When early explorers first entered the Carrizo Plain in the San Joaquin Valley, they found a lush paradise of native grasses and colorful wildflowers. This broad, fertile valley sustained immense herds of tule elk and pronghorn antelope. California condors circled overhead, and intermittent pools provided food for waterfowl and shorebirds. Native Americans came to hunt the abundant game, and their many encampments dotted the plain. Before the arrival of the Spanish in what is now California, the Chumash, Yokuts, and other Native Americans hunted and traded here, gathered food and held ceremonies. The Salinan tribal group immediately to the north of the Carrizo Plain also used the area.

From the 1880’s to the 1940’s a number of enterprises intermittently mined salt and sodium sulfate from Soda Lake. In the early 1900’s a narrow gauge railroad was used to haul salt to a refining plant on the south side of the lake. From there it was hauled to the railroad at McKittrick. Sodium sulfate is used in the manufacturing of textiles, soap, glass and paper.

The Carrizo Plain National Monument owes its existence to the geologic processes that occur along the San Andreas Fault, where two of the Earth’s five great tectonic plates slide past one another, parallel to the axis of the Plain. Shifting along the fault created the Plain by rumpling the rocks to the northeast into the Temblor Range and isolating the Plain from the rest of the San Joaquin Valley. It is separated from the San Joaquin Valley floor by the Temblor Range, and the Cuyama River valley and the Sierra Madres by the Caliente Range.

A long, long time ago boulders, cobbles, and sands began to be washed from mountains west of Carrizo Plain eastward across the San Andreas Fault into the shallows of the ocean basin that is now the southern San Joaquin Valley and Temblor Range. In Pleistocene Time, with the uplift of the Temblor Range, this drainage was blocked, trapping runoff within the Carrizo Plain. Runoff within the central Carrizo Plain still drains internally – resulting in Soda Lake, but erosion southward by tributaries of the Salinas River has captured much of the former drainage on the northern end of Carrizo Plain.

Soda Lake, the centerpiece of the plain, is one of the largest undisturbed alkali wetlands in California. The 3,000 acre ephemeral lake provides important habitat for migratory birds and is surrounded by a rare plant community. With no outlet, the water that pools in the lake during the winter evaporates, leaving behind a glistening expanse of sulphate and carbonate salts that appear to ripple and sway in the heat waves of summer. Throughout the dry season, the wind creates white, majestic spires of salt and dust that whirl their way upward into the sky. Unlike other Pleistocene lakes throughout the Great Basin, the shore line of Soda Lake is not characterized by strand lines. Strand lines resemble a bath tub ring of aligned cobbles, pebbles and sand, at various lake levels. However a higher lake level can be deduced from the presence of clay dunes and “slickspots” – barren shallow depressions common to sodic soils.

Nowhere does the Carrizo Plain flaunt its geologic past as it does on the eastern edge of the plain where the San Andreas Fault cuts along the base of the Temblor Range. The area is world-famous for its spectacular exposures of fault-generated land forms. Stream valleys emerge from the adjacent mountains, only to take dramatic right-angle turns where they intersect the fault. Ponds and sags form where the ground is extended and subsides between branches of the fault. Benches form where the fault offsets valley walls. Many dramatic landscape features are products of the interplay between very rapid fault movement and slower erosion. The dry climate of the area produces low erosion rates, thereby preserving the spectacular effects of fault slip, folding, and warping. On the Plain, these fault-related events happen intermittently, but with great force. In 1857, the strongest earthquake in California’s recorded history ripped through the San Andreas Fault, wrenching the western side of the Carrizo Plain National Monument thirty-one feet northward.

The area is also distinguished for its significant fossil assemblages. The Caliente Formation, exposed on the southeast side of the Caliente Range, is host to abundant and diverse terrestrial fossil mammal remains of the Miocene Epoch (from 13 million to 25 million years ago). Fossils of five North American provincial mammalian ages (Arikareean, Hemingfordian, Barstovian, Clarendonian, Hemphillian) are represented in sedimentary rocks in that formation. These terrestrial fossil remains are interlaced with marine sedimentary rocks bearing fossils of mollusks, pectens, turitellas, and oysters.

