Bakersfield is a city in central California, about 110 miles north of Los Angeles. The local economy is heavily based on the oil and agricultural industries. Bakersfield doesn’t have nearly the tourism volume that the coastal California cities receive, but the area does offer some good outdoors activities, as well as cultural experiences.
Five of the top 15 employers in Bakersfield are in the agricultural industry. On the smaller side, there are plenty of family farms. Every Saturday, the city holds the Brimhall Farmers Market for visitors to buy farm-fresh goods.
Bakersfield has a surprising number of great museums. This includes the Crystal Palace Museum, which celebrates country music star Buck Owens. The venue has a restaurant with regular live performances. The California Area Living Museum is actually a zoo that features animals that are native to California. The Kern County Museum celebrates the rich history of Bakersfield.
The Kern River is close to Bakersfield, and the river offers rafting trips from beginner to expert.
Winters are technically the wet season, but Bakersfield gets very little rain (6 inches annually). Daily highs are in the 50s.
Late spring has great weather. May daily highs hit the low 80s. In terms of enjoying the outdoors, spring and fall offer the best times to visit.
Summers are really hot... temps are regularly in the upper 90s.
September remains around 90 degrees. October is a good time to visit with daily highs in the low 80s.
