Lake Isabella, Census-designated place in Kern County, United States
Lake Isabella is a census-designated place in California's Kern River Valley, developed around a large reservoir. The community sits at about 770 meters elevation surrounded by mountains of the southern Sierra Nevada range.
The area was originally home to the Tübatulabal and Owens Valley Paiute tribes before gold seekers arrived in 1853. The construction of Isabella Dam in 1953 transformed the landscape permanently and forced the settlement to relocate.
The area takes its name from the reservoir that shapes the valley and connects different communities. Visitors see daily how people come to fish, boat, or simply spend time along the shoreline.
The area offers camping, boating, fishing, windsurfing, and other water sports with multiple access points around the reservoir. Visitors should know that weather conditions and water levels vary significantly with the seasons.
The community was relocated about 1.5 miles south in 1953 to make way for the new reservoir. This unusual relocation of an entire settlement is a rare event in American history.
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