Lying adjacent to the southwest edge of the San Joaquin Valley in eastern San Luis Obispo County, the Carrizo Plain is the largest remaining tract of the San Joaquin Valley biogeographic province with only limited evidence of human alteration. The 250,000 acre area is a diverse complex of habitats similar to those in the San Joaquin Valley that have become fragmented or destroyed. The Carrizo Plain National Monument encompasses a variety of habitat types. Plant Communities range from iodine bush and salt bush scrub to valley grasslands and California Juniper woodland. The major habitat types include Juniper, Mixed Scrubland, Alkali Desert Scrub and Annual Grassland.

The Juniper woodland consists of the Juniper Oak Cismontane Woodland and the Cismontane Juniper Woodland and Scrub. These are dense to open woodlands characterized by scattered junipers, oaks, low shrubs, and non-native annual grasses. They are found in the higher elevations of the Temblor and Caliente Ranges.

The Mixed Scrubland includes the Upper Sonoran Subshrub Scrub. This is a low drought tolerant scrubland dominated by ephedra, golden bush and non-native annual grasses. It is found in the Elkhorn Plain and lower elevations of the Caliente Range.

Alkali Desert Scrub includes Valley Sink Scrub, Valley Saltbush Scrub, and Interior Coast Range Saltbush Scrub. These are low scrublands dominated by iodine bush or saltbush and non-native annual grasses. They are located from the margins of Soda Lake to the foothills of the Temblor and Caliente Ranges.

The Annual Grassland area includes Non-native Grassland. This non-native annual grassland is dominated by bromes, filaree and schismus and is found mainly in the central portion of the Carrizo Plain Natural Area.

The area is also home to many rare and sensitive plant species, including the California jewelflower, the Hoover’s woolly-star, the San Joaquin woolly-threads, the pale-yellow layia, the forked fiddleneck, the Carrizo peppergrass, the Lost Hills saltbush, the Temblor buckwheat, the recurved larkspur, and the Munz’s tidy-tips. Other plants and trees that flourish here are americana pillwort, California maiden-hair fern, bird’s-foot fern, Arizona and Monterey cypress, California juniper, californica desert tea, green Ephedra, singleleaf pinyon, tumbleweed, Peruvian pepper tree, western poison oak, biscuitroot, Pringle’s yampah, desert milkweed, yarrow, blow-wives, California sagebrush, purple aster, mule fat, big tarweed, desert pincushion, rubber rabbitbrush, wedge-leafed goldenbush, woolly sunflower, Salinas River tarplant, common hareleaf, spring lessingia, desert dandelion, hillside daisy, woolly marbles, small wire lettuce, silver puffs, rancher’s fireweed, flaccid cryptantha, winged pectocarya, Arizona popcorn flower, valley popcorn flower, shepherd’s purse, desert candle, western wallflower, Prince’s plume, bladderpod, honeysuckle, elderberry, sand spurrey, fourwing saltbush, spiny saltbush, lamb’s quarters, poverty weed, Russian thistle, pygmy weed, coyote melon, prostrate spurge, horse loco, hill lotus, silver bush lupine, blue oak, Tucker’s oak, silk tassel bush, red-stemmed filaree, oak gooseberry, whispering bells, baby blue-eyes, Douglas phacelia, white fiesta flower, horehound, thistle sage, San Joaquin bluecurls, blazing star, Parry’s mallow, silver dollar gum, wishbone bush, Mojave sun cup, farewell to spring, devil’s lantern, California poppy, wind poppy, mesa phlox, flax-flowered linanthus, and many, many more.

The Goodwin Education Center offers weekend tours, Saturdays, 10 AM to 3 PM, in April and May to Soda Lake and Painted Rock, allowing the visitor to learn about wildflowers and other fascinating features on the Carrizo Plain. An interpretive sign has been erected at the Painted Rock trailhead. The sign includes an artist’s interpretation of a prehistorical Painted Rock and the former inhabitants of the area before the arrival of the Europeans. Please call in advance for reservations as space is limited. Reservations may be made by calling the Goodwin Education Center during the months of December through May at (805) 475-2131. Call early as tour size is limited to 25 people per leader. For sightseeing on your own, please be aware that most roads are unpaved and automotive services (including gas), are a long distance away.

