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Goodwin Education Center The Guy L. Goodwin Education Center is open seasonally from the beginning of December to the end of May. Normal days and hours of operation during the winter and spring season are Thursday through Sunday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM. Make this your first stop to receive updated information. CURRENT WEATHER (not forecasted) For a quick tour of our Visitor Services see the following sites: HOURS AND SPECIAL CLOSURES Handicapped accessible restrooms at the Visitor Center will remain open 24 hours a day, sever days a week, throughout the year. Informational maps and brochures will be available at the front door when the Center is closed. The Visitor Center driveway may be closed if road conditions are too muddy for vehicles. Visitors are welcome to hike in during these times. There is access to Painted Rock from July 16 to March 1 of each year. Keep in mind that the road will be closed if rainy conditions make the road impassable. During the time period between March 1 and the end of May, Painted Rock will be accessible by guided tour only, to protect special resources. Please call the BLM Bakersfield Field Office at (661) 391-6000 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM or the Goodwin Education Center at (805) 475-2131 during the months of December through May for information before you plan your trip to Painted Rock. Dogs are not allowed at Painted Rock.
CARRIZO PLAIN MAPS
FACILITIES AND SERVICES This is a remote area with minimal facilities available. Handicapped accessible, public rest rooms are located at the Goodwin Education Center and at the Painted Rock Parking Area. Portable toilets are available at Overlook, Selby Campground, KCL Campground and the Traver's Ranch (see map for locations). There is no drinking water available. The nearest public phone is in California Valley, 15 miles north of the Goodwin Education Center on Soda Lake Road. Gas is available in Maricopa and Santa Margarita. Be sure to start your trip to the CPNM with a full tank of gasoline. Emergency services are available year round at the California Division of Forestry (CDF) Station at California Valley by dialing 911. Note: Cellular phone service is not available throughout the entire Carrizo Plain. A wide array of merchandise is available for purchase ranging from stickers and magnets to posters, books and tee shirts. Also available are checklists of the flora and fauna found within the CPNM. These lists include plants, birds, mammals, as well as amphibians and reptiles. A small fee is charged. Click here to see a list of items that are available at the Goodwin Education Center from December through May of each year.
The Goodwin Education Center offers the visitor interpretive displays and exhibits explaining the uniqueness of the Carrizo Plain and the adjoining Elkhorn Plain, where "the closer you look, the more you see". Here you will learn about the endangered plants and animals of the San Joaquin Valley, the geology of the San Andreas Fault, the human history of Painted Rock and its significance to Native Americans and the farming and ranching history of the area. A diorama as well as interactive interpretive displays are available for visitor education. A breathtaking mural of the Carrizo Plain and its animal and plant life, painted by Santa Barbara artist John Iwerks, focuses attention on the diversity and complexity of life on the Plain. ENDANGERED SPECIES DIORAMA Within the boundaries of the Carrizo Plain National Monument are homes to an extremely high concentration of threatened and endangered vertebrate species. Some of these species are the San Joaquin kit fox, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, the giant kangaroo rat, and the San Joaquin antelope squirrel (a candidate species). Examples of many of these animals can be seen in the endangered species burrow habitat, diorama. The diorama allows you to see how these special species interact with other animals and lets you explore their intricate network of underground burrows. During April and May, free docent-led guided tours will visit Painted Rock on Saturdays. All tours are by reservation only though add-ons may be accepted when space is available. Please contact the Visitor Center staff. Special group tours can also be scheduled for weekdays. Reservations may be made by calling the Goodwin Education Center during the months of December through May at (805) 475-2131. Call early as tour size is limited. Painted Rock/Wildflower Tour Time: Saturdays, 10 AM to 3 PM Description: The tour begins at the Soda Lake Overlook. After an introduction and brief history, the group will explore Soda Lake and the Carrizo Plain's plant communities. Following this, the group caravans to the Painted Rock parking lot for lunch. After lunch, the group hikes approximately 2/3 mile to Painted Rock. Although the path does not have a significant change in elevation, it is not handicapped accessible. Time spent within the Painted Rock alcove may be limited to protect prairie falcons or other nesting birds. The tour then returns and ends at the Goodwin Education Center.
Reservations may be made by calling the Goodwin Education Center at (805) 475-2131. A self-guided, interpretive trail has been constructed at Wallace Creek and along a portion of the San Andreas fault. Brochures are available at the trail head or at the Education Center. Signs and a detailed brochure provide information about the San Andreas and aid visitors in identifying features along this famous fault. Also, if you would like to explore more of the geology of the Carrizo Plain on your own, a booklet containing two self-guided auto tours is available for purchase at the Goodwin Education Center or through the BLM Bakersfield Field Office. WILDLIFE WATCHING
Wildflowers - Current Conditions & Links to Photos Bakersfield Field Office: Sensitive Plant Species Many roads on the Carrizo Plain are dirt and some are unimproved. During periods of rain, a number of roads become impassable. The main road, Soda Lake Road, is currently passable and in good driving condition. Rains may make parts of Soda Lake Road slippery or muddy at times. During rainy times avoid Simmler, Panorama and other roads that cross over the valley. These roads are not passable when wet! The Caliente Ridge Road can be especially dangerous when wet and may be closed periodically during periods of heavy rain or snowfall. In the appropriate season, it´s better to check with the Visitors Center to find out which roads are safe to travel on and which ones may be closed temporarily. Cattle guard crossings are often rutted; cross with caution. Please do not drive off-road to avoid bumps. Off road vehicle use is prohibited throughout the entire Carrizo Plain National Monument. When roads are dry, expect a lot of dust and drive with caution accordingly. Watch for wildlife in roadways. During certain times of the year, much of the Carrizo Plain is considered open range and visitors should be prepared for livestock on roads. Drive with caution especially after dark. Please come prepared and use caution, especially if traveling in a passenger car. Watch for unexpected ruts and rocks that may cause flats in tires designed for highway travel. Make sure your spare is inflated and in good shape and that you have all of your tire-changing tools with you. If you have a cell phone, be sure to bring it. You may have to climb on a hill to get service but that may be a better alternative than being stranded. Services are a long distance away and a lot of time may pass before help may just "happen" by. Always bring food, water, and warm clothing along on trips in case of emergencies and start your trip with a full tank of gas. The library at the Goodwin Education Center is available for in-house use by the public. It includes books on geology, natural history, botany, the environment, and prehistory of the Carrizo Plain. Please join us in the management and restoration of habitat on the Carrizo Plain by becoming a member of the" Friends of the Carrizo Plain". For more information and an application please write: Friends of the Carrizo Plain
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The Goodwin Education Center is located one half mile west of the junction of Painted Rock Road and Soda Lake Road. If you are approaching from Highway 58, we are located east of Santa Margarita and west of McKittrick. Turn south off of Hwy. 58 onto Soda Lake Road and continue for 13 miles, then turn right onto Painted Rock Road. If you are approaching from Highway 166/33, Soda Lake Road is near the top of the grade north of Cuyama and south of Maricopa. Look for the now-closed Reye´s Station (the Union 76 gas station), which is at the intersection of Hwy. 166/33 and Soda Lake Road. Follow Soda Lake Road northwest for approximately 30 miles, then turn left onto Painted Rock Road. Be advised that many roads in the Carrizo Plain National Monument (CPNM), are not paved and become impassable during wet weather. Please call ahead for current road conditions.
