Free programs include reptile presentations, pond discovery, a planting station, and more (programas ofrecidos en español)! 

 

WIND WOLVES PRESERVE

Wind Wolves Preserve is in an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge. Due to elevation ranges from 640 to 6,005 feet, the Preserve has an impressive array of landforms and habitats that serve as a critical landscape linkage and wildlife corridor between the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada.

On the San Joaquin Valley floor, the Preserve is a 30-square-mile veritable sea of grasslands with remnant stands of saltbush. These grasslands are home to the endangered San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard as well as one of the largest stands of the endangered Bakersfield cactus. The Preserve’s main wetland is home to the Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew—one of the most endangered mammals in the United States. Rolling grasslands rise from the valley floor, transitioning into classic California blue oak and valley oak savanna with extensive riparian wetlands. The oak savanna ascends into juniper and pinyon forests that vault into stands of ponderosa pine and big cone spruce.

Volunteers have played a major role in working with staff to restore this heroic landscape. Fourteen years of monthly work parties have removed invasive tamarisk from 30 miles of stream channels. Volunteers have made miles of boundary fencing antelope friendly, as well as make kit fox dens for the recruitment of kit foxes. And volunteers through school, family work parties, and collaborating organizations have planted tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs.

The preserve includes the entire San Emidio Land Grant, once owned by John C. Fremont. Wind Wolves’ rich cultural history includes some of the most noteworthy Native American rock art in North America.

 
 

PLAN YOUR VISIT

PRESERVE HOURS

8 AM to 5 PM
Seasonal hours beginning March 15: 8 AM - 7 PM

ADMISSION

FREE

CONTACT US

(661) 858-1115
windwolvespreserve@wildlandsconservancy.org

GETTING HERE

16019 Maricopa Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311

Get Directions

 

THINGS TO DO

AMENITIES

PROHIBITIONS

SAFETY


LEAVE NO TRACE

Pack it in, Pack it out.

Take any trash you make with you.

Leave What You Find.

Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts and other objects of interest as you find them.

Respect Wildlife.

Learn about wildlife through quiet observation. Do not disturb wildlife or plants just for a “better look.” Observe wildlife from a distance so they are not scared or forced to flee.

Be Considerate of Others.

One of the most important components of outdoor ethics is to maintain courtesy toward other visitors. It helps everyone enjoy their outdoor experience.

Principles courtesy of Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

RESOURCES

FREE CAMPING

Spend the night under the stars in San Emgidio Canyon.

FREE INTEPRETIVE PROGRAMS

From guided hikes to nature crafts, our programs have something for everyone.

 

CONSERVATION OUTCOMES

An important conservation outcome of The Wildlands Conservancy’s ownership of Wind Wolves Preserve is that Wildlands assembled and led a Tejon Ranch Working Group 0f ten conservation organizations that resulted in an agreed plan to double the targeted amount of conserved land on the neighboring Tejon Ranch to over 230,000 acres.

The Conservancy’s restoration of hundreds of acres of wetlands has recruited over 5,000 nesting pairs of the endangered tri-colored blackbird. In 1998, Wildlands collaborated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to reintroduce 19 tule elk to their historic range. This herd has grown to over 400 elk and plays an important role in the Preserve’s ecosystem. Hundreds of valley oaks have been successfully grown from acorns at our on-site nursery, which is permitted to grow and transplant the endangered Bakersfield cactus, with over 5,000 new cacti planted to date. Restoration of salt bush to the grasslands has played an important role in bringing back the endangered kit fox and blunt-nose leopard lizard.

 

LEND A HAND AT WIND WOLVES

You can pitch in with restoration work, visitor interaction, guide education programs, and more!

THE LATEST FROM WIND WOLVES PRESERVE

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