There are four established hiking trails on the Carrizo Plain National Monument: Soda Lake trail and boardwalk, Wallace Creek, Painted Rock and the Caliente Ridge trail.

The Soda Lake trail is a short level trail approximately 1/4 mile long that begins at Soda Lake Road, across from Overlook Hill, and takes visitors to the edge of Soda Lake. Soda Lake is dry much of the year but during the wet season, you may see wildflowers, fairy shrimp, sandhill cranes, avocets, stilts and other shore or aquatic birds. Throughout the remainder of the year, visitors may view one of California’s last remaining alkali wetlands with its unique and rare plant community of very salt tolerant plants. Soda Lake is a massive expanse of alkali and mud with a beauty all its own. The newly constructed boardwalk begins at the edge of Soda Lake and allows visitors to view the Lake up close while protecting sensitive habitat. It is nearly one-half mile in length. Benches are available for sitting.

The Wallace Creek trail, on Elkhorn Road, takes visitors up a slight incline for approximately 2/10 mile to view the famous offset creek bed along the San Andreas Fault. This is a self-guided, interpretive trail. Information and parking are available at the site but there are no facilities. Signs and a detailed brochure provide information about the San Andreas and aid visitors in identifying features along this famous fault.

Painted Rock trail is approximately 2/3 mile of gently sloping trail. Parking and facilities are available at the trail head which leads to the sacred site of Chumash rock art. Please note that special restrictions may apply as to the accessibility of this trail.

The fourth trail takes the hiker on a moderate hike through the beautiful Caliente Ridge providing incredible views of much of the Carrizo Plain National Monument and parts of the Cuyama Valley. There is a parking area at the trail head; limited facilities are available below at the Selby Camping Area at the bottom of the mountains west of Soda Lake Road.

If you would like to explore more of the geology of the Carrizo Plain on your own, a booklet containing two self-guided auto tours is available for purchase at the Goodwin Education Center or through the BLM Bakersfield Field Office. These two automobile tours will take you to other points of interest in the Carrizo Plain. The first tour will take you from the Goodwin Education Center in the Carrizo Plain to Soda Lake and then to the San Andreas Fault at Wallace Creek. You will be able to see the best example of a fault offset stream drainage here. The second tour will take you the length of the southern half of the Carrizo Plain, from the Goodwin Education Center to Highway 166, and it will allow you to see and understand more of the San Andreas Fault south of Wallace Creek. This 32 mile one-way passage takes you down a narrow linear valley carved by movement on the San Andreas Fault.

Biking in the Carrizo Plain National Monument is a great way to see many of its hidden beauties while getting in a good workout! Keep in mind that much of the CPNM is sensitive habitat; therefore bicycles are allowed on existing roads only. Livestock trails are not considered roads and are closed to bicycle use.

With its vast open spaces, horseback riding is an excellent way to see the Monument. Roads designated as being for administrative use only are open to bicycles and other nonmotorized vehicles, pedestrians, and casual horse use unless otherwise posted.

The Carrizo Plain National Monument offers a wide variety of hunting opportunities. The CPNM, contained within the California Department of Fish and Game Region 3, has populations of California quail, chukar, cottontail rabbit, deer, Tule elk and wild or feral pigs for the hunter. Varmint hunting is legal for coyote, feral pig, California ground squirrel and black-tailed jackrabbit. Nearly all of the CPNM is open to hunting. (See rules section for restrictions.)

The Temblor and Caliente Mountain ranges are the most popular locations for upland game hunting, primarily for California quail and chukar. Mountain quail are very restricted in range, and are not commonly hunted on the CPNM. Quail and chukar are common to abundant in most years, but, as is the case with all upland game, their populations are very sensitive to rainfall, especially late spring rains. Without adequate rain to cause green-up of the hills, quail and chukar will not even begin the normal breeding activities, and will stay in large coveys throughout the year. They essentially forego any significant reproduction, and their populations are reduced as a result. In contrast, in times of abundant rainfall, quail may have up to 3 broods during the season, and their populations can explode. The best hunting for quail and chukar occurs in the Temblor Mountains south of the Crocker Springs Road and in the southern portions of the Caliente Mountain Range including Padrone Canyon.

