| California 178 east |
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A begin freeway sign is posted shortly thereafter; the state route will remain a freeway as it passes through Lake Isabella. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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The freeway is four lanes but has no center divider. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Eastbound California 178 continues through some curves but nothing like those seen in the Kern River Canyon. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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The next exit along California 178 east is Exit 38, Borel Road (one mile). Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Eastbound California 178 reaches Exit 38, Borel Road. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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This mileage sign provides the distance to Lake Isabella (four miles), Freeman Junction (48 miles), and Ridgecrest (65 miles). This section of freeway was built in 1974. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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The next exit along California 178 east is Exit 42, Norris Road east to Lake Isabella Boulevard (one-half mile). This exit connects back to old California 178, which follows Lake Isabella Boulevard through the unincorporated community of Lake Isabella. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Use Lake Isabella Boulevard south to Bodfish and Havilah. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Eastbound California 178 reaches Exit 42, Norris Road east to Lake Isabella and Bodfish. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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The next exit along California 178 east is Exit 43, California 155/Kernville Road south to Lake Isabella and north to Kernville. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Although locally California 155 runs north-south along Kernville Road, the state highway travels west from near Kernville to Woody and ultimately Delano, where it ends at California 99 in the Central Valley. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Use California 155/Kernville Road north to Wofford Heights and Kernville. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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Eastbound California 178 reaches Exit 43, California 155/Kernville Road south to Lake Isabella and north to Wofford Heights and Kernville. Photo taken 10/07/06. |
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A California 178 reassurance shield is posted after Exit 43 (California 155). Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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This mileage sign provides the distance to Mountain Mesa (six miles), Freeman Junction (California 14) (44 miles), and Ridgecrest (61 miles). Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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A pair of warning signs indicates that the freeway will end in one-half mile. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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California 178 passes over the Borel Canal, which conveys water from Isabella reservoir to the Borel hydroelectric facility and eventually to the Central Valley for agricultural and urban uses. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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The right lane and freeway ends. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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The next intersection along California 178 east is with East Lake Isabella Boulevard. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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After the highway narrows to two lanes, eastbound California 178 will intersect East Lake Isabella Boulevard, which is the original alignment of California 178 through Lake Isabella before the freeway was constructed. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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From here, California 178 resumes a narrow, two-lane rural highway configuration. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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For the next five miles, California 178 follows the south shore of Lake Isabella reservoir. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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The next left from California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road is the recreational area Old Isabella Road. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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This view looks north from the Old Isabella Road recreation area. Prior to the construction of the dam and reservoir, this was the old road that was in use rather than the current alignment that avoids the reservoir. The last photo looks west toward the Isabella Dam. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road continues northeast along the east shore of Lake Isabella reservoir. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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Eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road enters the unincorporated community of Mountain Mesa (population 716 as of 2000 Census, elevation 2641 feet). The next several right turns lead into the residential areas of the community. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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The major intersection in Mountain Mesa is the connection from eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road to McCray Road south to Squirrel Mountain Valley. Limited services are available here (gas, food). Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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Leaving Mountain Mesa, eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road proceeds toward South Lake and Weldon, both of which are situated at the east end of Lake Isabella reservoir. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road proceeds east from Mountain Mesa toward South Lake, an unincorporated community with a population of 160 people per the entrance sign. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Upon leaving South Lake, eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road immediately enters the unincorporated community of Weldon, which had a population of 2,387 people as of the 2000 Census (may include South Lake, which doesn't seem to appear separately in U.S. Census data). Upon leaving Weldon, we also leave Lake Isabella behind. The last photo in this series shows the intersection between California 178 east and Sierra Way, which travels northwest to Kernville along the north shore of the lake. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Leaving Weldon and South Lake, eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road approaches Paul's Place, which is a general store on the old alignment just south of the main highway. An old alignment of California 178 loops to the south of the modern route. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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After the Pauls Place turnoff, eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road proceeds toward Onyx, Canebrake, and Walker Pass. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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A California 178 east shield is posted shortly thereafter along Isabella-Walker Pass Road. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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Eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road approaches Fay Ranch Road. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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This mileage sign along eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road provides the distance to Onyx (four miles) and California 14 at Freeman Junction (31 miles). Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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Eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road approaches Kelso Creek Road. Photo taken 10/08/06. |
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California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road follows the upper Kern River as it continues east toward Onyx. The trees are a bit more sparse on the nearby mountains as the highway proceeds toward Walker Pass. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Eastbound California 178/Isabella-Walker Pass Road enters the small unincorporated community of Onyx (population 476 people, elevation 2795 feet). A general store that had been in operation since 1851 was closed by the time we drove past. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Ahead, California 178 approaches Doyle Ranch Road and Worthington Street in Onyx. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Eastbound California 178 continues east between Onyx and Canebrake. Joshua Trees, endemic to the Mojave Desert, make their first appearance as the scenery changes to a bit more like the Mojave Desert. Photos taken 10/08/06. |
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Page Updated October 23, 2009.
