Research checked: 2026-11-05. Check linked official notices before travel.

Carrizo Plain National Monument west of Bakersfield, California, protects open grassland, the salt flats of Soda Lake and the culturally important Painted Rock site. Start with Soda Lake if you want a flexible visit. Painted Rock requires advance planning, and the monument has no dependable drinking water or fuel.

Salt flats and fault-shaped hills

The Soda Lake Overlook and boardwalk are separate stops. From the overlook, look across the salt basin and grassland. At the boardwalk, see the edge of the lake at a lower vantage point.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Topic	Details
Goodwin Education Center	December 1–May 31, Thursday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed on holidays. Maps are available at the door when it is closed.
Painted Rock	Within a quarter mile of Painted Rock, public lands close March 1–July 15 except for BLM-authorized tours. The booking service typically lists self-guided dates July 16–February 28.
KCL and Selby campgrounds	Both are free and first come, first served. BLM limits overnight camping to 14 days in any 30-day period and 28 days in one year. In the Carrizo Plain Natural Area, camp or park overnight only in designated campgrounds or camping areas, at least 200 yards from natural or artificial water sources. BLM can authorize a written exception to the stay limit in the Natural Area. Confirm road access before setting out.
Painted Rock ticket	The reservation service charges a nonrefundable USD 1 per ticket. Book at least 24 hours ahead.

Bring water and plan for dirt roads

Fill your tank before entering the monument and bring drinking water and food. Cell coverage is incomplete and towing is limited. After rain, dirt roads can become impassable, including portions of Soda Lake Road. Check the BLM road notices before taking a side road.

Stay on roads and respect closed areas

Motor vehicles must be street-legal. Vehicles and bicycles must stay on roads. Keep pets under control throughout the monument and leashed or caged at developed sites. The Painted Rock exclusion zone prohibits all pets, horses, caching, firearm discharge, campfires and nonmotorized bicycles. You can use a nonmotorized bicycle in the Painted Rock parking area. Stay outside the quarter-mile public closure around Sulphur Springs. Target shooting and replica weapons, including paintball and airsoft, are prohibited throughout the monument. Do not discharge firearms in the Painted Rock exclusion zone or within a quarter mile of the Goodwin Education Center, Painted Rock, campgrounds, ranch facilities, overlooks, interpretive sites, pullouts, Soda Lake or Wallace Creek. Follow all marked no-shooting boundaries.

Get a California Campfire Permit before using a campfire or a portable gas stove, and check posted fire restrictions. Campfires are prohibited in the Painted Rock exclusion zone.

Get a Painted Rock reservation

Book through the Painted Rock reservation service. For a self-guided visit, bring the gate code from your confirmation and arrive during daylight on your reserved date. The code is unnecessary on guided tours. Organized groups of 20 or more people or five or more vehicles need a permit for day or overnight use. Contact BLM before booking for a group.

Use the official map for Soda Lake Road

The BLM map and guide shows routes across the plain, campground turnoffs and no-shooting areas. BLM advises against relying on a navigation app alone. Use Soda Lake Road to reach the turnoffs for KCL Campground Road and Selby Road.

Nearby reserves reached by road

Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve has a Highway 166 entrance at mile marker 45 west of New Cuyama. Tule Elk State Natural Reserve is on Station Road near Buttonwillow.

Choose a short stop or a separate cultural visit

Use the Soda Lake Overlook or boardwalk for a stop by the salt flats. For Painted Rock, follow the access instructions in your reservation. Leave the pictographs undisturbed and do not take commercial photos or video of the rock art.

Year-round restrooms and basic campsites

The Goodwin Education Center has wheelchair-accessible restrooms that remain open year-round, even when the center is closed. KCL and Selby campgrounds are first come, first served. Both have vault toilets but no electricity or trash service. Bring drinking water, pack out waste and confirm that the campground roads are passable.

A grassland basin along the San Andreas Fault

The fault has shaped ridges and depressions along the plain. In the closed Soda Lake basin, evaporation leaves a white mineral crust on the lake bed.

Painted Rock and its pictographs

Painted Rock is a culturally significant rock outcrop with pictographs. The reservation service describes the site’s connection to the Chumash.

Wildflowers and grassland birds

Wildflower displays depend on conditions and can be brief. The plain also supports seasonal birdwatching, so a visit can focus on wildlife when flowers are sparse.

Contact the monument

Call the Goodwin Education Center at 661-391-6191 or the information line at 661-391-6193. The BLM monument guide has maps and access rules.

	Temp max	Temp min	Rain	Snow
Jan	14 °C 57 °F	7 °C 45 °F	53 mm 2.1 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Feb	15 °C 59 °F	7 °C 45 °F	38 mm 1.5 in	1 cm 0.4 in
Mar	18 °C 64 °F	8 °C 46 °F	48 mm 1.9 in	1 cm 0.4 in
Apr	22 °C 72 °F	11 °C 52 °F	23 mm 0.9 in	0 cm 0.0 in
May	26 °C 79 °F	14 °C 57 °F	8 mm 0.3 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Jun	32 °C 90 °F	19 °C 66 °F	0 mm 0.0 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Jul	34 °C 93 °F	22 °C 72 °F	4 mm 0.2 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Aug	34 °C 93 °F	22 °C 72 °F	1 mm 0.0 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Sep	31 °C 88 °F	20 °C 68 °F	5 mm 0.2 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Oct	25 °C 77 °F	15 °C 59 °F	8 mm 0.3 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Nov	18 °C 64 °F	10 °C 50 °F	19 mm 0.7 in	0 cm 0.0 in
Dec	13 °C 55 °F	6 °C 43 °F	49 mm 1.9 in	0 cm 0.0 in

Carrizo Plain National Monument in California, USA - map and visitor information