Big game species such as deer, elk, antelope and wild pig, generally have more stable populations, usually changing relatively little from year to year. They can, however, be significantly affected by weather factors. Wild pigs, for instance, can be severely affected by drought, leaving the National Monument boundaries and moving to better available habitat. They can suffer significant reductions in population size, and take quite some time to bounce back when the rains return. The pronghorn antelope hunt has been canceled due to a dramatic decrease in numbers within the Monument. Limited hunts are now only available through the lottery process for Tule elk.

Within the Pacific flyway the Monument offers superb bird watching opportunities. With sandhill cranes, wintering raptors, and the wide variety of other birds, you will have plenty to keep you occupied for the duration of your visit.

When visiting, come prepared for extreme weather conditions. March is often quite unpredictable in terms of weather so if planning to visit, please keep that in mind. Weather can often be cold, rainy and windy but on nice days, temperatures can be mild and sunny. Temperatures can vary around ten degrees difference depending on your location. Summers are extremely hot and visitation is very low during these times.

Current Park Weather

Get information about the CPNM, your hunt area or travel route before you start off in the Monument. Start your visit with a full tank of gas. Prepare for bad weather and unsafe road conditions with extra food, water, clothing, first aid kit and signal mirror. Respect private and public road closures. Avoid trespassing onto private lands within the Monument. Bring maps and a compass, and know how to use them to find your way and location even if you have a GPS unit.

If you are hunting, know the California hunting regulations and abide by them. Areas NOT open to hunting include a large safety zone surrounding the Guy L. Goodwin Education Center and Painted Rock, all designated campgrounds, management facilities and ranches (including Painted Rock Ranch, Washburn Ranch and MU Ranch), all pullouts, Soda Lake, Travers Ranch and Wallace Creek. Public and employee safety requires these closures. There is also a substantial amount of private land within the CPNM. Please respect private property and know where you are at all times. Maps may be obtained through California Department of Fish and Game or Bureau of Land Management offices.

An ad placed in Outdoor Life magazine in May 2006 lists the Carrizo Plain National Monument as one of the five top varmint shooting sites in the west. This ad is misleading – the land is not irrigated, and while California ground squirrels are found here, so are many other endangered, threatened or otherwise sensitive species. These include antelope ground squirrel, kit fox and burrowing owl.

The San Joaquin kit fox, a federally and state protected species can look very much like a juvenile or scrawny coyote. Burrowing owls – a small, well camouflaged ground-dwelling owl – can often be found in close proximity to ground squirrels and actually use their abandoned burrows. Approximately the same size as a ground squirrel, they often sit near their burrow openings and look quite similar to squirrels if looked at without binoculars. These birds are state protected and federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The entire Monument is set aside as protected habitat for sensitive species. Please know your intended target and be sure before you shoot! There are severe criminal penalties for killing these species.

Hunters should drag any gut piles, skins, etc. well away from trails and highly visible and frequented areas, like campgrounds. Leave them in shrubbery or under trees when possible to prevent raptors and condors from ingesting lead fragments. Please help save California condors, golden eagles, turkey vultures and ravens from dying due to lead poisoning. Burying gut piles or dragging remains into deep vegetation minimizes the chances of these birds feeding on them. When condors, eagles, vultures and ravens feed on carrion which contains lead bullet fragments, their digestive tract stops functioning and the birds die a slow agonizing death.

The Department of Fish and Game has installed many underground water devices known as gallinaceous guzzlers for supplying water to wildlife. Quail and chukar, as well as a wide variety of non-game species make use of these water sources. Current regulations on the Carrizo Plain prohibit camping or sitting in or outside of a vehicle within 200 yards of any water source.

Recreational target shooting is prohibited within the entire Monument. Public lands within 1/4 mile of any campground, Painted Rock, administrative facility (including the Washburn, Saucito, Goodwin, and MU ranch headquarters), and all developed overlooks, interpretive sites or pullouts, are closed to the discharge of firearms.

