Scenic Getaways in Taft’s Backyard
By Nick Fequiere
The Wind Wolves Preserve is located about an hour southeast of Taft. As described by the official website, the preserve “is an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley converge.” This coalescence makes for uniquely beautiful and natural scenes that Kern County isn’t typically known for. However, Wind Wolves isn’t simply revered for its beauty; the preserve boasts a sizable 93,000 acres of land, making it the largest non-profit nature reserve on the west coast. Hardcore outdoor enthusiasts and families alike can look forward to the many hiking trips and wildlife tours offered at the preserve, as well the various activities and events for children.
Wind Wolves features an array of ecological systems and varying altitudes, ranging anywhere from 640 to 6500 feet. This makes for an interesting combination of flora and fauna throughout the preserve’s expanse. The locale enjoys tule elk, kit foxes, California condors, and blunt-nosed leopard lizards, as well as blue oak, valley oak savanna, juniper, and ponderosa pine.
Despite the already enormous amount of land claimed by the preserve, The Wildlands Conservancy ownership group has aimed to more than double those 93,000 acres and eventually call the surrounding 230,000 acres the new Wind Wolves Preserve. They’ve gone all in on this proposal, even going as far as to hire experts and analysts who could vouch for the plentiful benefits of expanding the preserve. This commitment to ecological preservation has been the foremost priority of The Wildlands Conservancy at Wind Wolves as well as their other preserves.
All of the programs, events and activities at Wind Wolves are provided free of charge. These activities include hiking, bird watching, painting, and even movie showings for children in the canyon. One of the most exciting offerings include the full moon and black out night hikes, which are great for stargazing and learning about the constellations. Outdoor survival demonstrations are available for parents and their children and there are plenty of opportunities to learn about the history of the area as well.
Taft locals searching for some affordable fun this summer should look no further than the Wind Wolves Preserve. Couple a variety of fun and engaging activities for kids and adults of all ages with a relatively close location and there’s plenty of reasons to keep coming back all summer long.