Kern River Canyon, Natural canyon in Southern Sierra Nevada, California

Kern River Canyon is a canyon in Kern County, California, cut by the Kern River through the southern Sierra Nevada. It links the Kern River Valley with the southern San Joaquin Valley, and California State Route 178 follows its length from east of Bakersfield to the Lake Isabella area.

The canyon takes its name from the Kern River, named for Edward M. Kern, the topographer of John C. Frémont's 1845 expedition, who was nearly killed there. In the 1850s gold was found in the Kern River drainage, and mining camps drew prospectors into the canyon. California State Route 178 was later built along the river through the gorge, linking Bakersfield with the Lake Isabella area.

The canyon carries the name of Edward M. Kern, the topographer of John C. Frémont's 1845 expedition, who mapped the river route through the southern Sierra Nevada. California State Route 178, known locally as Kern Canyon Road, follows that same corridor east of Bakersfield toward Lake Isabella, so the drive traces the line Kern surveyed.

State Route 178 runs through the canyon and provides several access points for hikers and water sports enthusiasts. The best time to visit is autumn and spring when weather is mild and water levels are suitable for safe activities.

The canyon carries California State Route 178 along its entire length, from east of Bakersfield to the Lake Isabella area, so the road and the river share the same corridor through the southern Sierra Nevada.