Appropriate vehicle use protects wildlife and wildlife habitat. The speed limit is 25 MPH except on County roads. Protect wildlife and livestock; leave gates as you find them. Don’t operate motorized vehicles off designated travel routes. A list of open routes is available from the BLM. Prevent damage to roads and vegetation; avoid travel when conditions are muddy.

Cattle guard crossings are often rutted; cross with caution. Please do not drive off-road to avoid bumps. Off road vehicle use is prohibited throughout the entire Monument. When roads are dry, expect a lot of dust and drive with caution accordingly. Watch for wildlife in roadways. During certain times of the year, much of the Carrizo Plain is considered open range and visitors should be prepared for livestock on roads. Drive with caution especially after dark.

Please come prepared and use caution, especially if traveling in a passenger car. Watch for unexpected ruts and rocks that may cause flats in tires designed for highway travel. Make sure your spare is inflated and in good shape and that you have all of your tire-changing tools with you. If you have a cell phone, be sure to bring it. You may have to climb on a hill to get service but that may be a better alternative than being stranded. Services are a long distance away and a lot of time may pass before help may just “happen” by. Always bring food, water, and warm clothing along on trips in case of emergencies and start your trip with a full tank of gas.

Follow these rules while on the trails. Walk on established trails when possible.
Keep bicycles on trails or roads only. Prevent erosion and trail widening by using the existing tread surface. Don’t shortcut switchbacks.

Be aware that winter rains make roads very slick and impassable within the Monument. During these times access to most trails will not be available.

A good campsite is found, not made. Place kitchen areas, tents and stock on areas where obvious signs of prior use exist. If outside of a developed campground, leave vehicles along the edge of roadway; do not drive to your chosen camp site. Camp or park overnight at least 200 yards away from water sources. Camp only in developed campgrounds or in designated camping areas.

Pack out everything you brought in with you: spent brass, shotgun shells, cigarette butts, etc. The Carrizo can be very windy; bag trash immediately to prevent it from blowing away. Protect your food from animals by storing rations securely. Keep the wild in wildlife; don’t bury food or leave it behind. Properly Dispose of Human Waste: Use established restroom facilities when possible. Check kiosks and bulletin boards for locations within the Monument. Bury human waste in catholes 4″ – 8″ deep at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole. Pack out all toilet paper and dispose of properly.

If you alter an area in any way, restore its natural appearance before leaving.
Leave historical or cultural artifacts as you find them. It’s the law. Signs are expensive. Please don’t use them to sight firearms. Many people visit the CPNM for the scenery and quiet they find there. Target practice is illegal within the CPNM.

Minimize use and impact of fires. Stoves are the best option. Campfires, fire rings and wood collection can scar the CPNM’s beauty and destroy habitat. If you must build a fire, use an established fire ring. Bring your own wood with you. Do not burn plastics, glass or cans. Haul your trash out with you. Obtain a campfire permit before building a fire outside of a designated campground. Permits are available from the visitor center, a ranger or the Bakersfield BLM office.

These rules apply to horseback riders: If you are a member of a group of 20 or more, you must secure a permit from the BLM office in Bakersfield (661- 391- 6000). There is not water in all troughs. Call the Bakersfield BLM office to find out where your horse can get water. Water is available at the Selby Campground. It is not for human consumption but is safe for other animals. Please park vehicles and trailers at an existing corral or impacted area such as a campground. Please dispose of horse manure from your camping or loading area by removing and spreading elsewhere in a nearby field particularly if you are in a designated campground. At the end of your stay, pack out all remaining hay and feed to prevent the spread of alien plant and weed seeds. Make sure you know where you are. Please respect private property and leave gates as you find them. Horse gates have been installed in some locations for your convenience. Maps are available through the Education Center or the BLM Bakersfield Field Office. If camping overnight, make sure you have the necessary permits and are careful to burn only wood that has been brought in by you. Do not scavenge dead wood; even though dead, it remains as habitat or shelter for many animals.

