State Scenic Highway 178 178

State Scenic Highway 178 follows the Kern River through a dramatic canyon between Bakersfield and Lake Isabella in the southern Sierra Nevada. Construction on this stretch, known locally as Kern Canyon Road, began in the mid-1890s under Edison Electric to service its Kern River No. 1 powerhouse and wasn't finished until 1924. The narrow, two-lane road runs some 40 miles alongside the river beneath tall rock walls and sheer cliffs, with sharp turns and steep drop-offs that have made it one of the more dangerous stretches of highway in the state, though a four-lane section eases the drive partway through. Beyond Lake Isabella, Highway 178 continues east across the desert toward Death Valley; it's that far eastern stretch, from the national park boundary to Highway 127 near Shoshone, that is specifically eligible for California's State Scenic Highway System, a very different landscape of open basin and range from the granite-walled canyon closer to Bakersfield. Rafting, fishing, and camping draw most visitors to the canyon section.

• Bakersfield to Lake Isabella (Kern Canyon)
• ~40 miles along the Kern River
• built 1890s-1924 for Edison Electric
• one of California's most dangerous roads
• continues east toward Death Valley
• desert segment eligible for CA Scenic Highway System