Hart Flat/Water Canyon/Old West Ranch?? (Los Angeles, Bakersfield: houses, to buy)

[kitty3]

Hi-If you are familiar with any or all of these areas, I REALLY need your advice! I'm from the midwest and looking to move to the area. I want elevations between 3,000-4,000 feet (approximately). I want SECLUSION, preferable wooded/trees, and most importantly, want to buy a house that does NOT have other houses right up next to mine. Which area would be best? I need to be within one hour from both Bakersfield and Rosamond, which is why I think my first choice might be the Hart Flat area. But is there only one road in and out of this area? What if there were a forest fire? Are there any 'back roads' you could get to your house if they closed the main road into Hart Flat off of hwy 58?
Also important to me is nature and wildlife. Could you potentially see mountain lion or bear occasionally in these areas? (I would LOVE it!! )
From looking at Realtor.com, it seems Hart Flat might be pretty pricey, but are there any homes in that area for under $300K?
I'm hoping for an area that may get an occasional dusting of snow in winter, but not heavy duty snow and ice.
Also, I think I know where Hart Flat is, but I cannot find Old West Ranch or Water Canyon on a map. What are they near? THANK YOU for taking the time to give me any advice.

[jdavid93225]

Hart Flat is in the mountains (or the foothills anyway) east of Bakersfield. Those other areas are places I'm not sure about. If you're looking for seclusion, trees, and wildlife, this would probably be a good area to look. You can also look in Keene and Tehachapi. In all of these areas there are places where you can find seclusion, but there are also places where you'll be pretty close to your neighbors. It's just a matter of looking around until you find what you're looking for. If you want to split the difference between Bakersfield and Rosamond, Tehachapi would probably be your best bet. Highway 58 is the main road in and out of these areas, but can take you either east or west. There are a few backroads as well, but they parallel highway 58 for the most part. As for snow, all these places will get a little bit, with Tehachapi getting the most. I don't consider the snow there to be excessive or "heavy duty."

Some other places you might want to consider are Lebec and Frazier Park. These areas are South of Bakersfield and West of Rosamond. They would likely fit your criteria of being within 1 hour of either place. Again, there are places where you can find seclusion, and other places where you'll be right next to your neighbor. There are places with trees and other places that are more like high desert. Like Hart Flat, Keene, and Tehachapi, this area also has a lot of wildlife, and mild winters. Lebec is about 3500 to 3800 feet, while Frazier Park is about 4000-4500 feet elevation. The main road in and out is I-5, but Frazier Mountain Park Road goes out through to the West, connecting with Ojai, Maricopa, or Santa Maria, depending on which way you go.

In any of these areas, there is the possibility of sever winter storms, but they aren't very common. In 15 years living here, I can only remember about 4 or 5 storms that dropped more than a foot of snow. All but two of them melted away within a few days. The two big storms each dropped 2 1/2 feet of snow, or more. Those times, the snow stayed on the ground for at least a week. Those types of storms are not common, but they do happen occasionally. The longest I was ever snowed in from a storm was three days, and that only happened once. All the other times, I was only snowed in for one day, if at all.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by kitty3

Also, I think I know where Hart Flat is, but I cannot find Old West Ranch or Water Canyon on a map. What are they near? THANK YOU for taking the time to give me any advice.

Well, I couldn't find "Old West Ranch" on my map, but I did find a water canyon (two of them actually). One is South of the town of Tehachapi, and is the canyon that leads up to Tehachapi Mountain Park. The other is south of Bear Valley Springs and Cummings Valley, which are a short distance (~5 miles) West of Tehachapi. Both of these "Water Canyons" are on the north slope of the Tehachapi Mountains, and are at higher elevations than the surrounding towns. I don't think that either would fit your requirements for winter snow. Most of the areas I mentioned in my earlier post are at lower elevations or receive more exposure to the sun, resulting in less snow, or snow that melts off more quickly.

[kitty3]

Thank you for replying!
You mentioned the backroads that parallel hwy 58...can I assume that they would be an alternate way in and out of HartFlat if for some reason hwy 58 was closed? (fire, etc)
I appreciate your advice, I will look up the other towns you listed. I think my first choice is going to be Hart Flat. Are you familiar with the area? Do you think I could find a home under $300K or are ALL the homes super-pricey? Also, are sightings of mountain lion and bear common?

[jdavid93225]

Kitty3,

The backroads I mentioned that parallel Highway 58 are basically frontage roads, though they are not nearly as straight. I think if 58 was closed due to fire, these roads would also be closed. There are a couple roads leading north out of the area, but they take you into an even more remote area. These are Caliente-Bodfish Road and Sand Canyon Road. I haven't driven very far on Sand Canyon Road, but from what I remember, it's a dirt road the heads north out of Tehachapi. Caliente-Bodfish Road heads north from the area west of Hart Flat, and is paved all the way to Lake Isabella, where it intersects Highway 178. It is a fairly long, winding road, with few amenities, if any, but it goes through some beautiful areas. A little further west of the Caliente-Bodfish turnoff is Highway 223, which heads South down the hill into Arvin.

Other than driving through and around the area, I don't know a whole lot about Hart Flat. I know a couple acquaintances that live there, but I haven't talked to any of them since they moved to that area. I don't know enough about housing to give any pricing info, though I would imagine it would be similar to Bakersfield.

As for wildlife, the area is similar to the area I live. I've seen a lot of wildlife in my area including deer, bear, raccoons, bobcats, snakes, lizards, rabbits, hawks, vultures, coyotes, foxes, and lots of insects. I've seen each of these animals numerous times in the years I've lived here. A neighbor of mine spotted a mountain lion in my area several years ago, but I never saw it. There have been a number of other mountain lion sightings in the area, as well.

I think you would find the same assortment of wildlife in the Hart Flat area. The area between Hart Flat and where I live is mostly part of Tejon Ranch. I've never seen them, but I have heard about there being antelope, elk, and wild pigs there. There is the chance that you might spot some of these animals if you were in the right place at the right time. I'd love to see them myself, but so far I haven't had that luck.

I just realized that this thread is in the Los Angeles forum, which is probably not a good place for it. The California forum would be much better, since this area is not considered part of the L.A. metro region. I just thought you might want to know that.

-Joe

[kitty3]

Thanks Joe, for the great information! You have been extremely helpful. Also, I didn't realize about the Los Angeles vs. California forum. Maybe I will repost on the California forum.
I can't wait to get out to the wilderness, warmer winters and clear, starry skies!!!

[riceme]

Kitty, there are actually more than two Water Canyons in the Tehachapi area, but the one you're looking for is the one that leads up to Tehachapi Mtn Park. The road is called Water Canyon Road, and it is off of Highline Road, South and East of town.

I would suggest that as an area for you to look for trees, wildlife and seclusion. You can find all of these things in all of the areas in and around the Tehachapi Valley and Mountains, but there are little quirks about each area, like what I just mentioned about Old West Ranch.

Have you made it out to the Tehachapi area yet?? I am curious!

[kitty3]

Yes, I've been out to the area twice and driven around BVS, Stallion Springs, Hart Flat, Sand canyon, etc. I will be sending you a private message next week. No time today (sorry!)....please look for it monday or tues next week. Thanks!