For the Painted Rock/Wildflower Tour wear sturdy shoes for hiking. Bring lunch and plenty of water and carpool whenever possible. Be prepared for intense heat and sun; bring a hat and sunscreen. There is a possibility of muddy roads and changeable weather. Pets must be controlled at all times and are not allowed at Painted Rock. Rattlesnakes are commonly seen on the trail and at Painted Rock.

Please remember that Painted Rock is a sacred place and the paintings and rock surfaces are very fragile. Climbing on, touching or defacing the Rock in any way is prohibited. Please do not bring dogs, other pets or bicycles to Painted Rock; animals and bicycles are not allowed at Painted Rock.

There is no drinking water available. The nearest public phone is in California Valley, 15 miles north of the Goodwin Education Center on Soda Lake Road. Gas is available in Maricopa and Santa Margarita. Be sure to start your trip to the CPNM with a full tank of gasoline. Emergency services are available year round at the California Division of Forestry (CDF) Station at California Valley by dialing 911. Note: Cellular phone service is not available throughout the entire Carrizo Plain.

Operation of motor vehicles, aircraft, and boats and flotation devices of any kind, is prohibited on or within Soda Lake and any adjacent stream, channel, dry lake, and body of water.

The monument offers a refuge for endangered, threatened, and rare animal species such as the San Joaquin kit fox, the California condor, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, the giant kangaroo rat, the San Joaquin antelope squirrel, the longhorn fairy shrimp, and the vernal pool fairy shrimp. It supports important populations of pronghorn antelope and tule elk. The Monument was the first area in California to reintroduce both the pronghorn antelope and the Tule elk, native ungulates that had been hunted to extinction by the late 1800s.

Pronghorn antelope are commonly seen near the Education Center and Painted Rock, by the entrance to the Washburn Administrative complex, near the KCL Campground, and sometimes in the southern portions of the Elkhorn and Carrizo Plains. They are sometimes quite unconcerned, and allow cars to stop relatively close-by without running away, and at other times, the same group will run if a car is seen approaching. The reasons for these different behavior patterns are not known. It is also not clearly known why numbers of pronghorn seem to be diminishing within the Monument.

Elk are commonly found west of Soda Lake in the hilly areas of the northwest portion of the CPNM or on the adjacent private land. The Soda Lake San Diego Creek Road (Sprague Hill Road) can be used as a focal point for viewing elk. They are also found on the southwest flank of Caliente Mountain, near and below the cell phone tower and the FAA VORTAC site. These areas also have private lands adjacent to the east. Please respect private property! Public lands are accessed (during dry weather) from the Selby camping area via Caliente Ridge Road.

Deer are most common in the hills of the Northwest portions of the CPNM, the Caliente Mountain area and in the Temblor Mountains. Each year, several deer are tagged from the CPNM, but it is not known as a hotspot for deer since much of the area is too open for prime deer habitat.

Wild pigs can, in a wet cycle, become somewhat common on the CPNM, but in most years, they are scarce to nonexistent. Where they do occur, pigs are usually found in the Caliente Mountains.

Rabbit (the cottontail rabbit and black-tailed hare or jackrabbit) populations are cyclic, changing dramatically from year to year, generally as a result of either weather factors or disease processes. Despite these cycles, some can generally be found throughout appropriate habitats. Cottontails are most common in the low rolling hills of the Temblor Mountains and the foothills of Caliente Mountain Range, on the southern end of the CPNM. Jackrabbits can be found throughout the flat areas of the CPNM in areas with limited shrub cover.

Other mammals found within the Monument include Virginia Opossum, Adorned Shrew, Broad-footed Mole, California Myotis, Western Small-footed Myotis, Long-eared Myotis, Big Brown Bat, Townsend’s Big-eared Bat, Pallid Bat, Brazilian Free-tailed Bat, Desert Cottontail, Merriam’s Chipmunk, Botta’s Pocket Gopher, San Joaquin Pocket Mouse, Little Pocket Mouse, Heerman’s Kangaroo Rat, Canyon Mouse, Pinon Mouse, Southern Grasshopper Mouse, Dusky-footed Woodrat, California Vole, Coyote, Red Fox, Black Bear, Raccoon, Long-tailed Weasel, Badger, Striped Skunk, Mountain Lion, and Bobcat.

