Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area

Address

13601 Ironbark Rd.
Taft, CA 93268

(Follow the directions below -- Do not use this address in online maps or a GPS because it will take you into the "front" entrance, which is wrong for this event.)

Official Kern County Park website

Caid Great Western War website

Enjoy our wonderful site with green lawns, shade trees, lake breezes, and big blue skies at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area, 13601 Ironbark Rd, Taft, CA 93268. It is an easy drive over the hill to a lovely park where we have a large lakeside area all to ourselves.

Directions

The site is approximately 25 miles southwest of Bakersfield.

From I-5, travel west on Taft Highway 119 (exit 244).

(Go past the signs for "Buena Vista Recreational Area." Those signs will take you to the park "front" entrance, and you will have to back track and continue west on Hwy 119 to Golf Course Rd.}

Turn left (east) on Golf Course Rd (5.1 miles).

Turn left (east) on Ironbark Rd/Buena Vista Park.

Proceed to the gate for check in. The Great Western War entrance will be located at the park's "back" entrance, not the main entrance off Highway 43.

Notes

This site is a true oasis in the middle of a vast oil production plain. No joke! The site is a man-made creation, and it is really well-designed, and when inside the park, you can't see any of the surrounding lands, which in this case is a good thing. The small lake adjacent to the camping area is great for naval regattas and small-scale naval skirmishes.

Beware! The shoreline is irregular and has been known to hide roving bands of Western Privateers, like the Dread Ship Black Rose. Those from the still-developing Caidan Navy should probably stick to the kiddie-pool swimming area, until they amass larger numbers and more capable naval warships.

We really appreciate that the GWW Stewards have arranged for the participants to be able to drive on the grass for the purposes of loading and un-loading for setup. This is a really nice benefit, and reduces the time for setup by quite a bit, over other sites, like the Potrero Regional Park in South Eastern Caid.

Of particular note within the SCA is that the two lakes on this site were created in 1973, before the Kingdom of Caid was formally created and recognized (1978). The date of Caid's creation as a Kingdom is also of note, since it is distinctly after the Barony of the Westermark was recognized in 1977.