Popular Observation Points

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To view the most number of jet passes, you'll want to stick to spots along the Kern River, between waypoints A & B on the route. We'll list out a few of the beginner spots, including the non-hiking spots. Please note that the non-hiking, drive-up spots will not get you "above" the jets, but still provide a decent view of the low level flying.  

Packsaddle Trail (35.9293273, -118.4898140): Old mining trail. It's 45 minutes to and hour for most people to get to the top. You'll do a little off-trail bushwhacking near the top to get you closer to the river. 

Chamise Flat Campground (35.9120632, -118.4812352): This drive-up spot is up a dirt road that gives you a little elevation, just above the Chamise Flat Campground. 

Gold Ledge Campground (35.8738202, -118.4472832): This is another drive-up spot. You'll gain more elevation than Chamise, but you'll be a little further from the river- so the jets may also be a bit further, just depends on the pilot. 

Bottom of the Needles (36.0958940, -118.4632017): This drive-up spot gives you the opportunity to see jets flying below you. This spot is extremely remote and there are no services, including cell service out there. Note: The road to this spot is closed during the cooler months, usually November-June.

After the jets pass through waypoints A & B, they'll cut across the Eastern Sierras past Point C and this is where the route starts to become less guaranteed for jet passes. The pilots have a few choices after Point C... they can continue on to Point D, or take a short-cut, flying directly from Point C to Point J- skipping the Northern portion of the route entirely. If you have a scanner tuned into the low-level frequency (315.9000) you'll hear the pilots refer to this shortcut as "taking the Jedi". 

If they choose to continue on to Point D, they still have a couple flight options. "Haystack" is the name of the hill that most photographers will take photos from. This hill may look small from the road, but it is made up of impossibly large boulders with no visible trails available. It's a scramble to gain elevation at Haystack and you'll typically climb up on the West side or the East side- either way, your choice will be incorrect for at least one pass each day- likely even more! Pilots can choose to fly the West side, giving you a backdrop of the Sierras or the East side, flying through a narrow gap- unfortunately, there is no really great spot to be able to photograph both sides simultaneously. For this reason, "Haystack" has earned the nickname "Heartbreak Hill". This is also why I always recommend sticking to the river for first-timers or out-of-town visitors. 

Haystack (36.5985868, -117.9943027): These coordinates will take you to a salt-flat style parking area near the Southwest corner of the Haystack. You will want to bring a vehicle with some ground-clearance to drive along the paths that will take you to the West and East sides of Haystack. Alternately, you could also watch from the ground from this location.