Both sandhill cranes and mountain plovers use the Carrizo Plain as either a roosting place or as their winter home. A wide variety of raptor species also use the area for nesting, foraging and wintering. The Lesser Nighthawk,
White-tailed Kite, Bald and Golden Eagles, Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, and Prairie Falcon are a few of them. Other birds found in the Monument are
Scrub Jays, Yellow-billed Magpies, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, Bewick’s Wrens, Canyon Wrens, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Varied Thrushes, Loggerhead Shrikes, Northern Mockingbirds, California Thrashers, Water Pipits, Cedar Waxwings, European Starlings, Hutton’s Vireos, Orange-crowned Warblers, MacGillivray’s Warblers, Blue Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, California Towhees, Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Western Meadowlarks, Tricolored Blackbirds, American Goldfinches, Purple Finches, Western Tanagers, Pied-billed Grebes, American White Pelicans, Black-crowned Night-herons, Great Egrets, Tundra Swans, Fulvous Whistling-ducks, Wood Ducks, Northern Pintails, American Widgeons, Black-bellied Plovers, Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, Spotted Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitchers, Wilson’s Phalaropes, Ring-billed Gulls, Caspian Terns, Rock Doves, Greater Roadrunners, Western Screech-Owls, Long-eared Owls, Soras, Vaux’s Swifts, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Costa’s Hummingbirds, Belted Kingfishers, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Northern Flickers, Horned Larks, North Rough-winged Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Willow Flycatchers, Cassin’s Kingbirds, California Condors, Mountain Quails, and California Quails.

Amphibians located within the Monument are Lungless Salamanders, Black-bellied Slender Salamander, Western Spadefoot Toad, Western Toad, and Pacific Treefrog. Reptiles within the Monument are Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard, Western Fence Lizard, Side-blotched Lizard, Coast Horned Lizard, Desert Night Lizard, Gilbert’s Skink, Western Whiptail, Southern Alligator Lizard, California Legless Lizard, Racer, Coachwhip, California Whipsnake, Western Patch-nosed Snake, Glossy Snake, Gopher Snake, Common Kingsnake, Long-nosed Snake, Common Garter Snake, California Black-headed Snake, Southwestern Black-headed Snake, Night Snake and Western Rattlesnake.

Be aware of natural dangers such as rattlesnakes which are commonly found on the Carrizo Plain. Rattlesnakes are commonly seen on the trail to and at Painted Rock.

No fees are charged at present.

The CPNM has two designated camping areas with limited provisions, the KCL and the Selby camping areas. Camping is on a first come, first served basis and no reservations are required or taken. (Note: Groups of 20 or more must obtain authorization from the Bakersfield BLM office as well as groups that are charging a fee. Both campgrounds are primitive, containing picnic tables, fire pits and portable restroom facilities. Electricity and drinking water are not available. The CPNM does not have garbage pickup service. Please act responsibly and pack out any refuse you might have. Hunters please do not leave gut piles or other animal parts in the campgrounds. Overnight camping is allowed only within designated campgrounds and designated camping areas and is limited to 14 days within any 30 day period, for a total of no more than 28 days within any one year period.

At certain times of the year, campfire permits are required and special fire restrictions may be in effect. Contact the BLM office for an update on current restrictions. There is no fee for campfire permits and they may be obtained at the Goodwin Education Center, the Bakersfield BLM office and from any BLM Ranger in the area.

The KCL campground is equipped with eight picnic tables and eight fire pits. It has some of the few shade trees found on the CPNM. Formerly owned by the Kern County Land Company, the KCL still has a few of the original barn structures as well as some of the corrals. Some of these structures are in disrepair; please be careful if you go exploring inside. Also, please bear with the Monument as they work on improvements for this camping area. You may use the corrals for your horses and there is generally enough space in the campground to park horse trailers.

The Selby campground is equipped with five picnic tables and four fire pits. It is nestled at the base of the Caliente Mountains. There are no shade trees but this campground is more secluded and the camper is only steps away from unlimited hiking in the Wilderness Study Area that lies outside the campground boundaries. The oak/juniper woodland is a haven for many birds and other wildlife and the beautiful Selby Rocks are a site not to be missed. (You may explore around the rocks but please do not climb on the fragile sandstone. Watch out for natural dangers such as rattlesnakes.) A new addition to this campsite is the availability of water for non-potable use only at the campground.

