Location/Directions

Kern River County Park holds two vast picnic grounds, the unfenced Hart Park Section 7 Picnic Ground and the fenced and gated Golf Course Picnic Ground. Each area accommodates several thousand people. Both facilities are in such demand that coals in the deep pits sometimes remain hot from one group to the next. Reservations and Permits from Kern County Parks & Recreation are necessary for use of either site.

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Contact Information

Hart Park Field Office
Phone: (661) 872-3179
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Park Rangers: (661) 872-5149 - for handling problems during event
Kern County Parks & Recreation

See Reservation Information

Activities & Amenities - Hart Park Section 7 Picnic Ground (unfenced)

Note: Available only on a first-come, first-served basis on holidays

• Raised bandstand with electrical outlets
• 2 booths: ticket sales, and chilling/serving drinks
• 7 deep pits (water hoses and shovels not provided)
• 2 large grills; 7 propane burners
• Food preparation tables; 90 picnic tables
• Lighting on poles; electrical outlets throughout the grounds
• Small ball field backstop and volleyball poles (volleyball and net not provided); children's play area
• Restrooms

Activities & Amenities - Pyles Boys Camp/Golf Course Picnic Ground (fenced and gated)

• Size: 10 acres, including 6.5 acres of turf
• Raised bandstand with electrical outlets
• 2 booths: for ticket sales, chilling and serving drinks
• 5 deep pits, 2 of them near the parking lot (water hoses and shovels not provided)
• 4 large grills; sink for cleanup
• Food preparation tables; 118 picnic tables
• Lighting on poles; electrical outlets throughout the grounds
• Small ball field backstop; volleyball poles; basketball slab; children's play area; 2 fenced horseshoe pits (horseshoes not provided)
• Restrooms

Warnings/Regulations/Restrictions

• Reservations and Permits from Kern County Parks & Recreation are necessary for use of either site. Permits to use the Reserved Picnic Grounds must be filed in advance, must comply with insurance requirements and must state the earliest starting time of preparations and the number of participants. (This information will help the Parks Division time the use of the deep pits.)
• Any additional play equipment, including dunkers and merry-go-rounds, must have the prior approval of Kern County Parks & Recreation.
• Electrical additions must also have prior approval.
• Groups serving alcohol need Alcohol Liability Insurance.
• Some groups may also need to have Sound Amplification Permits.
• Groups larger than 2,000 people must provide, at their own expense, chemical toilets and suitable dumpsters.
• Since park personnel may be working on the grounds as an ongoing part of their work at the same time that events are in progress, cooperation is necessary for the sake of the overall park maintenance schedule.
• Groups expecting the full return of the Security Deposit should encourage the use of the park's trash receptacles, clean off all leavings, debris and posters from tables, lawns, walls and parking lots and leave facilities clean and undamaged.