Over the Sierra Foothills to Shaver & Huntington Lake | Bakersfield to High Country Drive

On Easter Sunday, we set out from Bakersfield with a simple plan—to spend the day at Shaver Lake. The drive took us north along CA-99 and into the Sierra foothills, where the air clears and the landscape begins to rise and unfold. But when we arrived, we found the northeast portion of the lake—home to some of the quietest and most scenic spots—unexpectedly closed. So we kept going. 0:00 Map & Flyover 0:22 Start in Bakersfield 1:04 Allen Rd 2:53 Zerker Rd 4:58 Shafter, CA 6:22 CA SR 99 8:22 Famoso, CA 9:34 McFarland, CA 10:58 Delano, CA 13:07 Earlimart, CA 14:50 Pixley, CA 19:07 Tulare, CA 21:42 Visalia, CA 27:04 Selma, CA 30:37 Fresno, CA 31:53 CA SR 168 33:19 Clovis, CA 35:12 Tollhouse Rd 41:30 Millerton Rd 43:06 Morgan Cyn Rd 47:31 Prather, CA 56:20 Pineridge, CA 1:01:17 Ockenden, CA 1:02:31 Shaver Lake, CA 1:07:38 Sierra Marina 1:09:26 Continue Eastbound 1:12:17 Burn Scars 1:15:33 Coyote Snow Park 1:23:19 China Peak Ski Area 1:26:10 Walk To Lake Continuing east on CA-168, we climbed deeper into the Sierra until we reached Huntington Lake, where we found a peaceful lakeside campground and stopped for a quiet picnic by the water. What started as a straightforward destination turned into something better—a reminder that the road often has its own plans. This drive traces the gradual transition from Central Valley farmland to alpine forest, passing through small towns, burn scar landscapes, and winding mountain roads—an example of California’s layers revealing themselves mile by mile. Exploring the road, the land, and the traces of what came before. Music: “Mono No Aware” by Sunfish “Let Go” by Field Of Giants “Sierra” by Dan Zeitune “I’m On Your Side” by IAmDaylight “Hold Back The Sun” by The Lighthearts “Nuevos Colores” by Tomas Novoa “Dare To Dream” by Balloon Planet “Abstract Emotion” by Stefano Mastronardi “Todo Mundo” by Dan Zeitune “Still Bloom” by Ben Juliet “Bravo Sierra” by Glories “The River Of Hope” by Emmanuel Jacob “Inside Dream” by 2050 “Somewhere Else” by Ziv Moran “Cast Riddance” by Dear Gravity “Packing My Bags” by Luna Keller “Skyway” by Milano “Take Me Out” by Russo & Weinberg “Fractured Time” by Sémó “Things We Wouldn’t Say” by Michael FK The high-speed appearance in portions of this video is a post-production effect designed to better illustrate the topography of the route. This video is not intended to encourage unsafe driving.