Car camping is also an option within certain areas of the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Generally, car camping is permitted in the foothills and mountainous areas. Car camping is not permitted in the valleys (both Carrizo and Elkhorn), nor at Soda Lake and adjacent areas. Please refer to the Visitor Resources Map. This map indicates areas where car camping is allowed. This map is available at the Goodwin Education Center and the BLM Bakersfield Office for purchase and is posted in kiosks located at the North and South entrances into the Monument.

Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, Pinnacles National Monument, Cachuma Recreation Area, and Topanga State Park.

The Goodwin Education Center is located one half mile west of the junction of Painted Rock Road and Soda Lake Road. If you are approaching from Highway 58, it is located east of Santa Margarita and west of McKittrick. Turn south off of Hwy. 58 onto Soda Lake Road and continue for 13 miles, then turn right onto Painted Rock Road. If you are approaching from Highway 166/33, Soda Lake Road is near the top of the grade north of Cuyama and south of Maricopa. Look for the now-closed Reye´s Station (the Union 76 gas station), which is at the intersection of Hwy. 166/33 and Soda Lake Road. Follow Soda Lake Road northwest for approximately 30 miles, then turn left onto Painted Rock Road.

Be advised that many roads in the Carrizo Plain National Monument (CPNM) are not paved and become impassable during wet weather. Many roads on the Carrizo Plain are dirt and some are unimproved. During periods of rain, a number of roads become impassable. Rains may make parts of Soda Lake Road slippery or muddy at times. During rainy times avoid Simmler, Panorama and other roads that cross over the valley. These roads are not passable when wet! The Caliente Ridge Road can be especially dangerous when wet and may be closed periodically during periods of heavy rain or snowfall. In the appropriate season, it is better to check with the Visitors Center to find out which roads are safe to travel on and which ones may be closed temporarily. Please call ahead for current road conditions.

Wallace Creek, located on the North end of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, is most easily accessed via California State Hwy. 58. The Carrizo Plain is located east of San Luis Obispo and west of Bakersfield.

From Interstate 5 (165 miles from Los Angeles, 300 miles from San Francisco): Exit Interstate 5 at the Hwy. 58 exit. For Southbound visitors, turn right onto Hwy. 58. For Northbound visitors, turn right onto Tracy Ave. and then right again onto Hwy. 58. Follow 58 west for approximately 12.5 miles where 58 will meet Hwy. 33. Turn left (or south) and continue on 33, through the town of McKittrick, for approximately 1 mile. Watch for the sign to Santa Margarita and turn right [or west]) back onto Hwy. 58. Hwy. 58 winds through the Temblor Mountains and at around 14 miles, the landscape opens up and you will see the Carrizo Plain.
Just as you exit out of the mountains, turn left onto Seven Mile Road which will take you down into the valley. Remain on Seven Mile Road for only a short distance (approximately 1/2 mile), where you will then turn left onto Elkhorn Road.
Follow Elkhorn Road (a dirt road), until you reach the signs for Wallace Creek.
Please park all vehicles in the parking lot provided. The trail provided is for foot traffic only.

From Highway 101 (275 miles from San Francisco, 260 miles from Los Angeles): Exit Hwy. 101 onto Hwy. 58 (between Atascadero and San Luis Obispo) and head east towards Santa Margarita. Continue east on Hwy. 58 for approximately 52 miles. Just before you climb into the Temblor Mountains, turn right onto Seven Mile Road which will take you down into the valley. Remain on Seven Mile Road for only a short distance (approximately 1/2 mile), where you will then turn left onto Elkhorn Road. Follow Elkhorn Road (a dirt road), until you reach the signs for Wallace Creek. Please park all vehicles in the parking lot provided. The trail provided is for foot traffic only.

Carrizo Plain National Monument

Bureau of Land Management

3801 Pegasus Drive

Bakersfield, CA 93308

(661) 391-6000

Mapquest